International Biology Olympiad (IBO): IP-Friendly Guide

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05 Aug 2025, 00:00 Z

Reviewed by

Ezekiel Tan·Academic Advisor (Biology)

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Q: What does International Biology Olympiad (IBO): IP-Friendly Guide cover?
A: What the IBO is, how it works, why it matters to IP families focused on Math & Physics, plus a Singapore-specific prep timeline.

TL;DR
The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) is the life-sciences cousin of the IPhO and IMO.
It started in 1990 (first IBO held in Olomouc, Czech Republic) and now typically draws 70+ delegations. The competition consists of both theoretical and practical examinations; the IBO Operational Guidelines recommend 4–6 hours for each part. Medals follow the published IBO cutoff procedure (not a fixed per-country quota).
For IP students, the lab-design and data-handling overlap with A-Level Physics Paper 4 skills.

Status: IBO official site, Past IBOs page, and Operational Guidelines v.6 checked 2026-01-26 - format remains theory + practical blocks (~4–6 h each) with medals set by published IBO cutoffs; 2025 host listed as the Philippines on the official Past IBOs page.

Use this alongside our IP Biology tuition hub so Olympiad drills reinforce the same molecular genetics, ecology, and data-handling skills your school tests.

Registration quick answer (Singapore): Students don’t enter IBO directly. Countries send national teams via their biology olympiad. Check the IBO site for current rules and national contacts: https://www.ibo-info.org/en/

1 What is the IBO?

The IBO is a yearly biology competition for secondary-school students selected by their country/region.
The first IBO was held in 1990 in Olomouc, Czech Republic.

2 Competition format