National Finals - Brain Bee
- There are 2 levels of competition in Science Bee:
- IBB (Intermediate Brain Bee): Grades 6, 7 and 8
- SBB (Senior Brain Bee): Grades 9, 10 and 11
- A contestant who participated in a higher-level bee, cannot participate at a lower level in subsequent years.
- A 1st rank winner at the National Finals is not eligible for competing at the same level in future brain bee contests conducted by the Foundation. National winners of IBB can participate ONLY in SBB. National winners of SBB are not eligible for future Brain Bee competitions.
- It should be understood that any syllabus can only act as a guideline, and in the same given category of syllabus, the level of difficulty can vary dramatically from a beginner to an advanced level.
- Brain bees (IBB & SBB) are held in two Phases as written ONLINE examinations only.
- During this Phase I, contestants will be given the same set of 25 questions to answer. The maximum time allocated to answer the questions is 30 minutes. Each contestant will access the test paper ONLINE with questions along with multiple answer choices. Contestants must select their answer choices and SUBMIT before the time expires.
- Only your answer choice entries, from the provided multiple choices, are recorded, and graded. Students are not required or allowed to upload their scratch paperwork showing the method that they used. There is no partial credit for steps.
- Students can change their selected answer for any question within the allocated time during the contest, until they click the SUBMIT button or the time expires, whichever is earlier. Once a contest is submitted or if the time runs out, no answers can be changed.
- There are NO negative points for incorrect answers. The contestant will be awarded one point for each correct answer and zero for each incorrect answer.
- Contestants must not use calculators, books, handwritten or electronic notes, websites, phones, smart watches, or any other form of external help – in person, or by messaging/emails/etc.
- All questions will be multiple-choice type, and the answers will be electronically graded.
- There will be 10 questions in Phase II with 10 minutes time limit. Contestants will again access the ONLINE test questions with multiple choices. Contestants must select their answer choices and SUBMIT before the time expires.
- Based on the total scores, the judges will determine the winners. The 1st place winner shall be ahead by at least one point to be declared as the champion. In announcing the ranks 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, the judges will follow these rules:
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To break the ties in selecting the ranks, the scheme outlined below is followed in the order given:
- Phase I + II scores
- Phase I score among questions 21-25
- Phase I score among questions 16-20
- Phase I score among questions 11-15
- Phase I score among questions 1-10
- If the above steps fail to break the tie in question, the foundation may use additional measures including date of birth to resolve the tie.
Phase I:
Phase II (Written only):
Winners and Ranks:
Tiebreaker Rules:
What is the Brain Bee?
It is a live Q&A competition about the neuroscience for middle and high school students. The best young brains in our country are quizzed about the brain and how it relates to intelligence, memory, emotions, sensations, movement, stress, aging, sleep, and brain disorders such as drug addiction, Alzheimer's and stroke. The brain bee is an attempt to motivate our youth to learn about the brain, capture their imagination, and inspire them to pursue careers in biomedical research on brain
This Brain Bee contest is scheduled to take place during the National Finals. Please see the Contest Schedule for timings.
The International Brain Bee is founded and directed by Prof. Norbert Myslinski, University of Maryland, and is part of the International Brain Awareness Week. The BAW is an effort by brain scientists in 29 countries to educate the public about the importance of brain research, spearheaded by the DANA Alliance and the Society for Neuroscience. Please click here for information on the International Brain Bee.
How to Prepare for the Brain Bee?
Questions in the contest are mostly from the Brain Facts book
The following are the sample questions with Answers:
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Name the device that measures brain waves?Answer: Electroencephalograph
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The Greek word for the branches of a tree gives us the name of what part of a neuron?Answer: Dendrites
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Name a brain disorder named after a famous baseball player?Answer: Lou Gehrig's disease
How do I register?
You must register online from the NSF website. Please click here to go to the home page of the National Finals.
The following links contain the preparatory material for the NSF Brain Bee contests.