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Competition Date (will be updated with new information when it becomes available): TBD
Registration Deadline: TBD
There is no online student registration for this exam.
Time: 75 minutes
Format: 50 multiple-choice questions
This Exam is an easier exam as compared to the USABO Exam.
It has a similar difficulty level as the AP Biology Exam and is a good practice exam for students taking the AP Biology Exam in May.
Grading: Each of the 50 multiple-choice questions will have five answer choices, for which only one choice is the best answer worth 1 point.
1/3rd point penalty deducted for every incorrectly answered question.
No points are deducted or awarded for unanswered questions.
Calculators are not permitted.
Eligibility: Any student can participate in the National Biology Competition, and on more than one occasion.
Past Exams for Practice: https://biocomp.utoronto.ca/past-comps/exams
Exam Content: The exam questions will cover material that a senior high school biology student is likely to have come across in their studies. The content of the exam will reflect the similarities in the secondary school biology curricula among the provinces. The major topics covered on the exam include:
General biochemistry: basic chemical concepts, chemical bonds, biochemical reactions, biologically important organic molecules
Cell structure and processes: cell structure and function, membrane structure, transport across membranes
Cell metabolism: energy in the cell, enzymes, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, mitosis, cell cycle
Genetics: meiosis, sexual and asexual reproduction, Mendelian inheritance, DNA, genes and chromosomes, protein synthesis, mutation, genetic disorders in humans, gene expression and manipulation
Evolution: historical context for evolutionary theory, evidence for evolution, population genetics, evolutionary mechanisms, adaptation, speciation, extinction
Biological diversity: taxonomy, phylogeny, origin of life, microbial, fungal, plant, and animal diversity
Plant structure and function: structure, growth, and reproduction, transport mechanisms, growth regulators
Vertebrate structure and function: digestion, circulation, gas-exchange, reproduction, development, homeostasis, excretion, and nervous, endocrine, and immune systems
Ecology: species interactions, matter exchange and energy flow, population dynamics, human ecology, conservation biology
"Hot" biology topics in the news
Awards and Certificates
The Top 5% of students in schools outside of Canada will receive certificates designating them as International Biology Scholars; the Top 1% as International Biology Scholars with Distinction.
Each school with 10 or more participating students will be presented with a Certificate of Achievement to award to its top scorer in the competition. Schools with fewer than 10 participating students will also receive a certificate if the top student in that school scored in the top 30% of all participants.
Admission Scholarships: University of Toronto National Biology Competition Scholarships will be awarded to the top 15 students (of all participants) in the competition to register in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto (St. George campus).
The value of each scholarship is $3,000.
Receipt of a scholarship is conditional upon a student obtaining a score in the competition above the 95th percentile, demonstrating outstanding academic performance in their final year of secondary school, and registering in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto (St. George).
Award winners who are not in their final year of secondary school can defer the acceptance of their scholarship.
A student who competes in the competition more than once can only receive one scholarship.
A National Biology Competition Scholarship may be held along with other awards a student may receive, provided the terms of the other awards permit this. A high score on the exam may increase a student's chance of obtaining other awards from the University of Toronto, but a low mark will not hinder it.
Competition scores are not used as a criterion for admission to university studies.
Cash Prizes: Top 1% of students in schools outside of Canada will each receive cash prizes as follows:
1st: $300
2nd: $200
3rd: $100
the remaining 1% (beginning with 4th place): $50 each
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