CHAMPIONSHIP
The USA National Brain Bee championship is held each spring. To be eligible to participate, students must have won a local Brain Bee competition. The winner of the USA Brain Bee Championship will advance to represent the USA in the International Brain Bee competition. Below are the sections that will be covered in the championship.
The 2025 USA Brain Bee Championship will be held on Saturday May 3rd at the Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, with an optional check-in and activities May 2nd. Thank you to this year’s host, the Rutgers-Central NJ Regional Brain Bee, directed by Dr. Michael Matise.
Tentative schedule (details to come)
Evening of May 2 – optional check-in and non-competition activities at Heldrich Hotel
May 3 (9am-7pm) – competition day at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Registration for the 2025 USA Brain Bee Championship is now open. Individuals who have won a regional USA Brain Bee competition and are eligible to participate in the USA Championship should register using the link below. Once the participant has registered and their eligibility has been confirmed with their regional Brain Bee chapter, they will receive a link to submit the registration fee of $400. The registration fee will cover an event shirt, refreshments on Friday evening, as well as lunch and dinner on Saturday.
All participants should stay at the event hotel, listed below as the shuttle to and from the competition will be from this location. The negotiated nightly rate is $159.
Heldrich Hotel
10 Livingston Ave
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
HOW TO BOOK
Click here to book online (Group Code: 632180)
Call to book (866) 609-4700
Please reference the National Brain Bee Competition Room Block
Rooms must be booked before April 4, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will there be a shuttle from the airport to the hotel?
No. Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the airport.
Will there be a shuttle from the hotel to the competition?
Yes, there will be a shuttle to transport participants from the Heldrich Hotel to the competition and back on Saturday morning, Saturday evening, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon.
What if I am not staying at the Heldrich Hotel and will be driving myself to the competition?
Yes, if you are not staying at the Heldrich Hotel and would like to drive yourself to the competition, please note the following:
The competition on Saturday, May 3, will take place at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Research Tower, 675 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Parking arrangements for attendees arriving in personal vehicles appear below. These lots are in front of the building. If using GPS, you must include WEST in the street address.
Those driving themselves may park in Lots A. B & C. Guests must use the link below to register for the event. They must enter an email address where they will receive a confirmation. Until this process is completed their vehicles are not registered and guests may receive a citation. Special Event parking does not include metered parking or spaces marked RESERVED or GUARANTEED.
Click here to register your car.
Is there a detailed agenda available?
We not yet have a detailed agenda available for the competition. Once this becomes available, all participants will receive it via email. Please plan to spend all day Saturday at the competition. Friday’s evening activities are optional. There are no scheduled or sponsored events on Sunday.
Can chaperones attend the competition?
Yes, registered chaperones can observe the competition events that take place in the Main Lecture Hall of RWJMS. Spectators will be asked to sit in the back when the front rows are being used by competitors, and are expected to abide by the rules and regulations that are detailed elsewhere.
What if I have additional family members attending?
The registration fee covers participation and meals for the competitor and one chaperone. Additional family members will be asked to register separately and pay a guest fee of $50 per person. Guest passes will include lunch and dinner on Saturday as well as refreshments Friday evening. A link to purchase guest passes will be available soon. Registered guests will be allowed to observe the competition events that take place in the Main Lecture Hall.
Please note updates and changes to the competition components and
study guides below
2025 Exam Format
For rounds 1 and 2, each question will be worth 1 point (100 points total)
ROUND 1: Factual and Conceptual Foundations of Neuroscience
- 50 questions
- written answers
Questions will be projected on the screen. Competitors will have 30 seconds to answer each question.
ROUND 2A: Gross and Fine Structure of the Nervous System
- 25 questions
- written answers
Contestants will visit stations with human brain/histology/MRI samples or images. Competitors will have 1 minute to answer each question.
ROUND 2B: Clinical and Scientific Reasoning
- 25 Questions (10 clinical, 15 scientific reasoning)
- multiple choice answers
Questions will be projected on the screen. Competitors will have 1 minute to answer each question.
ROUND 3: Finals Round (questions derived from all prior round topics)
- Top 10-12 competitors from first two rounds will progress to finals round
- This round will continue until the top 3 winners are determined
- Written answers
Questions will be projected on the screen. Competitors will have 1 minute to write answers to questions on a white board. Competitors will be eliminated from the competition after missing 2 questions.
Written Test
Students will be asked to complete a multiple-choice exam with questions based on BrainFacts and Open Neuroscience Initiative (PDFs of both books are available for free)
Human Neuroanatomy
Students will be asked to rotate between stations and identify names/functions of brain structures from human brains.
Neurohistology
Students will be asked to rotate between stations and identify photos or histological sections.
MRI
Students will be asked to rotate between stations and identify names/functions of brain structures on MRI images.
Patient Diagnosis
The National Library of Medicine website includes a Medical Encyclopedia that can be used as a study guide.
- Huntington’s Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Bipolar Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Autism
- Epilepsy
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Narcolepsy
- Korsakoff’s Syndrome
- Phobia
- Major Depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Alcohol Addiction
- Tourette’s Syndrome
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Cerebral Palsy
Finals Round
The competition will culminate in an elimination round for the top finishers from the prior rounds who will answer the same question “jeopardy style”. Competitors in this round will be dismissed after missing 2 questions. Questions will include material from any of the prior rounds. This round will continue until the top three finishers are determined or the time limit has been reached. Any ties will be decided by the scores from prior rounds.
Neuroscience Research
In this section, students will answer questions that test their basic understanding of the scientific method, experimental methods and/or data analysis/interpretation. Open Neuroscience Initiative and material presented at the competition will provide the source material for this section.
Additional Activities
The competition day may include additional activities such as lectures, group activities, panels, poster session, and debates that will not count for the competition but are aimed to enrich the student’s understanding of neuroscience, possible careers in neuroscience, and the paths to such careers. Students will have opportunities to make new friends, and connect with neuroscience students and faculty.
The Rules
- Must be 13-19 years old at the time of the competition
- Students may only participate in one local chapter competition each year
- Students must be, or have been, enrolled as a student in an accredited high school in the United States
- Students may only participate in the USA National Brain Bee Championship once in a lifetime.
- Students can only participate in the International Brain Bee World Championship once in a lifetime.
- No recording devices can be used during the finals round of the local competitions or USA Championship.
- Students must observe the Academic Honor Code (below) during the competition
USA Brain Bee Academic Honor Code
The USA Brain Bee Academic Honor Code is intended to ensure a fair and equitable environment for all student competitors.
Competitors pledge to abide by the following principles and practices, and to report any suspected violations of this code to competition organizers.
The following activities are prohibited:
- Cheating: Using unauthorized materials during the competition. These include printed materials or electronic devices.
- Plagiarism: Copying or attempting to copy answers from other competitors.
- Unauthorized Assistance: Giving or receiving help during the competition via oral or electronic means.
Competitors who are found to have violated the Honor Code will be dismissed from the competition.
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