Brain Bee

Key facts

Eligible grades

Not confirmed. Check the organiser's rules before entering.

The Brain Bee sets eligibility by age, not grade, and one regional host notes it is open regardless of academic standing. For the USA Championship students must be, or have been, enrolled in an accredited US high school.

Recommended preparation

Reading Brain Facts or Neuroscience: The Science of the Brain

Why: Most local chapters base their questions on one of these two short introductory texts, both freely available, and higher rounds add neuroanatomy, neurohistology and MRI interpretation. No prior biology course is published as a requirement.

Based on the official syllabus and content covered.

This is Compete's reading of the competition's documented content, not a requirement stated by the organiser. You may enter without it.

Compete guidance, not an eligibility restriction. Students outside this are still eligible if the official eligibility above allows them.

Eligible ages

Typically ages 13 to 19, and 13 to 19 at the time of competition for the USA Championship. National Champions may not be older than 19 to compete at the World Championship.

Local chapters may be stricter: one US chapter restricts entry to ages 14 to 18 by the competition date. Check your own chapter's rule rather than the international one.

Source, checked 2026-09-02

Individual or team

Individual

Where it runs

Online and in person · International

Entry cost

Most local chapters are free. The USA National Championship charges a $400 registration fee, payable after your eligibility is confirmed by your regional chapter; it covers an event shirt plus snacks, lunch and dinner on competition day.The $400 national fee is a significant step up from free local entry and my previous listing did not mention it. Travel and accommodation are on top.

Registration deadline

Set locally, not published as a single national date Each local Brain Bee sets its own deadlines and rules. The season runs roughly January through August, with national finals typically in spring. Register early with your local chapter.

Competition dates

Local competitions in winter and spring, national championships in spring, international championship in summer.

Difficulty

CompetitiveSerious preparation over a season. Advancing past the first round separates prepared students from unprepared ones.

Prizes

Local and regional winners may receive certificates, prize money, trophies or trips to the next level. World Championship winners receive monetary prizes, trophies and a summer internship. Top five finalists at the World Championship are invited to IBB NextGen, a mentorship and career development programme hosted at the FENS Forum.Prizes vary by chapter and country, and often include laboratory placements, textbooks and funded travel to the next round.