Round I

Round I of the Iowa Brain Bee consists of 50 multiple-choice neuroscience questions, ranging in topics from the chemical makeup of neurotransmitters to complex cognitive processes. Questions are projected on a screen and read aloud. All participants answer the same question at same time using clickers, which allows for immediate scoring without making answers public (so nobody but the student will know whether she or he got the answer wrong). Teachers, parents, and chaperones are welcome to sit in the audience and observe.

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Round II

Students placing in the top 10 during Round I go on to Round II, which occurs immediately after Round I. In Round II, students are asked short-answer questions and given 30 seconds to answer by writing their response on a whiteboard. Responses are evaluated by neuroscientist judges. After 5 wrong answers, a participant is out of the competition. The last one “standing” wins! 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers win prizes.

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The winner of the Iowa Brain Bee will be invited to participate in the U.S. Brain Bee Championship. To represent the Iowa Brain Bee at nationals, the individual must live in the state of Iowa, be between the ages of 13 and 19 on the day of the U.S. Brain Bee Championship, and be enrolled in the grades 9 - 12 in school. Individuals who do not fulfill these criteria are not eligible to represent Iowa at the national championships, but are still welcome to participate in the Iowa Brain Bee and related activities for fun. If the winner is not eligible to represent Iowa at nationals, the next finisher will be invited, and so on until an eligible person is identified.

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No student is allowed to participate in more than one local Brain Bee each school year.