The Exam

 

The Brain Bee is split into two rounds. The first round is the written exam and will be composed of three categories: general Q & A, neuroanatomy and patient diagnosis. All participants will complete this round by recording their answers on a written worksheet. Answers to the first round will then be scored and the first five participants with the highest scores will move on to the second round. 

 

The second round will be composed of an oral Q & A, similar to a spelling bee format. This is considered the "lightning round" where only one contestant will emerge as the winner. The top three winners will receive prizes, but only the first place winner will be sponsored by us to attend the National Brain Bee competition.

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Round 1, Part 1: General Q & A

Students will have fifteen minutes to answer fifteen written questions.

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Round 1, Part 2: Neuroanatomy

Brain models will be displayed on the tables within the examination room, with numbered pins placed in various structures. The participants will have 20 minutes to name 10 structures, and give one of its main functions. Answers will be recorded on the worksheet.

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Round 1, Part 3: Patient Diagnosis

Two actors will carry out a short dialogue representing an interview between a doctor and a patient. The interview will include a simple description of the patient history and symptoms, and the doctor may recommend a first line treatment. The name of the disorder will not be given. Each participant will have to correctly identify the disorder and record it on the worksheet.

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Round 2: Lightning Round Q & A

The top 5 finalists will stand in the front of the room facing the judges. The judges will each have a question bank that ranges from easy to difficult, and each judge will be responsible for questions in one of four categories: Brain Basics; Senses, Thinking and Behavior; Disorders I; and Disorders II. The students will take turns answering questions. On their turn, the student will choose a category, and the judge for that category will ask a question. The student will answer orally. The student cannot choose the same category again until they have had a question from each of the other categories. A student will be eliminated once they have answered two questions incorrectly, until three students remain. At this point, a student will be eliminated when they answer two questions in a row incorrectly. This will continue until one contestant remains as the winner. Judges may increase question difficulty at their discretion and will announce when this occurs. 

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For the final three students, if the first student answers two consecutive questions wrong, and the other contestants already have one wrong, then the remaining contestants must each answer their next question correctly to stay in the game. If all contestants answer incorrectly, resulting in a tie, then no one is eliminated and each contestant will reset to zero. 

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At any point that all contestants are tied, the judges reserve the right to switch to one wrong answer for elimination ("sudden death"). This will depend on how much time is left for the competition, and it will be announced to the contestants before proceeding. 

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If a graduating senior wins, they are still eligible to participate in the National Brain Bee competition, as the age cut-off has been extended to 19 years old. The Upper Valley Brain Bee will take place in 2025, and will send the winner to the National Brain Bee competition in 2026. Please see our "About" page to learn more about what expenses the Upper Valley Brain Bee will cover for one student and one guardian to attend the national competition.

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Rules:

 

1. Students must be 13-19 years old at the time of the competition. In order to compete at the USA National Brain Bee Championship, the student must be 19 at the time of the competition the following year.

2. Students may only participate in one local chapter competition each year.

3. Students may only participate in the USA National Brain Bee Championship once in a lifetime.

4. Students can only participate in the International Brain Bee World Championship once in a lifetime.

5. No recording devices can be used during the finals round of the local competitions or USA Championship.

6. Cheating is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification and lifetime ban of all Brain Bee competitions.

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