Subject
Biology
Competition Support · Biology
British Biology Olympiad (BBO)
The UK's flagship school biology competition, and a recognised signal for biology and medicine applicants.
Key Facts
Level
Years 12-13 (mainly Year 13)
When
Winter
Format
Two timed multiple-choice papers
Rounds
Main competition, then IBO selection
Run by
UK Biology Competitions
University signal
Strong for Biology, Natural Sciences, Medicine
Why BBO coaching is hard to find
The BBO sits above the syllabus, so most tutors cannot teach it
A tutor who has only taught Biology to A-Level has not met these problems. Competition papers are not harder versions of the syllabus, they are a different kind of work, and coaching them means having sat them. That is why most agencies quietly decline this, and why students who want to prepare seriously are usually left with a past-paper archive and no one to mark it.
We do teach it. Every Oxbridge Mentors tutor is a graduate of the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, and the ones who coach the BBO sat it themselves and scored at the top of it. That is the whole reason we can offer this when others do not.
Who it is for
Applicants aiming at the most selective courses, where strong grades are the baseline rather than the differentiator.
Admissions signal: Strong for Biology, Natural Sciences, Medicine.
01
Section 01
What is the BBO?
The British Biology Olympiad (BBO) is the leading UK biology competition for sixth-formers, run by UK Biology Competitions (a Royal Society of Biology Special Interest Group). It tests biological knowledge and reasoning across the breadth of the subject through two timed, entirely multiple-choice papers, and its top performers are selected towards the UK team at the International Biology Olympiad. It is well regarded for biology, natural sciences, and medicine applications.
The British Biology Olympiad is run by UK Biology Competitions, a Royal Society of Biology Special Interest Group, and sat by sixth-formers, mainly in Year 13. It ranges across the whole of biology, from biochemistry and cell biology to physiology, ecology, and plant science, and rewards both broad knowledge and the ability to apply it to unfamiliar data and scenarios.
The competition is sat as two timed, entirely multiple-choice papers taken online, though some questions ask you to select several correct options or put answers in order. The questions reach well beyond the A-Level specification, so success depends on genuine wider reading. The strongest students progress through selection towards the UK team at the International Biology Olympiad.
For applicants to Biology, Natural Sciences, Biochemistry, or Medicine, a strong BBO result demonstrates depth and breadth beyond the syllabus, which reads well on a personal statement and gives real substance to interview discussion.
Run by UK Biology Competitions (an RSB Special Interest Group). See the official competition site for current dates and entry details.
02
Section 02
Format & Rounds
Main competition
Two timed, entirely multiple-choice papers taken online, ranging across the breadth of biology; some questions require multiple selections or ordering.
Selection
Top performers progress through further rounds towards the UK team for the International Biology Olympiad.
03
Section 03
Who Should Enter
Sixth-formers who love biology and read widely around it. Because the papers cover so much ground, the BBO rewards curiosity and breadth as much as exam technique, and it suits applicants to biology, natural sciences, biochemistry, and medicine.
- Aimed at sixth-formers, mainly Year 13.
- Entered through your school.
- A-Level biology plus genuine wider reading is the real prerequisite; the papers go well beyond the specification.
04
Section 04
Key Dates & Timeline
Autumn
Broaden reading across the branches of biology.
Winter
British Biology Olympiad main competition.
Spring-summer
Selection and training towards the International Biology Olympiad.
Windows are indicative and move each cycle. Always confirm exact dates on the organiser's site.
05
Section 05
How Our Tutors Help With the BBO
1
Coaching from tutors who read Biological or Natural Sciences at a top university and know how broad the olympiad reaches.
2
A structured reading and revision plan across the whole subject so the breadth of the papers is covered systematically, not left to chance.
3
Past-paper practice with feedback on data-handling and fast, accurate multiple-choice technique under time pressure.
4
Support turning olympiad topics into strong personal-statement and interview material for biology and medicine.
Tutoring is one-to-one and online, matched to the competition and the student. Packages start from over £50 per session with graduate mentors.
06
Section 06
How to Prepare
- Read widely and early. The BBO covers far more than A-Level, so breadth built over months beats last-minute cramming.
- Practice fast, accurate multiple-choice technique, including sensible strategies for when to guess.
- Get comfortable interpreting unfamiliar graphs and experimental data, which the harder questions often demand.
07
Section 07
Where It Leads
British Biology Olympiad (BBO) is a strong signal for competitive applications. We connect competition coaching to the rest of your preparation:
Related A-Level Guides
Related Admissions Tests
Degrees This Strengthens
BiologyNatural SciencesMedicineBiochemistry
BBO: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It is a recognised way to show scientific breadth and depth beyond A-Level, which strengthens a medicine or biosciences application alongside the UCAT.
A long way. The papers assume genuine wider reading across the whole of biology, so success depends on curiosity and breadth as much as syllabus knowledge.
The competition is mainly aimed at Year 13, but the Biology Challenge is a great Year 9-10 stepping stone, and strong Year 12 students benefit from starting to read widely early.