If you’re a middle or high school student with a passion for STEM, participating in the National Science Olympiad (NSO) should definitely be on your radar. This prestigious competition not only challenges your creativity, problem-solving, and analytical skills but also helps you measure your abilities against peers from across the country. Competing in such a high-level event can significantly boost your student profile, giving you an edge in college admissions. 

In this blog, we will review the National Science Olympiad and give you 10 tips to help you ace the competition!

What is the Science Olympiad (NSO) All About?

The National Science Olympiad is a nationwide STEM competition open to elementary, middle, and high school students. Established in 1984, the competition is organized by the Science Olympiad USA Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting interest in STEM fields. Sponsored by leading organizations such as Google, 3M, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Olympiad aims to inspire students to pursue careers in STEM. T

Participants compete in various challenges spanning disciplines like geology, astronomy, and engineering. The competition is held at regional, state, and national levels, with only the best teams advancing to the Nationals. In 2023, approximately 6,300 teams competed, but only 120 (60 middle school and 60 high school teams) made it to the National Finals—a testament to the competition's selectivity and prestige.  

Is the Science Olympiad Prestigious?

Absolutely. With thousands of teams vying for a spot at the Nationals, less than 2% of participants make it to the final round, making it one of the most competitive STEM competitions in the U.S. The Olympiad's association with prominent sponsors and the availability of scholarships, including a top prize of $10,000, further underscores its prestige. 

What Are The Important Dates? When Can I Register For The Competition?

Registration dates for the 2025 Olympiad vary by state, but typically open in September. You can find specific details for your state chapter here. The National Tournament is scheduled for May 23-24, 2025, at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

How much does Registration cost?

Registration fees range from $125 to $300, depending on your state.

How is the Olympiad Structured?

The Science Olympiad is divided into three divisions: A (elementary, K-6), B (middle school, grades 6-9), and C (high school, grades 9-12). The blog focuses on Divisions B and C, which have state and national finals. 

Teams consist of up to 15 members from the same school. The Olympiad's events fall into four main categories: 

• Knowledge events: Test-based events where students answer questions based on material learned, or research and find answers to questions within a stipulated time.

• Lab events: Students perform experiments, record data, and interpret their findings.

• Build events: Students design and build prototypes or functioning devices.

• Hybrid events: A combination of the above event types.

The subjects covered in these events include the following categories:

• Life, Personal & Social Science: Topics like anatomy, disease, ecology, and microbiology.

• Earth and Space Science: Areas like astronomy, fossils, and geologic mapping.

• Physical Science and Chemistry: Subjects such as air trajectory, forensic science, and optics.

• Technology & Engineering:  Fields including electric vehicles, robotics, and structural engineering.

• Inquiry & Nature of Science: Areas like experimental design and cryptography. 

Depending on the event and category, you could be asked to build a mousetrap vehicle, create a protein model, simulate a forensics lab, and other such activities. These events involve knowledge of coursework and skills equivalent to Next Generation Science Standards and Career and Technical Education goals for middle school students, and honors and Advanced Placements courses for high school participants. To help you prepare for these events, SO offers free and paid resources specific to each event here. These include problem scenarios from previous years’ olympiads, practice tests, reading material, video lecture recordings, and much more. 

What do Winners Receive?

Teams that rank first in individual events (for example, in ecology, forensics, air trajectory, etc.) win prizes ranging from Amazon gift cards to scholarships of up to $2,000. You can view the list of prizes here. 

Five outstanding high school seniors (across teams) can win the Science Olympiad Founders’ Scholarship, worth $10,000. Overall winners receive recognition and prizes that vary annually based on the program sponsors.

10 Tips to Help You Win the Science Olympiad

If you’d like to put your abilities to the test against talented students nationwide, here are 10 tips that can help you ace the Science Olympiad:

1. Understand the Competition’s Structure: Familiarize yourself with the types of events (Knowledge, Lab, Build, Hybrid) and what they entail. Knowing the demands of each event will help your team prepare effectively.  

2. Assemble a Strong Team: Ensure that each team member's strengths align with the events they’ll participate in. Strong test-takers can handle Knowledge events, while creative minds might excel in Build events. 

3. Gather Local Support: Secure your school’s approval to represent it and seek sponsorship for registration, travel, and other expenses. Your school should also appoint a mentor to guide your team. 

4. Familiarize Yourself with the Rulebook: Avoid disqualification by thoroughly understanding the competition's rules, scoring criteria, and other requirements. The rules are updated annually, so staying informed is crucial. 

5. Practice Regularly: Coordinate with your team to practice 2-3 times weekly. Participate in invitational tournaments to gain competitive experience, these tournaments even share feedback after the event to help you better prepare for the Olympiad. The Science Olympiad website also provides past papers going back several years and you can purchase test material from their online store.!

6. Stay Updated: Keep track of dates and times for qualifying events through your state’s Science Olympiad website.

7. Use Different Resources: Depending on the event, different resources can help you excel. For example, for the “disease” event, you can refer to FDA and CDC guidelines on dealing with infectious diseases and how to control outbreaks. For the “astronomy” event, you can refer to NASA satellite data and other publicly available information to learn more about planets and stars.

8. Simulate Olympiad Conditions: Practice under conditions that mimic the actual competition to manage stress and improve performance.  Specifically, we recommend practicing the oral event, in which you build a prototype relying solely on oral instructions from a teammate within an allotted time. 

9. Design and Test Prototypes: For Build events, create prototypes and document the process. Refine your designs based on what works and what doesn’t.  Use this information to improve upon further iterations of the model.

10. Breathe, and Enjoy the Experience: Focus on learning and growth. Participating in the Nationals is a rewarding experience that can motivate you to pursue a future in STEM. 

One other option - the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Kieran Lobo is a freelance writer from India.