National Science Bee
Varsity & Junior Varsity Divisions

Competition Format

For students competing in the Varsity & Junior Varsity Divisions, the National Science Bee is a two-stage competition, consisting of the Qualifying Stage and the National Championships. The Qualifying Stage has two variants: the National Qualifying Exams and National Science Bee. Students can also qualify for the International Science Championships and the International Environmental Science Olympiad by competing in the National Science Bee.

The second stage of the National Science Bee for the Varsity and Junior Varsity Divisions is the National Championships, which for the 2025-26 academic year will take place at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA on Saturday-Sunday, April 25-26, 2026. We expect approximately 150 students to attend from throughout the USA, and we hope that you will be able to join us! All students play four preliminary matches with 35 questions each on Saturday (during the lunch break of the National History Bowl preliminary rounds), with the two playoff rounds taking place beginning at 11:45am on Sunday morning. The number of students who make the playoffs and who advance from the semifinals into the finals will be a function of the total number of registrants.

On the same weekend that the National Science Bee National Championships are held, there are numerous other competitions that take place at other times at the same hotel (e.g. the National Geography Bee, National Championship Exams [a number of these have a Science focus], National History Bowl, National History Bee, and more). These are all held at different times so students can take part in all of them if they are eligible to do so. A full schedule of 2026 Varsity & Junior Varsity National Championships Events is available here.

The cost to compete at the 2026 National Championships is $135. Registration for the National Championships opens in November and runs through early April on this page.

For all questions on the 2026 Varsity & Junior Varsity National Championships, please email hs-info@iacompetitions.com.

Students who compete in the National Science Bee can qualify for the International Science Championships and the International Environmental Science Olympiad! Students qualify for ISC and IESO (though note the exceptions at the bottom of the list) by accomplishing any of the following:

• having a score of 75 or higher on any version of the Varsity / Junior Varsity Science National Qualifying Exam in any academic year prior to Summer 2028 if they were in 9th grade or higher in the year they took it
• having a score of 65 or higher on any version of the Varsity / Junior Varsity Science National Qualifying Exam in any academic year prior to Summer 2028 if they were in 7th or 8th grade in the year they took it
• having a score of 55 or higher on any version of the Varsity / Junior Varsity Science National Qualifying Exam in any academic year prior to Summer 2028 if they were in 6th grade or lower in the year they took it
• placing in the top third at a National Science Bee Regional Tournament (or first or second place in the case of small fields)
• placing in the top two thirds in their age division at the National Championships of the National Science Bee in any academic year prior to Summer 2028
• having previously medaled at the 2024 International Environmental Science Olympiad

Qualification for the International Environmental Science Olympiad works the same way, except that a) students have until any year prior to Summer 2029 to qualify and b) students who would have just finished 11th or 12th grade in May or June of 2029 must qualify for Team USA in the Varsity Division. The Varsity Division of the International Environmental Science Olympiad will feature 5 students per country only. Further information on how to qualify for Team USA at IESO will be posted by 2027.

The International Science Championships will debut in Summer 2028 and then be held every other summer. The International Environmental Science Olympiad will be held in Summer 2029 and then be held every other summer.

Both the International Science Championships and the International Environmental Science Olympiad are week-long event with numerous competitions, field trips, family activities and more. In each event, medals are awarded to the top 3 competing students in each age division. With the exception of the Varsity Division at the International Environmental Science Olympiad, US students compete for their state; students from other countries (or students in the USA who were born abroad or who have foreign citizenship) represent those countries. Please see www.iesolympiad.com for further details on the International Environmental Science Olympiad, the website of the International Science Championships will be launched shortly.