INBO Exam Pattern and Structure 2024-25

To be eligible for the INBO exam, it is compulsory for all candidates to qualify in the National Standard Examination For Biology (NSEB). Candidates who were born after July 1, 2005, and in Class XII or lower as of November 30, 2023, are eligible to sit for the NSEB 2024-25. The schedule of examinations may allow students to appear for multiple subjects. Please refer to the subject pages for details. NSEB is not open to students who have completed Class XII.

Each student is responsible for making sure they meet the eligibility requirements. It is possible that at any point during the program, a student will be disqualified if they are found to not meet the eligibility criteria.

The candidates who don’t qualify the NSEB exam are directly exempted from INBO. As per the INBO previous year question papers, it consisted of 100 marks and two sections - Section A and Section B. Section A consisted of 30 questions of 1 mark each and section B was of 50 marks consisting of 22 questions. There was also a negative marking for each incorrect answer. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic condition in the country, the conducting body i.e., HBCSE has decided to reduce the stages of the Biology Olympiad Programme and conduct the NSEB and the INBO examination as a single paper. This will be a 3-hour examination and will include 2 parts -  Part 1 (National Standard Examination For Biology) and Part 2 (INBO). The detailed information has been given below:

1. Part I - National Standard Examination in Biology

An examination on Biology for higher secondary students in India is called the National Standard Examination in Biology (NSEB). It is usually held toward the end of November. In cooperation with the Indian Association of Physics Teachers and the Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education (HBCSE), the Association of Teachers in Biological Sciences is organizing the examination. There are over 30,000 students taking this exam annually if they are in the 12th standard or less. This will be an one hour examination consisting of multiple choice questions, These questions will be based on Class 10+2 Biology and will follow the regular pattern of the NSEB examination. It is compulsory to pass the NSEB section to be eligible for the further rounds.

2. Part II - Indian National Biology Olympiad

This will be conducted for a duration of two hours and will include detailed questions following the similar INBO standards of the previous years. This section will only be evaluated if the candidate qualified in the 1st part. The selection to the next round i.e., Orientation cum Selection Camp will be done based on the individual score of this part. 

This information is provided based on the last updated notification and can be changed according to the current pandemic situation. Therefore, candidates must check the official HBCSE website regularly for any new updates.

Eligibility Criteria for INBO

Here we provide you with the eligibility criteria for the INBO Biology Olympiad. To qualify, you must meet the following criteria:

• Those students who are in their 12th grade are eligible for INBO. In addition, Class 10 and Class 11 students can apply if they've passed the NSEB exam.

• Specifically, he/she was born between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2010 (both days are included).

• Applicants who plan on taking the National Standard Examination in Junior Science (NSEJS) in the same year cannot be considered.

• Passport holders must also be eligible for the NSEJS. The OCI candidates are not eligible to participate in the International Olympiads as per the order of the High Court of Madras. Such candidates can (provisionally) be selected to all the prior stages up to and including OCSC (stage III), as long as they meet all the other eligibility criteria.

• Interested candidates must have resided in India for at least six months during the last year, or must have been residing in an Indian school system for at least six months prior.

• By June 1, 2024, the individual must not have begun studies in a university or equivalent institution.

The National Standard Examination Selection Procedure Consists of the following Steps:

In order to take part in the International Science Olympiad (ISO), students must pass the National Standard Examination. The following factors are considered when selecting participating students:

• Candidate eligibility

• as determined by the scores achieved in the qualifying exams

• in accordance with the proportional representation rule

• Minimum representation rule

• (previous) International representation rule

• A clause limiting INO to 300 students minimum (Total number of students should not exceed 300).

For INBO Stage II (INBO 2024-25), the Following Selection Procedure is Followed:

• There will be 250 students from each group selected for INBO stage II in total. Therefore, there will be 500 students selected in total.

• All the provisions apply separately to each group. Detailed information can be found in the official handbook.

• NSEB 2022 and INBO 2023 will have the same question paper for two groups.

• During the course, students will be grouped into two groups: the A group and the B group. A student must be in class XII as of November 30, 2023, for Group A, whereas students in class XI or lower for Group B will be accepted as of November 30, 2023.

• We will calculate a separate Merit Index (MI) and Minimum Admissible Score (MAS) for each group.

Result of the INBO

Indian National Biology Olympiad (INBO) Examination Format

For students who intend to pass the INBO, following a detailed study plan is most important since it is the largest examination. 

A combination of Objective (multiple-choice) and Subjective questions makes up the INBO exam. There are certain subjects on the syllabus that require you to have a good knowledge of Biology(particularly Zoology and Botany). In deep knowledge of topics related to plant physiology concerned with the Physical, Chemical and Biological functioning of plants, Genetics cover the study of genes and try to explain what they are and how they work. Living organisms inherit features or traits from their ancestors; for example, children often look like their parents because they inherit their parents' genes. Biochemistry is the study of the Biological, Physical, and Chemical functions of humans, and it provides the foundation of modern medicine. A body study incorporates information from several levels, including biochemistry, cellular physiology, organ systems, and the body as a whole.

INBO exams tend to focus more on an in-depth study of biochemistry and its modalities, which address the biological processes that occur in cells and organisms.

How to Prepare for INBO Exams

Indian National Biology Olympiad (INBO) exam preparation depends upon the individual goal. If you are more inclined towards Biology and it is your core subject, then you score really good in this competitive exam.  Key areas to be covered for the INBO exam are  Human Anatomy and physiology, Cellular modalities of animals, Genetics, Gene marking, plant physiology and their structures. You have to practice sample papers and previous year question papers for a better understanding of the concepts and to get used to the questions. Also, revision plays a key role in clearing the INBO exam as the exam pattern is very vast so you must keep at least 1 hour a day for the revision.