Competition
Everything you need to know about participating in the Brain Bee competition.
Important Dates
| Milestone | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 📝 Registration deadline | 9 August 2026 | Register here |
| ✅ Confirmation of participation | August 2026 | Via email |
| 🧠 National Championship | 9 September 2026 | University of Antwerp |
| 🌍 IBB World Championship | November 2026 | Online |
The Rules
The Belgian Brain Bee is a neuroscience competition that challenges secondary school students to demonstrate their knowledge of the brain.
- The Belgian Brain Bee is open to all secondary school students aged 13 to 18 (19 not included)
- The competing student should be enrolled in a Belgian secondary school (middelbare school).
- The competition is conducted entirely in English, so English proficiency is required.
- Participation is completely free.
- You are only allowed to participate once in the International Brain Bee.
We also welcome volunteers! If you’d like to help, you can apply by reaching out to us via our mail address.
Prizes
Just like any other competition, we have foreseen some exciting prices, and not only for the top three students!
- First place: The winner of this national Brain Bee, gets to represent Belgium during the International Brain Bee World Championship, hosted by the US! Other prices include: a cash price of 250 euro, a trophee, a goodie bag, …
- Second and third place will also receive a cash price of 150 euro and 100 euro respectively, a trophee and a goodie bag filled with fun stuff …
- ALL other participants will receive a goodie bag as well!
Competition Format
The format follows the standards set by the International Brain Bee and consists of two rounds: a written test and a live oral quiz.
1. The Written Test
The first round is a written test combining multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Topics include:
- Neuroanatomy: the structure of the brain and nervous system
- Neural pathways: how signals travel through the nervous system
- Neurological and psychiatric disorders: from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease to epilepsy and depression
- Neuroscience research: current breakthroughs and discoveries shaping the field
- Neuropharmacology: how drugs interact with the nervous system
2. Oral Quiz
Using the study resources below, you can optimally prepare for all questions!
Study Resources
Want to start preparing? Here are some recommended resources:
- 📘 Brain Facts — the official Brain Bee study guide, published by the Society for Neuroscience. Available for free as a PDF, ePUB, or audiobook. This is your single most important resource.
- 📕 “Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain” by Bear, Connors & Paradiso — a comprehensive introductory textbook widely used in university courses. Helpful for deeper understanding, but not required.
- 💻 Online courses on Coursera and Khan Academy — free courses covering neuroscience fundamentals. We particularly recommend Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life from the University of Chicago as a great starting point.
Past Winners
As this is the very first edition of the Belgian Brain Bee, there are no past champions yet — but this section will grow as the competition’s history does. Will you be the first name on the list?