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A rigorous but age-appropriate online biology program for US students in grades 6-8. We build the foundation first, then guide your family to the competitions middle schoolers are eligible for.
The USABO, the IBO and the Brain Bee all open at grade 9. There is no junior or middle-school division of the USABO, so a programme that promises one cannot deliver it.
What we offer instead is the groundwork. We teach biology at real depth for ages 11-14, point you toward the competitions your child is eligible for now, and make sure that when grade 9 arrives they step into the USABO and AP Biology already fluent in the subject.
This program is built for US families who want their child to get a real head start in biology — the "start early, do it right" approach — without pushing college material onto a kid who is not ready for it. It is a strong fit if your child:
An age-appropriate foundation that builds real understanding and scientific thinking — not a college textbook crammed into a 12-year-old. Curiosity and conceptual depth come first.
The competitions open to students in grades 6-8. We coach the ones we teach toward, and help you judge which suits your child.
The principal middle-school route into competitive biology. Division B includes Anatomy & Physiology, Heredity, Ecology, Microbe Mission, Disease Detectives and Botany. We coach these events directly.
An online biology quiz-bowl for middle schoolers. Next edition 22 May 2027. Entry is by school team of four to five with a teacher as coach, at $125 per team. We prepare students for it directly.
An online contest with a middle-school division that ran on 22 June 2024. No edition has been announced since, and the organiser has published no results from any year. We list it for completeness rather than as something to plan around.
Open to students aged 15 and under, but entry is by national delegation and the United States has never fielded a team — it attended once as an observer, in 2008. There is no US qualifying exam. It is also integrated science rather than biology alone.
Grades 9-12 only; there is no middle-school or junior division. The aim in middle school is to arrive at grade 9 ready to enter it.
Sits downstream of the USABO as its international endpoint. Middle school is foundation-building, not an entry point.
Effectively closed to middle schoolers: there is an age floor of 13 and entrants must be enrolled at an accredited US high school. Preparing in grade 8 allows a student to compete as a grade-9 freshman.
Middle school is the on-ramp, not the race. Here is how the real timeline works.
Build genuine biology understanding and scientific thinking, and optionally compete in Science Olympiad Division B or the National Biology Bowl.
This is when USABO eligibility starts. Students can now sit the USABO Open Exam and begin AP Biology — arriving prepared, not starting from zero.
Pursue USABO Semifinals and Finals, AP Biology, and — for the very top students — the IBO selection pathway. Brain Bee also becomes an option for enrolled high-schoolers aged 13+.
Want the full parent view of when to start? Read our parent guide to starting the biology olympiad journey.
Taught by biology specialists led by Dr. Shekhar C Singh, an AIIMS New Delhi alumnus. Biology is all we teach — the depth shows.
Real teachers, real interaction — not a video library. Small groups so every student gets attention and their questions answered.
Live classes scheduled in ET / CT / MT / PT evening slots, so they fit around school. Recordings and notes are provided.
We build curiosity and real conceptual depth for ages 11-14 — we do NOT force a college textbook onto a 12-year-old. That is the difference.
These are real recorded live biology classes taught by Dr. Shekhar. Watch a few minutes to see the teaching style and depth before you decide — the same live, interactive approach your child gets, taught at an age-appropriate level.
Sample recorded classes from our YouTube channel. Note: USABO is a high-school (grades 9-12) competition — these clips are shown so you can judge our teaching style and depth. Middle-school students learn the same way, at a level built for ages 11-14.
Choose the batch length that fits your family — all priced in US dollars, no hidden fees.
Prefer to reach us directly? Message us on WhatsApp at +91 88264 44334.
No. The USA Biology Olympiad is open to students in grades 9-12 only, and there is no middle-school or junior division. What a middle schooler can do is build the foundation now, so that entering the USABO in grade 9 is straightforward rather than a leap. That is what this programme is designed for.
Two, realistically. Science Olympiad Division B (grades 6-9) is the strongest fit, with biology events including Anatomy & Physiology, Heredity, Ecology, Microbe Mission, Disease Detectives and Botany. The National Biology Bowl is an online quiz-bowl for grades 6-8, next held 22 May 2027, entered as a school team. We coach both directly. Two others are often listed elsewhere but do not hold up: the MCR Biology Contest last ran in June 2024 with nothing announced since, and IJSO has no United States entry route — the US has never sent a team.
No. The programme is paced for the age group and emphasises curiosity, conceptual understanding and scientific reasoning. We do not drill a college-level textbook into an eleven-year-old: pushing undergraduate material at this stage tends to produce burnout rather than depth. The aim is a base solid enough to build on for years.
Three batch lengths, all priced in US dollars: six months at $1,500, one academic year at $2,500, and two years at $4,500. Every batch includes live online classes in small groups, recordings and notes.
US students in grades 6-8 (ages roughly 11-14). It suits families who want an early, rigorous-but-age-appropriate biology foundation before high school — whether the goal is Science Olympiad, future USABO/AP Biology readiness, or simply getting genuinely good at biology early.
Grades 6-8: build the foundation and, if you want competition experience, enter Science Olympiad Division B or the National Biology Bowl. Grade 9: this is when USABO eligibility begins — students can now enter the USABO Open Exam and start AP Biology. Grades 9-12: pursue USABO Semifinals/Finals and, for the very top students, the IBO selection pathway. Middle school is the on-ramp, not the race itself.
Live online sessions with a real instructor and a small group of students, scheduled in US evening timezones (ET/CT/MT/PT). Sessions are interactive — diagrams, worked reasoning, data-reading practice, and competition-style questions pitched at the right level. Recordings and notes are shared so nothing is lost if a class is missed.
Cerebrum is a biology-only academy founded in 2014, led by Dr. Shekhar C Singh, an alumnus of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS New Delhi). Classes are delivered by biology specialists — we do not spread across many subjects, which is why the biology depth and clarity are stronger than general tutoring services.
No, and you should be cautious of anyone who does. We provide excellent, honest, age-appropriate biology teaching and correct competition guidance. Outcomes depend on the student. What we guarantee is accurate information, real instruction, and a foundation built the right way.
Effectively no. The International Brain Bee has an age-13 floor AND requires enrollment in an accredited US high school, so it is a high-school competition in practice. The sensible plan is to prepare in grade 8 so a student can compete as a grade-9 freshman. We keep families accurately informed rather than implying eligibility that does not exist.
Tell us your child's grade and timezone, and we'll share the schedule.
Or message us on WhatsApp at +91 88264 44334.