IYNA Virtual Brain Bee 2026

A free, fully online neuroscience competition for high school students in countries without a national Brain Bee — and your pathway to the International Brain Bee (IBB) World Championship. All experience levels are welcome.

Register Now › Become an IYNA Member ›

Registration closes July 4, 2026  ·  Round 1 begins August 8, 2026

About the Competition

The IYNA Virtual Brain Bee is an international neuroscience competition built for high school students in countries that do not yet have an established national Brain Bee. It gives those students a direct pathway to qualify for the International Brain Bee (IBB) World Championship.

Participants are assessed on their knowledge of the brain and nervous system — including neuroanatomy and neurological disease diagnosis — using official, IBB-aligned study materials. The competition is designed to inspire careers in neuroscience research and medicine, and welcomes students at every experience level.

The overall first-place winner becomes the official representative for the IBB World Championship. Every participant receives a certificate of participation.

Free
No cost to participate
Fully Online
Compete from anywhere
Grades 9–12
Ages 13–19
Two Rounds
Pathway to the IBB Championship

Program Timeline

All dates are tentative. Detailed schedules and instructions are shared via email and Discord.

April
2026
Registration Opens
Sign up as an IYNA member, then complete the Virtual Brain Bee registration form.
Jul 04
2026
Registration Closes
Final deadline to register. Late registrations will not be accepted.
Aug 08
2026
Round 1 — Preliminary
A timed, proctored multiple-choice exam open to all registered participants.
Aug 15
2026
Finalists Announced
Top scorers who pass recording review advance to Round 2, about one week after Round 1.
Aug 22
2026
Round 2 — Final
Finalists complete a more advanced, clinical-style exam to determine the winners.
Aug 29
2026
Final Award Ceremony
The top 3 finalists are recognized at the closing ceremony, about one week after Round 2.

Who Can Participate

To match official IBB eligibility, participants must meet all of the criteria below. No exceptions will be made.

  • Be between the ages of 13 and 19, currently enrolled in a secondary school (or equivalent) in grades 9–12 for the 2025–26 school year. The winner who advances to the IBB World Championship must be 19 or younger at the time of the IBB competition in November 2026.
  • Reside in a country without an active or planned national Brain Bee for the 2026 cycle. If your country appears on the IYNA Virtual Brain Bee ineligible countries list, you must qualify through your local and national Brain Bee instead.
  • Have not participated in any local, national, or international Brain Bee competition during the 2025–2026 academic year, regardless of placement or outcome.

Check your eligibility before you register

Participants are responsible for confirming their eligibility using the provided country list and the official IBB website at thebrainbee.org/countries. You may not register for or compete in multiple Brain Bee competitions in the same academic year. Failure to meet eligibility at any stage of verification results in immediate disqualification.

Competition Format

Two rounds. Your final score is the combined total from both, with extra weight possible on higher-difficulty questions.

ROUND 1 · ALL PARTICIPANTS

Preliminary Round

A timed multiple-choice exam assessing neuroanatomy and neurological conditions, drawn from the official study materials. The top-performing competitors — after eligibility and recording review — advance as finalists.

Saturday, August 8, 2026
ROUND 2 · FINALISTS ONLY

Final Round

A second, more advanced multiple-choice exam with higher-difficulty and clinical-style questions, based on the same study materials. The top 3 finalists are announced at the closing ceremony.

Saturday, August 22, 2026

What's at stake

First place becomes the official representative at the IBB World Championship. Second and third place serve as alternates if the winner cannot attend. Every participant receives a certificate of participation.

Study Materials

All questions are drawn from these official, IBB-aligned resources.

Brain Facts
The foundational primer on the brain and nervous system.
Open Neuroscience Initiative
The first 10 chapters of the ONI textbook.
Disorders List
The official list of Disorders for Brain Bee.
Neuroanatomy Structures
The official list of Neuroanatomy Structure.

Example Questions

These questions will be similar to the level of the multiple-choice questions participants will receive in Round 1.

Multiple Choice
1.Planning tasks, prioritizing responsibilities, and following multi-step instructions are all examples of which cognitive ability?
  • ACognitive shifting
  • BWorking memory
  • CExecutive functioning
  • DAbstract thinking
Source: Brain Facts, p. 73
2.A patient diagnosed with depression is prescribed ketamine. Which of the following is a direct effect of treatment with this pharmacologic agent?
  • AChange in glutamate signalling within minutes to hours
  • BDecrease in serotonin signalling within minutes to hours
  • CIncrease in serotonin signalling within weeks to months
  • DChange in glutamate signalling within weeks to months

A scientist is interested in investigating how microglia contribute to Alzheimer's disease. They wish to mutate a gene which is important in microglial responses to amyloid plaques so that it no longer functions normally, and test the effects of this change on behavior in mice.

3.Which of the following tools would most effectively allow the researchers to eliminate expression of their target gene?
  • AOptogenetics
  • BChemogenetics
  • CCRISPR-Cas9 System
  • DAnterograde tracing
4.Suppose the researchers examined the number of amyloid plaques in male mice without the mutation, and female mice with the mutation. If sex has an impact on amyloid plaque buildup in this experiment, sex would most likely be a(n)
  • AIndependent variable
  • BDependent variable
  • CControl variable
  • DConfounding variable
Neuroanatomy
Sagittal brain diagram with one structure labeled in blue
5.The structure labeled in blue is the
  • AHypothalamus
  • BHippocampus
  • CAmygdala
  • DThalamus
6.A primary function of the structure labeled in blue is
  • AMemory consolidation
  • BSensory processing
  • CHormonal signaling
  • DEmotional regulation
Disease Diagnosis
In the live exam, you will be able to request the results of three of the available tests before making your diagnosis.

Mary is a 79-year-old woman who was brought to the clinic by her son, who was worried about her ability to live independently. Mary had become increasingly forgetful over the past several months, occasionally leaving doors unlocked. Last week, she walked out of the house to go to the grocery store and got lost, needing the help of a city official to get home.

Available tests
  • MRI ScanEnlargement of lateral ventricles; atrophy of hippocampus and medial temporal lobe.
  • PET ScanDiffuse reduction in glucose metabolism, notably in the temporal lobe.
  • ElectroencephalographyReduced high-frequency activity, increased low-frequency activity.
  • PolysomnographyMinor reduction in slow-wave sleep detected.
  • CSF Analysis / Spinal TapNo abnormalities in CSF pressure, CSF glucose levels, or CSF total protein levels.
  • Blood Test (including antibodies and vitamin levels)No abnormalities detected.
  • Electromyography / Nerve Conduction StudyNo abnormalities detected.
  • Genetic TestNo abnormalities detected.
  • Cognitive TestAware of identity, place, and knows the year but not the month. Remembered 0/5 objects after 5 minutes.

Rules & Proctoring

All rules are enforced strictly, with no exceptions. Read these carefully and prepare your setup before exam day.

Work Independently

No textbooks, notes, dictionaries, online resources, translation tools, or help from others. Complete every component on your own.

Back-Facing Camera

A secondary device (phone or tablet) placed behind you must record video and ambient audio for the full exam, capturing your body and primary device.

Locked-Down Browser

The exam runs on secure software (e.g., Safe Exam Browser) with time-limited questions, no pausing, and no tab switching once you begin.

Submit Your Recording

Upload your back-camera recording immediately after the exam. Round 1 recordings are reviewed before finalists are confirmed.

Stable Setup

You need a computer with reliable internet plus your recording device. An internet drop or browser exit ends your session — progress is not recoverable.

Mandatory Platform Demo

Before exam day you must complete a platform demonstration to check device compatibility and practice using the testing system.

More information will be sent to the eligible participants via email.

How to Register

Three steps — and it's completely free. Registration closes July 4, 2026.

1

Become an IYNA member

All participants must be registered IYNA members before signing up for the Brain Bee. Membership is free.

Sign Up for IYNA ›
2

Register for the Virtual Brain Bee

Once you're an IYNA member, complete the official Virtual Brain Bee registration form.

Open Registration Form ›
3

Join the Discord for updates

Schedules, instructions, and answers to your questions are shared throughout the season on Discord and by email.

Join the Discord ›

Ready to test your knowledge of the brain?

Join students around the world in the 2026 IYNA Virtual Brain Bee. Free, online, and open to all experience levels.

Register Now ›

Frequently Asked Questions

It's an international neuroscience competition for high school students in countries without an active national Brain Bee, giving them a pathway to qualify for the International Brain Bee (IBB) World Championship. It tests knowledge of the brain and nervous system and aims to inspire careers in neuroscience research and medicine.
The competition is fully online. Round 1 is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 8, and Round 2 about two weeks later on Saturday, August 22. Finalists are announced roughly one week after Round 1, and award recipients about one week after Round 2.
No. Participation in the IYNA Virtual Brain Bee — and IYNA membership — is completely free.
You must be 13–19 years old and enrolled in secondary school in grades 9–12, reside in a country without an active or planned national Brain Bee, and not have participated in any other Brain Bee during the 2025–2026 academic year. Check your country on the ineligible list and the official IBB website. All criteria must be met — no exceptions.
Yes. All participants must first register as an IYNA member (free) at youthneuro.org/signup before completing the Brain Bee registration form.
First place becomes the official representative at the IBB World Championship. Second and third place serve as alternates. Every participant receives a certificate of participation.
Questions are based on Brain Facts, the first 10 chapters of the Open Neuroscience Initiative textbook, the list of Disorders for Brain Bee, and the list of Neuroanatomy Structure.
A computer with a stable internet connection, plus a secondary device (phone or tablet) to record your exam session from behind with both video and ambient audio.
Through a mandatory second-device recording from behind, browser lockdown tools, time-limited questions, and review of all participant recordings by the Organizing Committee. Violations may lead to score invalidation, disqualification, or removal from finalist consideration.
Join our Discord server and post in the #virtual-brainbee-questions channel, or email virtualbrainbee@youthneuro.org. Information sessions will be hosted and more details released throughout the season.