From Belgium to IBO Bronze: Jonas's Story
In his own words
Hi everyone 👋
As an IBO 2026 participant and bronze medallist from Belgium, I would have been thrilled if this site had existed when I participated! During our training programme, there was not much emphasis on getting familiar with the types of questions asked at the IBO theory exams. Most of the theoretical preparation was also largely left to us as self-study, which made it quite challenging to know what to focus on.
The fact that BioGuide has an archive containing many past IBO theory questions, accompanied by model solutions, is incredibly helpful. I also find it extremely useful that you can see which theoretical concepts are necessary to solve each question. This really is a lifesaver when you don't have much time to prepare for the IBO.
Furthermore, the interactive part of the site, where you can identify which domains are still most challenging for you, comes in very handy. In Belgium, we only have one or two hours of biology a week, so our knowledge can be quite limited compared to other countries. Personally, I have always found more challenging problems on genetic recombination particularly difficult. That's why the mini-courses on the site are so convenient: they explain everything clearly, without having to search through the entire Campbell to find the relevant information.
I hope this site will help fellow Belgian students, as well as students from all around the world, to prepare for the IBO and arrive at the starting line confidently! But the most important thing remains: have fun and enjoy the ride! The IBO is truly something you will never experience again 🍀
Belgium’s two biology olympiads
Belgium’s setup for biology olympiad selection is fairly unusual, and Jonas explained it best in his own words:
"The thing is, in Belgium we have 2 bio-olympiads: 1 for the Dutch-speaking community and 1 for the French-speaking community. Both olympiads are conducted independently from each other, so I have only info about the Dutch-speaking organization."
"Also, our 1st and 2nd round (in both country parts) are really only based on the things we learn at schools. BioGuide is a bit too high-level for our 1st en 2nd round (even final), so the site is more suited for the people who actually go to the IBO to prepare"
This is a useful distinction if you are a Belgian student reading this: the early rounds of both the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking olympiads test school-level content, and BiOGuide’s syllabus-depth material genuinely is more than that stage calls for. Where it earns its place, per Jonas, is in the narrower and more intense window between qualifying for the international stage and actually sitting the IBO theory exam.
The official picture
Jonas’s description matches how both organisations describe themselves officially. Belgium’s four-student IBO team is drawn from two olympiads that run completely independently of each other, one per language community:
| Vlaamse Biologie Olympiade (VBO) | Olympiade de Biologie | |
|---|---|---|
| Community | Dutch-speaking (Flanders) | French- and German-speaking |
| Organiser | VOB vzw (biology teachers’ association), coordinated through Vlaamse Olympiades voor Natuurwetenschappen at KU Leuven | PROBIO asbl (biology teachers’ association) |
| Established | 1990 | 1991 |
| Round 1 | January - 25 MCQs, 2 hours, at schools (~2,300 students) | January - at schools (~1,000 students); ~100-200 advance |
| Round 2 | February/early March - 30 MCQs, 2 hours, at Flemish universities (~200 students) | February - at five regional university sites; ~10-15 laureates per grade |
| Final round | April - 40-question theory paper (2.5 h) plus a two-part practical exam, for 17 finalists at a rotating host university | May - grade-12-only round that sets the final ranking |
| IBO selection | Top 2 finalists represent Belgium | Top 2 finalists represent Belgium |
| Official site | vob-ond.be/VBO | olympiades.be |
Belgium’s IBO team of four is therefore always two Flemish-selected students plus two French/German-community-selected students, chosen through entirely separate qualification pipelines that never overlap until the students meet as teammates at the IBO itself.
Sources: IBO country profile - Vlaamse Biologie Olympiade, IBO country profile - Olympiade de Biologie.
How BiOGuide fits in
Jonas’s account lines up closely with three specific things BiOGuide is built to do:
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BiOrchive, the archive of past IBO theory papers, is what he means by “an archive containing many past IBO theory questions, accompanied by model solutions.” Every question in the archive’s Question Bank also carries the syllabus topics it draws on, so instead of just checking an answer, you can trace a question back to exactly what to review - the “you can see which theoretical concepts are necessary to solve each question” he called out directly.
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The Study Dashboard is the “interactive part of the site” he’s describing. After a timed attempt, it builds a subject-by-subject mastery breakdown and tells you plainly which domains are strongest and which need work - useful for anyone, but especially so for a student getting one or two hours of biology instruction a week at school and needing every hour of outside study time to count.
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Notes @ BiOGuide is the “mini-courses” he mentions. Genetic recombination - the specific topic he named as a persistent sticking point - has its own dedicated page under the Genetics section, built to explain the concept directly rather than send you hunting through a full textbook chapter for the two paragraphs that matter.
None of this replaces a dedicated coach or a full national training programme. But for students in systems like Belgium’s, where the international stage is reached with comparatively little formal preparation beforehand, having a free, structured resource to close that gap can matter a great deal.
This article preserves Jonas’s own words, shared and published with his consent. If you competed in a Biology Olympiad and want to share your story, reach out to us - we would love to hear from you.