Before your child sits the Biology Challenge, the useful questions are practical ones: what does the paper actually involve, what does it cost the school, and — the one parents ask most — when is it? Here are the facts, and an honest answer on the one that isn't settled yet.

Biology Challenge
Who runs it UK Biology Competitions (Royal Society of Biology)
Eligibility Years 9 and 10
Format Two online multiple-choice papers, 25 minutes each
Cost £30 per school, no cap on entries
Awards Six certificate tiers, from Participation up to Gold
Next dates Not yet published — check the official site closer to the time

Format: two short papers, no pressure cooker

The Biology Challenge is two online multiple-choice papers, 25 minutes each, sat under supervision in school. There's no essay, no practical assessment, and no long problem-solving under time pressure — it's designed to be a gentle, low-friction way for a Year 9 or 10 student to test their biology knowledge, not an endurance test. That short, tightly-timed structure is also why fast recall matters more than slow working-out; see preparing for the Biology Challenge with spaced repetition for how to build that.

Who runs it, and who it's for

UK Biology Competitions (UKBC), a charity working with the Royal Society of Biology, runs the Biology Challenge for students in Years 9 and 10 — squarely KS3 and the start of KS4. That eligibility window is deliberate: unlike most national biology competitions, which start at sixth form, the Biology Challenge is written specifically for this age group. For the full picture of why this makes it one of the few genuinely age-appropriate science competitions at this age, see our full guide to the Biology Challenge.

Cost and entry

Entry costs £30 per school, with no cap on the number of students who can sit it — so once a school has registered, there's no extra cost per child. Entry goes through school: a science teacher registers, and students sit the papers online during the challenge window. If your child is keen, the first move is simply asking their science teacher whether the school takes part.

The six certificate tiers

Every participant who does reasonably well comes away with something: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Highly Commended, Commended, and Participation, in descending order. That spread of tiers is deliberate — the Biology Challenge is built to encourage a wide range of ability, not just to identify a handful of top scorers, which is part of why it suits a first-time competitor so well.

When is it — and why we can't give you an exact date

Here's the honest part: at the time of writing, no fixed date has been published for the next Biology Challenge cycle. The most recent window we have confirmed was 27 April to 11 May 2026. UK Biology Competitions announces each year's window separately, usually with registration opening some weeks beforehand, so the right move is to check the official UK Biology Competitions site closer to the time, or simply ask your child's science teacher once the school year is underway — they'll know if and when the school is registering. Don't take any specific date you see elsewhere as certain until it's confirmed on the official page for the current year.

What the format means for how your child should feel about it

Because both papers are short, multiple-choice, and sat in an ordinary classroom rather than an exam hall, there's genuinely little at stake on the day itself — no coursework grade, no formal assessment record, nothing that follows your child beyond the certificate. That's worth saying plainly to a nervous Year 9 or 10 student: the format was chosen precisely so this wouldn't feel like a real exam, and treating it as one undoes some of what makes it a good first competition.

Getting ready without over-preparing

Because the format is short and multiple-choice, heavy last-minute cramming doesn't suit it especially well — what helps more is a biology foundation that's genuinely solid, built up gradually rather than crammed in the final week. Two things are worth doing in the run-up: making sure the classic misconceptions are cleared up rather than half-remembered (see Biology Challenge: common mistakes and misconceptions), and using spaced review rather than one-off reading to keep facts sharp (see preparing for the Biology Challenge with spaced repetition). Both are things you can start well before any date is confirmed.

FAQ

When exactly is the next Biology Challenge?

We can't say precisely — UK Biology Competitions hasn't yet published a date for the next cycle at the time of writing. The most recent confirmed window was 27 April to 11 May 2026. Check the official UK Biology Competitions site or ask your child's science teacher closer to the school year for this year's actual window.

How much does it cost, and how does a school enter?

£30 per school, with no limit on how many students sit it. A science teacher registers the school, and students then sit the two online papers during the announced challenge window.

What does my child actually get out of it?

One of six certificate tiers — Gold, Silver, Bronze, Highly Commended, Commended or Participation — depending on how they do. The tiers are spread deliberately widely, so most students who engage seriously come away with something to be proud of.

Duke Harewood runs aitutors.me and built its KS3 science tutors, including Professor Darwin for biology.