Resources
Resources
Books, websites, videos, and official materials. Each item is labeled so you know where it comes from.
- Official
- from CEE / USABO
- Club-created
- made by the Plano East USABO Club
- External
- third-party, linked not copied
Official USABO resources
Registration, announcements, and the current calendar.
Official description of each round.
Who can compete and how schools register.
Official student briefings and advice videos from USABO alumni.
Links to past Open and Semifinal exams with keys and general study sources. Use past exams directly from this site; the club does not copy them.
Textbooks
- Campbell Biology (Urry et al.)External
The most common starting textbook for USABO students. Check the school or public library.
Free and peer-reviewed. Covers most of the Campbell-level content.
Free. Useful for the Physiology topic.
Free older edition. Use as a reference, not for cover-to-cover reading.
- Raven Biology of PlantsExternal
In-depth plant biology for students aiming at the Semifinal.
Websites
Clear review videos and practice for foundations.
Animations, case studies, and real data sets. Especially good for data analysis.
- Scitable (opens in a new tab)External
Short articles on genetics and cell biology.
Tree-thinking and evolution tutorials.
Videos
- iBiology (opens in a new tab)External
Talks by research scientists. Choose the introductory talks.
Short films built around classic experiments.
University lectures
Biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and recombinant DNA.
A second full introductory course with problem sets.
Strong for evolution, ecology, and behavior.
Scientific articles and science writing
Research explained for non-specialists.
Plain-language summaries of research papers. Good practice for reading experiments.
Practice resources
- Club practice questionsClub-created
Club-created USABO-style practice. Not official USABO material.
- Club mock examsClub-created
Unofficial USABO-style practice built from the club question bank.
The best practice for real question style. Open them from the official site.
Information about the international competition. Past theory papers are advanced practice for Semifinal-level students.