Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Please refer to the Event Mechanics document sent in this confirmation kit, which will contain the mechanics for the Quiz Bee, Lab Skills, and other events.
When and where will the event be held?
Philippine Biology 2022: Tanaw will be held as an online competition that will be held primarily through Zoom and Canvas.
What are the mechanics/guidelines for each event?
Once you have fully registered, please refer to the "PBO 2022 OpSched, Mechanics, and FAQ" document sent with the confirmation kit. It will contain the mechanics for the Quiz Bee, Lab Skills, and other events.
What are the requirements for competing for this year’s PBO?
Due to the pandemic, the PBO will be an online competition where students can compete from home. Competing students will require a stable Internet connection, a laptop/smart device with video-call capabilities, and an external web camera. In addition, students will need to complete other requirements as per the mechanics listed for the examinations.
Will there be an on-campus event for PBO?
Due to the circumstances brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, as of the publishing of this Packet there will be NO on-site events. This, however, is subject to change as it depends on whether or not the situation will improve in the coming months. Please stay tuned for further announcements.
What is the IBO? How does it relate to the PBO?
The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) is the world’s premier biology competition for secondary school students. The competition challenges and stimulates these students to identify, inspire, empower and support the next generation of leaders in the life sciences and develop their international network. Students who want to participate in IBO must first become one of the top four (4) students in the Philippine Biology Olympiad.
I’m not too familiar with using Canvas. Will the PBO team offer a guide/demo?
Before participants join the competition, they will be asked to join the Philippine Biology Olympiad OrSem set a week before the Eliminations. The PBO OrSem will teach students how to use the Canvas platform. Additionally, the PBO OrSem will have an overview of the Contest Mechanics and a Q&A segment.
What’s the difference between the quiz bee and lab skills examinations?
While in an online environment the quiz bee and lab skills examinations might appear similar to one another, they are different on the following points: how they’re constructed and how they’re answered. Quiz bee questions are constructed in a way similar to how lecture tests would be constructed and are answered as such. Lab skills questions are constructed similar to how practical exams would be constructed and are answered with computations, data analysis, software use, and other such laboratory skills in mind.
Will we need to buy specimens for the dissection workshop? Will we dissect anything during our lab skills examinations?
The participants are not required to perform hands-on dissection from home. However, if the specimen to be dissected and the tools needed are easily obtainable, contestants are encouraged to perform the dissection at home so as to maximize their hands-on learning experience. Any dissection-related questions in the semi finals will be based on this workshop, but no hands-on dissection will occur during the exam.
What if I have a slow Internet connection for the exams?
Contestants willing to participate must make the necessary arrangements and explore their options or alternatives when taking the exams.
We recommend participants to have the following internet specifications ready when partaking in the competition:
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A minimum internet speed of 1.5 megabits per second (mbps) that should be enough to simultaneously access Canvas and connect to a Zoom Video Call. The internet should be reliable enough to last for at least 8 hours from the start of the examination.
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Participant’s internet should have around 20 gigabytes (GB) of data available in their current plan. Take note that this is just an approximation, and data consumption per participant may vary.
We highly recommend the use of Wi-Fi connections when taking the examinations.
Participants may opt to utilize mobile data for as long as they meet the aforementioned internet requirements that also utilize HSPA/HSDPA, 4G, or 4G LTE technologies.
Anticipate also that there will be web cameras/external devices and microphones will need to be on throughout the duration of the event. Along with that, you will also need to open an internet browser to access canvas, download PDFs and other files, and open emails.