"Science Olympiad is a STEM competition in which teams of 15 students compete in 23 events from various scientific fields, such as Anatomy and Physiology, Tower Building, Rocks and Minerals, Forensics, and more. Events can generally be separated into three categories: Study, Build, and Lab.

Study events are straightforward: you take a written exam on a specific subject matter. Build events require you to design and construct a structure that will either perform a specific action (ex. robot picking up a pencil), maximize its function given a set of parameters (a wooden bridge that can hold the maximum load while minimizing bridge mass), or showcase both your technical and creative skills (build an instrument and perform a song on it). Lab events involve conducting experiments along with answering conceptual questions. Regardless of the premise, all events require extensive preparation beforehand.

Science Olympiad operates at a regional, state, and national level. Depending on the number of teams per region, some states do not hold regional competitions and go straight to the state competition. The number of teams that advance from regionals to states is proportional to the total number of teams in the region; more competitive regions tend to have more teams, which means more will advance to the state competition. Each state sends one team to the national competition; exceptions are made for especially competitive states, which are allowed to send two teams.

Many high schools and colleges also host invitational tournaments, which while not affiliated with the official organization, serve as valuable opportunities to practice for events and experience the competition setting early on in the year. " 

-CollegeVine, 2016