Experimental Design

Welcome to Experimental Design! This event will determine the participant’s ability to design, conduct, and report the findings of an experiment entirely on-site.

The information below should not be interpreted as an extension of the rules. You can find free online copies of the current rules for download on the 2023 Rules page of the Science Olympiad website. The official rules in the current Rules Manual take precedence.

Resources & Links

• 2023 Division B Experimental Design Student Report Form
• 2023 Experimental Design Checklist for Division B
• Experimental Design Scoring Explanation
• Using Claim/Evidence/Reasoning in Scientific Communication
• The Basics of Experimental Design
• The Basics of Experimental Design Powerpoint - Spanish Version

Science Olympiad Store Materials 

• 2023 National Test Packet
• 2022 National Test Packet
• 2021 National Test Packet
• 2020 National Test Packet
• 2019 National Test Packet

Practice Problems & Tests

• Practice Test - 2021 UT Austin Invitational
• Practice Test - 2021 Troy High School Invitational
• Practice Test - 2021 BirdSO Invitational
• Practice Test - 2022 National Invitational
• Practice Test - 2022 UChicago Invitational

Event Supervisor Resources 

In addition to the resources on the Event Supervisors page, Experimental Design Event Supervisors should be sure to use the following resources:

• 2023 Score sheet and and team checklist
• Event Logistics Manual (Updated 12/02/22 to fix an error with regard to resources allowed for Environmental Chemistry)

Career Connections

• CareerOneStop - Research Coordinator Career Video
• CareerOneStop - Technical Writers
• STEM Expo Talk: Jordann Brandner - How I Use the Skills I Learned in Science Olypmiad Every Day
• STEM Expo Talk: Miyo Sun - Success in Research Starts with an Open Mind
• A day in the life of a Technical Applications Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific I Mai Khuong