Science Olympiad Tournaments are like academic track meets.

At a Science Olympiad Tournament, students work together in teams of up to 15 to compete in 23 events. The events change from year to year, covering fields and topics including: anatomy and biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, geology, mechanical and structural engineering, and technology. Some events entail taking a test, while others involve doing hands-on labs, or even building and bringing a device to the tournament. The list of Events and their descriptions can be found here.

Each Science Olympiad season begins in September, when the Event Rules are released and Registration opens. Teams then spend several months preparing for their Regional Tournament in winter or spring of the next year (dates vary depending on the exact Regional). The top teams from each Regional go on to compete at the Northern California State Tournament in April, vying for the title of State Champion and the opportunity to represent Northern California at the National Tournament in May.