National Open Exam registration opens Dec 1, 2025, and closes Feb 21, 2026. Exam runs Mar 19-23, 2026.
National Open Exam
The USESO National Open Exam is a challenging assessment of Earth science concepts and knowledge. Students take the exam in spring, proctored most common by teachers. USESO invites 40 students to the Training Camp based on the results. We hope that preparing for the National Open Exam motivates students to be proud of their learning.
Registration checklist
1. Review the important dates and eligibility policies in the general information document. Important for both students and proctors!
2. Find a proctor. They need to complete the verification form by the verification deadline.
3. Register! While you wait, check out our preparation guides and past exams.
- December 1, 2025: Student registration opens for the 2026 National Open Exam
- February 21, 2026: National Open Exam student registration deadline
- February 28, 2026: Proctor Verification form deadline
- March 19–23, 2026: National Open Exam window
- April 18, 2026: Invitations for Training Camp released
- June 13–21, 2026: Training Camp in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Top 40 students, invitation only)
- August 20–27, 2026: International Earth Science Olympiad in Turin, Italy (US National Team only)
Policy Updates
Students may only be proctored by teachers or administrators from their school; testing centers are also acceptable. See the full policy here.
USESO is implementing a proctor verification requirement. Proctors must complete this step using the official Proctor Verification form. Proctors only need to fill this form out one time, and we recommend they do so as early as possible. They may be asked to complete a short Zoom call with USESO staff.
USESO has transitioned to a “pay what you can afford” model with two fee options for the National Open Exam:
$25 — standard registration
$5 — for participants with financial need. We may follow up to request more information in this case.
In the event of a chargeback against USESO, the examination linked to the chargeback will not be graded until the dispute is resolved. If the chargeback was issued in error and was irreversible (our most common scenario), the registrant must repay the exam fee plus an additional $20 chargeback fee to cover costs incurred by USESO. All payments must be submitted through our online system (you can pay with card, PayPal, or Venmo via Cognito Forms). To pay by check, please email [email protected] for instructions. No exceptions will be made to this policy.
USESO has updated its age requirements for Training Camp eligibility. Students must be 15 years of age or older by June 13, 2026 in order to attend Training Camp. Students who are younger are welcome to take the National Open Exam to gain experience in our test, but they are not eligible to attend Training Camp.
Eligibility Policies
The opportunity to attend the Training Camp begins with taking the National Open Exam in spring. We require that eligible proctors are verified with USESO prior to the Exam. See Announcements for the upcoming year’s resources.
- Age requirement: USESO has updated its age requirements for Training Camp eligibility. Students must be 15 years of age or older by June 13, 2026 in order to attend Training Camp. Students who are younger are welcome to take the National Open Exam to gain experience in our test, but they are not eligible to attend Training Camp. This update is in response to recent airline rule changes regarding unaccompanied minors.
This policy is in place to ensure the integrity and fairness of the examination process and any violations will be taken seriously.
- The examination must be proctored by an individual who is a teacher or administrator at the student’s school. A proctor at a professional testing facility is also acceptable.
- All proctors will be verified by USESO personnel. If verification is not completed before the exam window, the proctor will not be eligible.
- The proctor must register using a professional email address that clearly indicates their affiliation with their organization. The email address domain must match the organization’s website domain.
- The examination must be proctored in a school or professional testing center.
- The proctor must not have any familial relationship with the participating student.
- One proctor may supervise multiple students at the same school (this is encouraged!).
- Any student found to be in violation of the Proctor Policy will not be allowed to take the Open Exam and may have their scores revoked.
- If a student’s scores are revoked due to a violation of the proctor policy, they will not be eligible to retake the exam and may also be subject to additional penalties as determined by USESO.