• Key Dates
• ProgComp Rules
• Main Round Info
• Grand Final Info
• Past Champions
• Prizes
• Teams
• Main Round Result
• Grand Final Result

Grand Final Info

The same team members as in the Main Round must compete. Substitutions are not allowed.

Finalists are expected to behave with decorum and respect throughout the competition and to comply with directions of the organisers. The school-appointed supervisor is ultimately responsible for the team's behaviour. Rowdy supporters may be asked to leave the venue.

Supervisor

The Supervisors should accompany the team to the Grand Final. They should help by getting the team to the venue in good time, introducing participants to the organisers, speaking to the public about the students' backgrounds and speaking to any media present. The Supervisor will be responsible for the students at all times.

Parking

Free parking is available at UNSW during Open Day.

Setup

The competition area will be open from around one hour before the start for setup. Please contact us in advance if you have any special requirements or requests.

Competition area

UNSW will supply desks and chairs. The wall area above the desks will contain a sign with the school's name (we will provide this). Teams may bring additional promotional material for their school if they wish, subject to the constraint that it can be attached with Blue-tack and doesn't exceed 2m in width/height.

Equipment

Teams must bring their own primary computer, with a single keyboard and one or two monitors. The computer may be loaded with any software considered useful in solving programming tasks subject to restrictions below.

Teams may, at their discretion, also bring a second computer that may contain manuals or similar documentation. The second computer must not be used for analysis, programming, testing or any other task. If in the opinion of the organisers the second computer is being used for more than consulting documentation, the team will be required to turn it off. Teams are entitled to bring their own printer, if they wish. No printing facilities are provided otherwise.

Restrictions

It is expressly forbidden to use web searches to obtain information of any kind about the problems to be solved, and no generative AI tools of any kind may be used (see ProgComp Rules for more detail).

Tasks

Each team is provided with one printed copy of each the tasks.

Each team is provided with an electronic copy of the tasks, plus test data for each task (where appropriate) as text files in DOS and Unix format (in separate directories). The data is transferred by USB flash drive.

Clarification of the task requirements can be requested at any time.

When a team solves a task they will be asked to demonstrate their solution with a small number of data sets or values. This will take a minute or two. If the solution is judged to be incorrect or incomplete the team may continue to work on the problem. There is no penalty for this apart from time lost during the assessment. Partial marks are awarded for solutions that work under some circumstances (to keep the leader board ticking over).

The time for each successful assessment is recorded. If teams finish on equal points the first to reach that total finishes higher on the table. At the conclusion of the competition, however, one in-progress task may be submitted for assessment (these are all assigned the same time so a tie could still eventuate). Teams should thus not leave assessment to the last minute. In the rare event of equal points and equal times then positions in the main round will be used to break ties. If teams are still equal a short sharp tiebreaker question will be provided.

Winners are sometimes asked for a copy of their code, which may be released on web sites to publicise the competition.