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

ProgComp Rules

The competition has two rounds

Goal

To solve as many of the set programming tasks as possible.

Teams

Each team has a maximum of three students.

As far as possible, each team should be made up of three students. However, in addition to any number of teams of three, each high school will be allowed to a maximum of TWO teams of 2 students.

A high school with a single outstanding student may register a team consisting only of that student, but only if no other team is registered from that school.

Students from other schools are allowed to join the team, however, any certificates or trophies earned will only list one school.

No substitutions are allowed, and the team supervisor must advise the competition organisers immediately of any absences and the reasons behind the absence.

Languages

Tasks can be completed using any programming language(s) capable of reading from input (keyboard or preferably redirected from a text file) and of writing text to the screen or to a file, and for which the program source code can be easily and clearly displayed.

A compiler or interpreter for the language must be installed on the computer and the programs produced must be correctly executed on the team's computer.

Certain supporting utilities or programming environments typically used by team members may also be installed. Teams may prepare static template files to be used as the framework for solving tasks. Allowed supporting systems include IDEs with simple editing support, but do not include any extensions or tools of any kind that are capable of generating code logic directly, such as AI-based coding extensions or general AI bots. For example, Intellisense and similar IDE extensions are allowed, while GitHub Copilot is not allowed. If in doubt about whether a tool is allowed please ask for clarification.

The use of large language models to answer questions is prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification.

Equipment

Each team shares ONE single computer with a single keyboard and pointing device (eg, mouse, trackpad, etc), and a printer if desired. Teams may use materials such as paper and pens without restriction. Multiple screens are allowed.

Consultation

Team members may consult reference manuals, textbooks or notes during the competition.

Team members may not consult, nor communicate with, any person outside of the team (either directly or indirectly) during the competition except for the team supervisor, judges or the competition organisers.

Communication with the team supervisor should not include anything on how to solve the tasks.

Task Assignments

Teams may divide the tasks between themselves in any way they wish.

However, it is expected that all team members actively participate in the competition.

Submissions

All used code must be submitted. Code not written by team members must be clearly identified (e.g. by code comments to reference the original source of templates produced by third parties and brought to the competition as team reference materials).

By participating in the competition each team member agrees that all intellectual property in source code belongs to the competition. Amongst other things, we may release your solutions on the competition web page.

Judging

Judges will award points for each task attempted. Marks are awarded for producing the correct output for each test input.

Marks will be deducted for incorrect program behaviour on any inputs or missing or dubious test runs.

Marks will also be withheld if the submission does not sincerely attempt to solve the full generality of the problem (e.g. hard-coding answers to particular test cases).

Judges may, at their discretion, award a small number of consolation marks to submissions that show significant progress toward solution but do not produce correct results.

Judges' decision is final. Judges reserve the right to vary any of these rules to ensure fair play and appropriate recognition of good work. Teams who misreport their output or who break any rules will be disqualified.