Are you new to programming and find it enjoyable? Do you like solving puzzles? Perhaps you’re a Filipino high school student, and you’ve heard of the National Olympiad in Informatics, Philippines, and want to prepare for it, but don’t know where to start.
Then, join Abakoda 2021!
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to know how to register.
What is Abakoda?
Abakoda 2021 is a series of online programming contests targeted to those who know a little bit of programming, but who have little to no experience in programming contests.
Is it only for high school students?
No. Anyone interested in programming can join.
What if I’ve never joined a programming contest before?
We have a tutorial! We have released a tutorial video to make sure you know how to play the game. 🙂
Am I forced to use a specific programming language?
No, you can use any programming language that Codeforces supports. The list is here and it includes C, C++, Java, Python, Ruby, Javascript, among others. This means you can use any of the languages to code your solutions in.
How much does it cost to join?
It’s free, Bruce Lee! Participation in these contests is FREE and open to anyone interested in computer science and programming.
I missed the first few contests. Can I still join?
Yes. You can even join the previous contests. Of course, the rankings will not be official but at least you can expose yourself to the problems later.
When will the contests be held?
Every Saturday from August 28, 2021, to December 11, 2021, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M., there will be short contest rounds on Codeforces.
Will I be disqualified if I miss some contests?
No, you will not be disqualified if you miss some contests. The contests can be accessed after the scheduled time but you can still “participate” in it after the fact. However, you will miss out on a couple of things.
If you miss the contests, you will be unable to (1) ask questions during the contest (2) ask questions during the livestream discussion (3) be recognized on the Facebook page based on how well you did. But that doesn’t disqualify you from joining future contests.
We get that sometimes life gets in the way and you need to sit out a few contests. You can still ask questions after the contest and view the livestream after it airs.
Where will it be held?
Everywhere, camembert! You can join these contests from anywhere — all you need is a computer and internet connection.
Is it just a series of contests?
No way, Jose! During the contests, high school students may ask for help in our Discord servers for the first out of the four problems. See below for more details.
Will there be a discussion of the solutions?
Yes! After each contest round, there will be a livestream discussion of the problem solutions. This lets you learn from this weeks’ contest and be better-equipped for next weeks’ contest.
During the livestream discussion, the teacher will be using Python to demonstrate the solutions. This does not mean you cannot use any other programming language if you have prefer something different.
Where will I be able to find the livestream discussion?
The live streams will be publicly viewable on the official NOI.PH YouTube channel and on the official NOI.PH Facebook page. Don’t forget to Like the Facebook Page and Subscribe to the YouTube channel so that you will be notified when it is live.
When will the discussion livestream be?
The livestream starts immediately after the contest, which will be around Saturdays at 4PM.
Is there a final contest without handholding so that I can see how much I progressed after joining the friendly contest every Saturday?
Wow, that’s a very specific question! From December 17, 2021, 6:00 P.M. to December 26, 2021, 11:59 P.M., there will be one long contest. For this long contest, you do not need to stay online and in the contest for the entire duration — just drop by and submit code any time during the contest window. This contest has exactly the same format as the NOI.PH Elimination Round, but easier.
Will I be disqualified from this final contest if I missed some weeks?
No.
Are there prizes for this final contest?
There will be prizes* for the long contest:
1st and 2nd places: 1 limited edition Japanese Olympiad in Informatics stapler
3rd place: 1 limited edition International Olympiad in Informatics 2018 notebook
4th and 5th places: 1 limited edition AtCoder decal
More prizes may be revealed later!
* Note: Only high school students are eligible to win prizes. Past NOI.PH medalists and Rookie-of-the-Year awardees are ineligible to win prizes.
How do I join? How do I register?
- Create a Codeforces account at https://codeforces.com/.
- Go to https://codeforces.com/group/Sw3sdIlMPV/contests.
- Scroll down a bit to find the “Member management” panel on the right side of the page. Then, click on the “Join” button.
- Contest rounds will keep appearing on this page as the series goes on. Simply click on the “Register” link below the name of a specific round to register for it, and “Enter” to go into its contest page.
Exclusive Bonus for Filipino students!
If you are a Filipino high school student, you can join the NOI.PH Discord server by emailing [email protected] with your name, grade level, and school. There, you can ask for help when you don’t understand something, or you can also just make friends with high school students all over the country, who just like you are learning and practicing programming.