What is ICSC?
Computer Science is the bedrock of the modern world, driving innovation and shaping nearly every aspect of our lives. From the algorithms that connect us globally to the artificial intelligence transforming
industries, its principles empower us to solve complex problems and build the future. The International Computer Science Competition offers students a platform to challenge their critical
and logical thinking, explore diverse CS concepts, and delve deeper into this exciting discipline beyond the standard school curriculum.
Do I have to be a student to participate?
Yes, you have to be a student in a high school or a university to participate. If you are currently between high school and university (e.g., gap year) and plan to start university any time soon, you are also eligible to participate.
What is the 'Special Honour for Outstanding Submissions'?
Participants whose submissions go significantly beyond expectations may qualify for a Special Honour for Outstanding Submission. This could include particularly creative or highly efficient solutions, or submissions prepared using professional typesetting tools (e.g., TeX). Participants of this honour receive a special mention on their certificates
What are the national awards?
Since the International Computer Science Competition is a global competition with participants from various countries, we honour the best students from each participating nation with a special national award certificate
Who receives the gold, silver and bronze honours in the Final Round?
Participants that receive at least 50% of the total points in the Final Round are awarded depending on their relative score: Gold, silver, and bronze honours are awarded in the ratios of 1:2:3. Therefore, around 16% and 34% of the participants receive a gold and silver honour, respectively. All other students (with at least 50% of the total points) receive a bronze honour.
All deadlines and dates are listed in this document:
Timetable and Deadlines [PDF]
What files do I need to submit?
You need to submit: (i) a single solution document for all problems; (ii) a code file (in Python, Java, or C++) for each programming problem.
What should the solution document include?
The solution document should include the solution to all problems of the Qualification Round 2025, including your solution steps. For programming problems, the solution document should also contain a description and explanation of the written program, with inline comments in the actual source code.
Do I have to write my answers on the problem sheet?
No. You can (a) write your answers in the blank space below the questions. However, you can also (b) write your solutions on a separate sheet of paper or (c) type your solution on a computer. In cases (b) and (c), you do not need to write down the wording of the problems again.
I have problems uploading my file. What should I do?
(1) Check whether your submission was already successful on this page:
Login. (2) If your submission/e-mail was not found, use a different browser, use a different computer or laptop, or try to compress your file. (3) If nothing works, please get in touch with us.
Why was my submission deleted?
Some submissions will be deleted during the evaluation process due to one of the following reasons: (1) It was not possible for us to open your file. In this case, you usually receive an email from us. (2) The file was unrelated to ICSC or did not contain any solutions and was thus regarded as spam. (3) The file barely contains any solutions to the problems and was thus regarded as spam, e.g. files that contain only answers to one problem written in a poorly formatted way are usually deleted.
Do I have to write my answers in English?
While English is the recommended language, you can write your solution in any of the languages in which the ICSC website is available (English, German, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Korean)
How does the Pre-Final Round take place?
All participants who are qualified and registered for the Fre-Final Round will receive the problems via email and via the participant account on Thursday, 2 October 2025. From that day on, you have four days until Sunday, 5 October 2025 to solve as many problems as possible!
When does the Pre-Final Round take place?
All participants who are qualified and registered for the Pre-Final Round will receive the problems via email and their participant account on Thursday, 2 October 2025. From that day on you have until Sunday, 5 October 2025 to solve as many problems as possible!
Can my teacher supervise me online (via Zoom, etc.)?
No. A teacher must supervise the exam in person. The teacher is not allowed to supervise you via an online call (for example, Zoom or Skype). If you do not have a teacher available, please use the self-recording option and record your exam.
I have no teacher to supervise the exam. What should I do?
Please use the recording option in this case. To do this, please start the exam during the exam period (see information flyer or email) and select the recording option when the approval screen appears. You then have to specify a person filming the exam (you can also film yourself). You can find more information in the Final Round flyer and in the information video (see the announcement email or your participant account).
What should the recorded video show?
You can find examples here:
Examples ➚.The video has to clearly show (a) yourself in front of the computer/laptop/phone and (b) the exam content on the screen. For example, you can open the exam website on your desk and sit in front of it. Another person films you doing the exam from behind at a distance of 1-2 metres. The video shows you (from behind) doing the exam and the screen with you selecting the answers. Of course, it is also possible to film you from the side or any other angle (as long as you and the content on the screen are visible). Your face can be visible in the video, but this is not a requirement.
Does my teacher need a stamp on the teacher form?
Yes. If your teacher cannot get a stamp on the teacher form, there are multiple possibilities. If they have already supervised exams during past editions of ICSC, your teacher can submit the current form without a stamp and attach a form from previous editions which has a stamp. If not, your teacher can write 'Not Possible Due To ...' in the stamp field (and state the reason). However, we will request the missing stamp later (in case you score very high results or we detect any other suspicious activities).
My camera/phone cannot film for 20 minutes. What should I do?
It is allowed to have short cuts (under 5 seconds) within the video, e.g. to stop and restart the video, so that you have multiple shorter videos. You can cut the videos together into a single long video, OR you can send us a link to a folder with all the videos. Also, you can proceed to the next question even before the 60 seconds are over.
How can I upload the video of my recorded exam?
After you are done with your exam, you will see a window 'Final Exam Video Upload' at the bottom of the participant login page. There, you can upload a link to your video. (You have to upload the video to a cloud or storage site; for example Google Drive, Dropbox, and others).
Who can film my exam?
The person filming must not be a participant of ICSC. It should be a family or household member. You can also film the exam yourself without the help of another person.
Can you refer me to some teachers who can supervise my final exam?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with teachers who can take your final exam. Please get in touch with the teachers of your school or teachers of other regional schools. Also, you can use the self-recording option in this case and conduct the exam yourself without a teacher.
Who can supervise the final exam?
The person supervising your final exam must be an active teacher (i.e. not retired) at some officially recognized school or university, and the person must be able to prove his employment at a school and his teaching duty.
What kind of questions/topics will be asked in the final exam?
The exam consists of 20 multiple-choice questions. Most of them are knowledge questions that test your general knowledge in computer science. All standard computer science topics are included (e.g. algorithms, data structures, optimization theory, information theory, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, numerical analysis, cryptography, computer architecture, and more). Three example questions: [TO_BE_ADDED].
How many questions does the Final Round have?
The Final Round consists of a single online exam with 20 multiple-choice questions. Finalists have 60 seconds for each question. There are four possible answers to every question (only one is correct). A correct answer equals one point. The awards and prizes are given to the finalists with the most points in the Final Round.
How does the Final Round take place?
Participants who have solved the Pre-Final Round problems successfully are qualified to participate in the Final Round: a multiple-choice online exam with 20 questions. The exam will take place in the school of each finalist supervised by a teacher. All finalists have to select a teacher who agrees to supervise the final exam. We will send all the required information to the selected teacher. The final exam has to be taken on the Tuesday, 28 October 2025 between 6-7 pm. You can also record the exam (self-recording option). In this case, no teacher is needed.
How to collect my prize or award?
We will use international shipping to deliver all of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes; there is no need to travel somewhere. The national awards and final round honours will be sent digitally as a soft copy.
Do I need to pay something to partcipate?
The ICSC competition is free to enter for all students from around the world. However, all students who have qualified and want to register for the Pre-Final Round have to cover the registration costs of 11 EUR to make this year's competition possible. You can find further information here:
More Information Why are there the 'Pre-Final Registration Costs'?
This educational opportunity comes with diverse costs, including those for human resources, technical infrastructure, materials and more. While our sponsors cover some of these expenses, we need to ask participants to cover this year's Pre-Final Round registration costs to make ICSC on an international level possible. The registration costs are necessary to provide the resources for the evaluation and, in particular, for the comprehensive Pre-Final Round. There are no other costs involved. You can find detailed information about the registration costs here:
More Information How to pay the registration costs?
We will inform all successful participants of the Qualification Round about the registration process for the Pre-Final Round. The registration costs have to be covered before the Pre-Final Round starts if you want to participate. The costs can be covered by any common payment method, such as PayPal or credit card.
Are there fee waivers, financial aid, or scholarships available?
We are continuously searching for additional partners who will help us to reduce the overall costs further. If you are not able to cover the costs under any circumstances, please get in touch with us. There are some fee waivers, reductions, and regional sponsorships available each year. Pre-Final Round participants will be informed on how to apply for financial aid together with the Qualification Round announcement.
Will there be certificates for teachers?
All teachers who supervised the Final Round exam with students will receive a verification/certificate about their commitment (which includes the list of supervised participants).
How can my teacher add me as a student?
As soon as your teacher is approved, they can log into the teacher account and add you as a student by clicking on the button 'Add Student'. Your teacher has to enter your year of birth and email. Please note that the email must be the exact email with which you are registered for the competition.
What are ICSC ambassadors?
Since ICSC is an international competition with participants distributed all around the world, it is crucial to have official ICSC ambassadors in several schools, cities, and countries. ICSC ambassadors are being honoured with an official certificate: You officially represent ICSC, you can coordinate an ICSC student group, promote ICSC in your country, and ensure that your country has vital ICSC activity! Being an ICSC ambassador is not only good for your CV and career experiences, but it also gives you the unique opportunity to prove your skills as a coordinator and to encourage students to get engaged with computer science.
What are the responsibilities, benefits, and activities of ambassadors?
You have a variety of responsibilities such as to encourage students and youths to participate in ICSC and to inform schools, local institutes, etc. about ICSC. You also have the power to operate in the name of ICSC, to establish a strong and vital ICSC group in your region, and to inspire other youths for computer science and technology! All official ICSC ambassadors additionally receive a personal ambassador page to manage their activities. However, the unique opportunities are just a few of many reasons to become official ICSC ambassador: There are more benefits such as high-class career experiences and the official ICSC ambassador certificate. You find a list of possible ICSC ambassador activities here:
Ambassador Activity Flyer What are the requirements to become ambassador?
You have to be at least 14 years old, be interested in computer science and technology, and be willing to spend the time to encourage students to get engaged with computer science and to participate in ICSC.
How to apply to become Ambassador?
In order to verify your eligibility as official ICSC ambassador, please fill out the ambassador application form: this includes your CV and a short motivation statement that explains your reasons and plans for becoming ICSC ambassador. After you applied, we will review your application and contact you:
Ambassador Application Form Are there awards for ambassadors?
Special awards are given each year to the most active ambassadors to honour their excellent and responsible performance. This includes awards for encouraging many participants as well as for coordinating many activities. However, your main purpose of becoming an ambassador should always be to inspire youths! You find more information here:
Awards and Prizes Can I create an ICSC social media page?
In general, we do not recommend to create a local ICSC social media page as information published on the official ICSC social media page are relevant to all participants and a separate page might be misleading for some students. However, feel free to create social media groups etc. to encourage and coordinate your local ICSC group (for example, a group for your school, district, city).
Will I stay ambassador forever?
Once you are approved, you are ambassador without the need to apply again in the future. However, the ICSC team removes all inactive ambassadors (no participants or activities) each year. If you have been removed but want to continue as an ambassador, you must apply again.
What is the ambassador score?
The ambassador score is determined by 10×QR + 20×PF + 30×F where QR, PF, F are the total number of participants in the qualification, pre-final, and final round associated with you as an ambassador. Participants from all previous editions are included. Participants can select their ambassador on the submission form.
What are the ambassador levels?
To award active ambassadors with long-time experience, ambassadors can rank up to five levels depending on their engagement and contribution in making publicity, organizing local events, and other activities. The levels certify the ambassador's dedication and commitment to the ICSC community: Newcomer, Experienced, Accomplished, Senior, Honoured.
What is the requirement for receiving an ambassador certificate?
A certificate will be issued to active ambassadors only. You qualify as an 'active ambassador' if you have at least one pre-final round participant associated with your ambassador profile. Please inform participants to select your name during the submission process or forward your personal ambassador submission link.
Where/How can I get my ambassador certificate?
You find a link to your ambassador certificate in your ambassador account. Please note that a certificate will be issued to active ambassadors only (i.e., at least one pre-final round participant associated with your ambassador profile) after the pre-final round announcement (13 October 2025).
About ICSC
What is ICSC?
Computer Science is the bedrock of the modern world, driving innovation and shaping nearly every aspect of our lives. From the algorithms that connect us globally to the artificial intelligence transforming
industries, its principles empower us to solve complex problems and build the future. The International Computer Science Competition offers students a platform to challenge their critical
and logical thinking, explore diverse CS concepts, and delve deeper into this exciting discipline beyond the standard school curriculum.
