Indian students, it is time to take your first steps towards the lucrative and exciting world of programming with the Indian Computing Olympiad (ICO)– a nationwide competition designed to identify students with stand-out skills in algorithms and computer programming. Organised by the Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS) this competition selects four exceptional students to represent India at the prestigious International Olympiad of Informatics (IOI) which is one of the twelve International Science Olympiads held every year.
So what do you have to do to participate? Start by entering either the Zonal Informatics Olympiad (ZIO) or the Zonal Computing Olympiad (ZCO). The former is a written test that assesses the student’s analytical and computational reasoning while the latter is a programming contest where the student must use a programming language like C, C++, Java or Python. Only one test is necessary to be eligible for the next round, but students may attempt both if they choose.
Students short-listed from the ZIO and ZCO may then try their hand at the Indian National Olympiad in Informatics (INOI) where they will compete in an algorithmic programming contest using languages like C, C++ and Java. The top 25-30 students from this round will be selected for a residential training camp where they will receive training and instruction to prepare for the IOI. Four short-listed candidates will represent India at the IOI.
Winners of the ICO get more than just training and bragging rights. IIIT Delhi, IIIT Hyderabad and the Chennai Mathematical Institute are among the institutes which offer direct admission to students who make it to the training camp while Amrita University offers a fully funded B.Tech scholarship to students who perform well in ICO.
If you have a school aged coder in your life, encourage them to take the first steps towards algorithmic problem solving as a lifelong hobby or a lucrative careers.
Important Dates:
Last date to register: 18th November.
Registration link:
http://bit.ly/icoregister
ZIO Exam date: 18th November
ZCO Exam date: 2nd December
Main organiser page:
https://www.iarcs.org.in/inoi/
Help links for the students:
https://www.codechef.com/ioi/help-links
