IOI

International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI)

The IOI is the most prestigious computer science competition in the world for secondary school students. UNESCO and IFIP are patrons.

Full Form: International Olympiad in Informatics.
Type: One of the most prestigious global programming competitions for high school students.
Organizer: IOI International Committee under UNESCO’s patronage.
Participants: National teams of secondary/high school students from over 90 countries.
Objective: Solve complex algorithmic and computational problems individually.
Format: Two-day individual contest focusing on problem-solving, programming, and algorithmic thinking.
Recognition: A stepping stone to competitive programming careers and platforms like ICPC and top tech companies.

Qualify Nationally: Participate in your country’s national informatics olympiad (e.g., INOI in India).
Selection Camp: Top performers are selected for a national-level training camp (e.g., IOITC in India).
National Team Formation: Final national team (typically 4 students) is chosen based on camp performance.
Represent Your Country: Selected students represent their country at the IOI event hosted by a different nation each year.

School Enrollment: Must be a secondary or high school student at the time of national selection.
Age Limit: Usually under 20 years old on July 1st of the competition year.
Citizenship: Should be a citizen or legal resident of the country they represent.
No University Students: Must not be enrolled in university or post-secondary education programs at the time of the national contest.
Attempts Limit: Students can participate in IOI multiple times, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.

Duration: 2 days, 5 hours each day.
Problem Set: Typically 3 algorithmic problems each day (total of 6 problems).
Scoring: Each problem is scored out of 100 points based on correctness and efficiency.
Environment: Each contestant gets their own computer with pre-installed software (e.g., Linux, C++, Python).

Medals: Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded to top-ranking participants.
Annual Host: IOI is hosted by a different country each year, providing a global experience.
Supported by Governments: Many countries, including India, have official government support and training programs for IOI aspirants.

Prestige: Recognized globally as the top informatics olympiad for school students.
Skill Development: Builds expertise in algorithms, data structures, and competitive programming.
International Exposure: Compete with the best high school programmers worldwide.
Scholarship Opportunities: Many universities and companies offer scholarships and internships to IOI medalists.
Gateway to ICPC & Tech Careers: Many IOI participants continue to excel in ICPC and land roles at companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, etc.