FAQ

Is there a way to practice before my qualification attempt?
Once you've registered for the DCCC, you may use your username and password to log into the competition arena. Within the arena there is a practice area that mimics the functionality of the real competition. Nothing that you do in the practice room will count against you.

What resources can I use to help me?
You may utilize any reference materials, including those found on the Internet. You may not collaborate with any other person.

Can I attempt to qualify more than once?
You may only register a single account. Registering more than one account is a violation of the competition rules. Similarly, you may only attempt to qualify one time using your account.

Can I use code that has already been written as a part of my solution?
Only code that has been authored by you may be used in a code submission. No third-party source code may be used as a part of any code submission.

I've submitted a solution for a problem, but the time has not run out. Can I submit again?
No. You may only submit one time for a given problem. Make sure to test before submitting.

What does the score that I received in the qualification round mean?
The score that you end up with when you have completed the qualification process may or may not be your final score. When the qualification period has ended, all submissions will be run against a series of system test cases. If your submission produces the wrong result (or runs more than 8 seconds) for any of the test cases, you will lose your points for that submission. The points that you receive for a submission is only a factor of the time elapsed between opening the problem statement and submitting the solution. Whether or not you get to keep those points is determined during the system testing process.

How will I know if I have advanced to the Main Competition Round of the DCCC?
Shortly following the qualification period, the testing will be done. As soon as the testing is completed the qualifiers for the first round will be posted on this site.

In addition, an email will be sent to all qualifiers indicating whether or not each has advanced.