Application:

Q: How do I apply for the competition?

A: Application for the competition is via nomination by school / other partnering organisations. Students who are interested in joining may approach their schools / our partnering organisations for application.

Q: Are there any quota for nomination?

A: Each school may nominate up to 12 students for each of the school divisions (Primary Division & Secondary Division), while each of our partnering organisations may nominate up to a total of 30 students to participate in both Primary Division & Secondary Division.

Q: What are the age limits for different divisions?

A: Students aged 6-12 are eligible to participate in the Primary Division; Students aged 12-18 are eligible to participate in the Secondary Division. However, we would highly recommend students aged 9 or above to participate.

Q: Is the competition free of charge?

A: Yes, the competition is free of charge.

Q: Can I take part in the competition if I have no programming background?

A: Yes, you may take part in the competition even if you don’t have any programming background. Students will be able to acquire programming skills during the competition.

Q: If a student is residing in Mainland China (such as cross-border students), is he/ she eligible to join the competition? 

A: Please note that the CodeCombat server we will be using for the competition is unavailable in Mainland China. Unfortunately, this means that students residing in Mainland China will be unable to fully participate in this year’s Coding Competition. If your school/ organisation has nominated students residing in Mainland China, you will be permitted to revise your student nominations in respect to these students, please reach out to our team at [email protected] by 21 Dec 2021 (Tue). Please note, CodeCombat is still usable across Mainland China, however, the competition arena requires customisation and is not readily deployed on the relevant server for users based in Mainland China to access. 

About the Competition:

Q: Can I change my username and password?

A: Please DO NOT change the username provided by the Competition Secretariat, otherwise you may be at risk of being disqualified. However, to safeguard your account, you are recommended to change your password upon receiving the login credentials from the Competition Secretariat.

Q: Can I change my code during the screening round?

A: You may amend your code at any time before the deadline of the screening round.

Q: What is the scoring principle of the competition?

A: Students’ scores are calculated and ranked based on the results of the matches played against other contestants in the arena. 

About Physical Competitions:

Q: Do contestants have to bring their own device for participating in the physical competition?

A: Yes, contestants will be required to bring their own device for participating in all physical competitions.

Q: Can the contestant use a tablet instead of a laptop?

A: Laptop is strongly recommended as contestants will need to type their code.

Q: Is the contestant allowed to use mobile phones during the competition? 

A: No, mobile phones and any other communication devices/ tools are strictly prohibited. Any violation will result in disqualification or penalty.

About CodeCombat:

Q: Why are the simulation results different when the player is on different sides?

A: Regardless of whether the player is on the red or blue team, the result should be the same in theory. However, when two players have similar power, multiple simulations may have different results, in which case you should review if your code would potentially cause differences in the performance of your heroes when the team is switched to red/blue.

Q: How to spectate a match with myself on the blue side?

A: Please select your opponent before selecting yourself, and click spectate.

Q: Does CodeCombat support other programming languages?

A: You may code in Python, JavaScript, C++, Lua, or CoffeeScript. However, please note that Python and JavaScript are strongly preferred. The other languages are still in beta version and may not be stable.

Q: How do I select a different programming language?

A: Python is the default programming language. If you wish to switch to other programming languages, please do so after clicking the “PLAY” button after logging in to the classroom/competition arena.