+ The UQCS CodeJam, our semester 1 flagship event, is an individual competitive programming competition + designed to put the programming and problem solving abilities of students of all years to the test. + You'll be given a list of questions to solve, each varying in difficulty and style, with harder + questions earning more points. The questions use knowledge from a wide range of disciplines but can + all be solved with the help of code. +
+It's a fun challenge to work through the questions, and getting experience with these styles of + questions is especially useful as they are often asked by employers in technical interviews. The + highest scoring competitors will be taking home some sweet prizes, courtesy of our sponsor for the + event, IMC Trading! IMC are one of the world's most active proprietary + trading firms and a key market maker in various products listed on exchanges throughout the world. + They'll help support your journey and also provide you with some amazing networking opportunities! +
+Keep reading to find out more about the competition and what to expect. If you have any more questions, + you can reach out at any of our social media pages or via our lovely + Discord community. +
+ +So, how does it all work?
+The UQCS CodeJam is a programming competition hosted online through + HackerRank. You can code in virtually any language (see + competition environment). + Once you’ve written your code, it’s executed online against a number of test cases.
+Tests will cover basic scenarios as well as larger and more complex cases to ensure your algorithm is + efficient and reliable. Points are awarded for the number of tests you pass and are also based on the + difficulty of the question.
+There will be a leaderboard of competitors throughout the event for you to track number of points + scored. The top scorers by the end of the day, as mentioned, will earn prizes!
+ +How can I prepare?
+You'll need a HackerRank account to compete; you can sign up + here. You don’t need to do special practice or + preparation, just come well-rested and ready to problem solve! If you'd like, you can try some practice + questions on HackerRank to get familiar with the interface and style of questions. If you've never used + HackerRank before, not to worry! We will be going through a short demo of how it works at the start of + CodeJam. You can also sign up to the competition on HackerRank in advance of the day: + +
+ + +If you are coming in person, make sure to get a ticket too!
+ + + +What do I do on the day?
+The CodeJam will run from 10am – 4pm on Saturday 3rd May. The live event will be hosted from the + Advanced Engineering Building, room 49-301, 49-313A, and 49-316/316A, but you can participate from anywhere. However, you must be competing + in-person to be eligible for prizes. You can join in at any time but the more time you spend, the better your + chances are of winning prizes! +
+We'll also have free lunch on the day too, so be sure not to miss out!
+We’ll post updates and reminders throughout the day on our Discord + server. + Both the event kickoff and presentation of prizes will be live streamed on our + YouTube channel, at the start and end of + the day, respectively. The actual coding competition will be hosted on HackerRank. +
+ +Prizes!
+We have various prizes, all sponsored by IMC Trading! The exact prize amounts + will be revealed very soon. +
+| First Place Overall | ++ $150 Visa Gift Voucher + | +
|---|---|
| Second Place Overall | ++ $100 Visa Gift Voucher + | +
| Third Place Overall | ++ $60 Visa Gift Voucher + | +
| Top First Year | ++ $120 Visa Gift Voucher + | +
+
Rules & Conditions
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- Competitors must work individually and submit only their own work. The use of AI assistance tools and + technologies is prohibited, and committee reserve the right to disqualify any competitors using or + suspected of using these tools. + + +
- There is a limit of one prize per person. + +
- To be eligible for prizes, you must be:
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- a current university student, +
- a current UQCS student, +
- competing in-person, +
- and registered on the UQCS CodeJam 2025 HackerRank contest +
+ - You are considered a first year student, and thus eligible for the Top First Year prize, + if this is your first or second semester of university studies. + +