USACO training consists of a series of programming competitions where students solve problems using their knowledge of algorithms and programming. It is typically offered multiple times during school years and culminates in the open content in the spring. During the competition, students compete at different levels and the top-scoring students are typically invited to join the team for the international Olympiad of informatics.

Important information

The contests are offered four times during the school year. Each of the contests is available in four divisions namely bronze, silver, gold and platinum. The contests are open from Friday to Sunday but have a three to five-hour time limit, depending on the exact contest you are doing.

The contests have three problems for each of the divisions and students submit programs using python, Java, C and C++. The total score is out of a thousand and each problem is worth the same amount. The questions are automatically scored based on the performance, with partial credit problems available for submissions that work on some test cases. During the contest, students can submit problems more than once and the final attempt is counted for grading.

The questions test the students’ knowledge of programming and data structures as well as their problem-solving skills. High divisions may require advanced data structures such as hash tables, trees and so on. The test is given online and students can register by creating their USACO accounts. After registering, it is best for students to go through USACO training online.

Scoring details

After submitting, problems are scored based on the test cases. The feedback can be correct, incorrect, empty or missing output file, compile error, runtime error, and time out. Full credit for the test case is given for the correct results entered by the students and all other results get zero credit for the test case.

The time a program has to run will vary from one problem to the other, but it is typically between two and four seconds per input. As long as the program ends during the time limit, there is no bonus or penalty for faster or slower-running programs.

Keep in mind that in programming languages, there is no penalty or benefit for using any programming language over the other. Java or C++/C are recommended for higher divisions as it isn’t guaranteed that python programs can complete programs without timing out.

Reasons to take the USACO

There are a lot of reasons why students should consider taking the USACO. Contests provide an excellent way of practising applying their programming skills to solving problems. Competing in multiple programming contests during the same year allows learners to improve their programming skills.

Performing well on their USACO training and contests over time helps the students to show their dedication and talent on college applications. Any student with the goal of qualifying for the USA international Olympiad of informatics should start by succeeding in their USACO contests first and that is why students should consider taking the USACO contest.