Push your limits with real-world problems. From algorithms to AI, web development to cybersecurity - discover what you're capable of building.
Get started by setting up team(s) to represent your school.
Practice with weekly problems and track your progress.
Join us for the all-day final competition in-person!
The competition is open to all high school students (grades 9-12) in Illinois, including those from public schools, private schools, and homeschool arrangements. Each school forms teams to represent their institution.
Each team can have a maximum of 5 members. Schools may form multiple teams, but each team needs a parent, teacher, or coach as an advisor to oversee participation and ensure adherence to rules.
You can use any programming language you're comfortable with. Specific language requirements for individual challenges will be announced in advance, but teams have flexibility in their choice of tools and environments.
The competition runs from Fall 2025 to May 2026 with weekly challenges. Each round has specific submission deadlines (typically one week). Challenges are primarily online, with optional in-person 'Invitational' events on a regional basis.
Yes! Unless otherwise specified for a particular challenge, teams may use AI tools and coding assistance websites to help solve the weekly challenges. This is explicitly allowed under the competition rules.
No, there is no fee to participate in the tournament. The competition is completely free for all participating teams. CS4IL may even provide software licenses as needed.
Challenges are scored based on correctness, efficiency, and adherence to problem specifications. Most scoring is automated through platforms like Kattis, though some challenges may be manually scored. Teams earn participation points regardless of performance.
In-person 'Invitational' events are optional bonus opportunities and won't penalize teams who can't attend. The online portion carries the greatest weight in final results, ensuring fair competition for all participants.