The first round of the Swiss Olympiad in Informatics will take place from September 1st until September 25th. The test takes 35 minutes and is ideal to be taken in class as a fun classroom activity. The best participants of the first round will qualify for our workshops and the second round.
The test comprises of general algorithmic and logical questions, and some pseudo code questions. Basic programming knowledge can help, but is not strictly required.
We are always happy to have teachers participate in the first round with theirs classes. The test is designed to fit into a single lesson. As a preparation it makes sense to ensure that all students have a login for OlyPortal.
FAQ
How can I sign up my class?
Log into OlyPortal as a teacher, you will see the option to create a class. This will generate a link you can send to your students. Once the results are published, you will be able to see the results for all of your students.
My class is not participating, can I still take part in SOI?
Yes of course! Just sign up on OlyPortal as a student and take the test individually.
How do I log into OlyPortal?
You need an eduID account to log into OlyPortal. All the details can be found in the OlyPortal FAQ.
How can I prepare for the test?
There is no need to prepare for the test. We don’t require any specific prior knowledge and the test is designed primarily to test your algorithmic and logical thinking. However, having basic programming knowledge (e.g. knowing what a variable or a loop is) may be helpful, though not strictly required.
What languages is the test available in?
The test is available in English, German, French and Italian.
How does the competition proceed after the first round?
Once the first round ends, we will contact the best participants to let them know they qualified for the second round, which will start on October 1st and run until November 30th. During the second round we also offer workshops to learn about the algorithms you need to solve the tasks.
I have more questions
Reach out to us at info@soi.ch and we can answer any additional questions you might have.