Phase 1
Theory
20 multiple-choice questions.
| Difficulty | Questions | Points each | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 8 | 5 | 40 |
| Medium | 8 | 10 | 80 |
| Hard | 4 | 20 | 80 |
| Total | 20 | 200 |
One answer per question · no negative marking
HKJICInaugural Edition · 2026
Hong KongJunior InformaticsCompetition
Hong Kong's first student-run, inter-school competitive programming competition.
- Date
- April 2027
- Format
- In person
- Eligibility
- Years 7–12
- Duration
- 190 min
- Entry
- Free
Nº 01About~100 players · 10+ schools
Most informatics contests are run for students. HKJIC is run by them.
The Hong Kong Junior Informatics Competition is the city's first student-run, inter-school competitive programming contest: written, built, and judged by students who compete themselves.
Two timed phases on our own judge, 1,000 points on the table. Everyone is ranked individually; schools compete on their three best scores. One day, in person, in Hong Kong. Free.
- ~100
- Participants
- 10+
- Schools
- 2
- Timed phases
- 1,000
- Points on offer
Nº 02Format2 phases · 190 min
Two timed phases.
40 minutes of theory, then 150 of practical. 20 questions, 5 problems from A to E, 1,000 points.
- Phase 1 · Theory40 min · 200 pts
- Phase 2 · Practical150 min · 800 pts
Phase 2
Practical
5 problems, labelled A–E.
Languages
- C++
- Python
- Java
Very EasyWarmup120PTS
Topics- I/O
- basic loops
- simple conditions
Easy140PTS
Topics- strings
- arrays
- simple simulation
Medium160PTS
Topics- sorting
- greedy
- basic math
Medium-Hard180PTS
Topics- two-pointer
- hashing
- basic DP
Hard200PTS
Topics- DP
- graphs
- clever insight
Partial credit is awarded per test case passed. Problems are worth 120 to 200 points, rising with difficulty.
Nº 03Scoring & Ranking1,000 points
How ranking works.
Everyone is scored out of 1,000 and ranked individually.
- Partial credit
- Every test case you pass earns points, whether or not the whole problem is solved.
- Best submission
- Each problem is scored on your highest submission, not your last.
- School award
- A school's score is the sum of its three highest individual scores.
total = theory + practical// 200 + 800
school = best1+ best2 + best3// a school's three best
- Individual ceiling
- 1,000200 theory + 800 practical
- School award
- 3,000three best scores combined
Tiebreaks
- 01Higher total score
- 02Higher practical score
- 03More problems solved in full
- 04Earlier time at which the final practical score was reached
- 05Lower submission number
Nº 04Prizes4 tiers · TBC
The podium.
prizes --statusprovisional
- GoldTop 3
- Premium AI tool subscription
- Peripheral (keyboard / mouse)
- Gold trophy
- Certificate
- Silver4th – 7th
- Trophy
- Certificate
- Bronze8th – 15th
- Trophy
- Certificate
- Honourable Mentionto 25th
- Certificate
Prizes to be confirmed. Tiers and rewards above are indicative and may change.
Nº 05Eligibility & Key DatesApril 2027 · Hong Kong
Who can enter.
Students in Years 7–12, from any school in Hong Kong. Come alone or with schoolmates; everyone is ranked individually. No fee, no prerequisites.
- Eligibility
- Years 7–12
- Ranking
- Individual
- Entry
- Free
- Format
- In person · Hong Kong
- Scale
- ~100 students · 10+ schools
Key dates
Registration opens
TBA
Registration closes
TBA
Competition day
April 2027 · To be confirmed
Results announced
TBA
Nº 06FAQ7 entries
Common questions.
01How much does it cost to enter?
Nothing. Entry is free for every participant.
02Who can take part?
Students in Years 7 to 12, from any school in Hong Kong.
03Do I compete alone or in a team?
You compete and are ranked as an individual. Enter on your own or come with schoolmates. It does not change how you are scored. Schools entering three or more students also compete for the Top School trophy, awarded on their three highest scores combined.
04Which programming languages can I use?
C++, Python, and Java are all supported in the practical phase.
05Do I need to be advanced to take part?
No. Problem A is a genuine warmup and the set climbs from there, so everyone solves something. The theory rewards careful reasoning, not memorisation. Beginners are welcome.
06Can I use AI tools?
No. AI assistants of any kind are banned for the whole contest, including editor autocomplete such as Copilot, which you must turn off before you arrive. The only site you may open is the judge. Breaking this means disqualification.
07What should I bring?
Your own laptop, charged, with your compiler or interpreter already installed and tested. Bring your charger. Set up and test your environment before the day: we cannot debug installations during the contest.
Something else? Write to team@hkjic.org
Nº 07Registerentry · Free
Enter the inaugural edition.
Registration opens closer to the competition. Entry is free, with around 100 seats.
Questions?team@hkjic.org