ARENA BATTLES BY CODECOMBAT – EXAM CONDITIONS

1. ELIGIBILITY & PARTICIPATION

• This category is open to students in grades 4 to 12.
• All students will compete in the same arena. However, results will be evaluated and ranked separately within the following grade groups:
  -> Code Pioneers (Grades 4-6)
  -> Code Explorers (Grades 7-9)
  -> Code Masters (Grades 10-12)    
  

2. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES & EXAM FORMAT

• Supported languages: Python and JavaScript.
• Participants must write and submit their code through the Arena Exam Panel within the designated 36-hour submission period.
• Code may be edited and resubmitted at any time during this period.
• Detailed exam guidelines can be found in the link below:
  https://codingolympiad.org/documents/codecombat_guideline.pdf 
  

COMPETITION FORMAT AND ROUNDS

• This category consists of 5 rounds:
  -> Online Qualification Round 1
  -> Online Qualification Round 2
  -> Online Qualification Round 3
  -> Online Final Round (Free)
  -> Grand Final – Europe (Lisbon) or USA (New York)
• The 3 online Qualification Rounds are offered on alternative dates. Participants are not required to take all 3 rounds and may choose the Qualification Round(s) that best suit their schedules.
• Participants are recommended to participate in an additional Qualification Round exam to gain more experience and improve their performance. 
  

4. FEES & BENEFITS

• The participation fee is 40 €. Students may optionally participate in an additional Qualification Exam for 15 € to gain further practice and better prepare for the Final Round.
• The participation fee includes CodeCombat Premium membership, valid until 1 August 2027, provided by the Coding Olympiad.
• Through this Premium membership, students can access the CodeCombat training platform to practice and prepare for the competition. 
  

5. COMPETITION STRUCTURE

• Students will compete in head-to-head battles in a defined arena. Arena details will be provided at the start of the exam.
• The primary objective is to write code that controls characters in competitive scenarios, such as battling opponents or collecting resources against other players.
• Students will have 36 hours to write, improve and submit their code before the simulations begin.
• In each Arena Battle, students are evaluated on a 100-point scoring system based on the total number of participants, their wins and losses, and their rankings.
• 3 independent Qualification Exams are held on different dates.
• All participants take part in at least one Qualification Exam and one Final Exam.
• The total score is calculated using 30% of the Qualification Exam score and 70% of the Final Exam score.
• The ranking is determined based on the total score in the Final Exam.
• For students who participate in multiple Qualification Exams, only the highest score will be considered.
• There is no elimination in the Qualification Exams. Students who miss the exam or score zero may still proceed to the Final Exam, with the Qualification Exam score counted as zero. 
• During this time, they may test and refine their strategies based on the revealed arena rules and layout.
• Once the submission period closes, the arena will be locked and no further changes to the submitted code will be permitted.
• Simulation battles will then begin in the live AI Arena.
• Rankings will be based on the total number of wins and losses.
  
• Students aiming for a top 10 ranking must keep both cameras and screen sharing active throughout the exam, ensuring that camera angles and visibility meet the specified requirements. Students with the highest exam scores who fully meet these security requirements may receive bonus points, which will be used solely to determine the final top 10 rankings. If the camera connection is interrupted or the participant is disconnected, the participant should continue answering the questions. Such issues will not result in any point deductions or changes to their original exam scores.

6. EVALUATION & RANKING

• There is no elimination during the Qualification Rounds. These rounds give students opportunities to gain experience, practice using the exam portal, compare their performance with other participants and identify areas for improvement.
• Participation in at least one Qualification Exam is sufficient to qualify for the Final Round. Students are encouraged to participate in multiple Qualification Exams, as each additional exam provides more experience and motivation to improve their skills.
• The competition is structured to encourage all students, especially those new to coding, to continue participating, improving their skills and developing a strong competitive spirit.
• The Final Round is the decisive stage of the competition, where students compete for the highest rankings and awards. 
  

7. MEDALS, CERTIFICATES & DISCOUNT AWARDS

• The top 3 participants in each grade group, based on their results in the Final Round, will receive:
  - A physical Gold Medal (Gold 1, Gold 2 or Gold 3) and a Certificate of Achievement delivered by post
• Top 10% of participants: Digital Gold Medal Certificate & Certificate of Achievement
• Next 20% of participants: Digital Silver Medal Certificate & Certificate of Achievement
• Next 30% of participants: Digital Bronze Medal Certificate & Certificate of Achievement
• Next 20% of participants: Digital Honorable Mention Certificate & Certificate of Achievement
• Remaining 20% of participants: Digital Participation Certificate   
  

8. ​GRAND FINAL QUALIFICATION AND DISCOUNT AWARDS

To encourage student motivation, promote continuous learning, and inspire the development of coding skills, the competition is designed to provide opportunities for students at all experience levels, especially beginners. Through access to a long-term coding learning and training platform, we aim to encourage students to make the most effective and productive use of the available educational resources, continuously improve their skills, and develop confidence, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and a positive competitive spirit. Our goal is to motivate students to remain actively engaged in learning, practicing, and challenging themselves throughout their coding journey.

• Grand Final Qualification: Students in grades 3–11 who participate in at least one Qualification Round automatically qualify for participation in the Orlando Grand Final (USA, February), Lisbon Grand Final (Portugal, June) and New York Grand Final (USA, July), subject to the applicable Grand Final participation requirements and available places.
• Orlando Grand Final Discount Award: The top 3 participants in each grade group in the 2nd Qualification Round will receive discounts on their participation in the Orlando Grand Final:
  → 1st place: 30% discount
  → 2nd place: 20% discount
  → 3rd place: 10% discount
• Lisbon & New York Grand Final Discount Award: The top 3 participants in each grade group, based on the results of the Final Round, will receive discounts on participation in one Grand Final of their choice: Lisbon or New York.
  → 1st place: 75% discount
  → 2nd place: 50% discount
  → 3rd place: 25% discount