Finals FAQ

Do we need to register our HackerRank username?

YES, but only if you are in the JR, INT, or SR Division.

Is my HackerRank username registered with ACSL?

If you find your score from the practice contest (www.hackerrank.com/acsl-2020-practice-finals) listed in the ACSL Finals Leaderboard , you are golden. Otherwise, locate the "Congratulations!" email that ACSL sent you. Step #3 gives you a link (it is customized to your email address!) to use to tell us your HackerRank username.

We've compiled a list of hackers who are not registered with ACSL but who have competed in the Practice finals.

Is my HackerRank user id the same as my email address?

NO, it shows up on the HackerRank site with the @ symbol at the beginning, but the id does not include the @ symbol. You may create any user id and password you wish as a new user, but you must let us know what it is for your scores to be recorded in our system. You can tell us the updated username described in Step #3 in the congratulations email you received.

Is there any collaboration among students of the same school allowed during the competition?

NO, this is entirely an individual competition this year and that would violate your integrity. You may interact during the hour between the Programming part and the Short Problems part.

Do the Programming Problems have the same format as during the year?

MOSTLY. Each problem will be 10 inputs and 10 outputs. Each input, called a "Test Case", has one output and is worth one point. There are a number of "Sample Cases" that you can use for testing our programs, in addition to making up your own sample cases. Each Test Case or Sample Case is run independently of other cases. This is good, because if your program bombs on Test Case 3, it will still be able to be run on other other test cases.

Can I RUN my code more than once?

YES, you can run your code as often

as you'd like. We provide a few sample

test cases, mostly to show you the

format of the input and the expect

output. You can also add you own

test cases, and, indeed, you should.

Can I SUBMIT my code

more than once?

YES, you can submit your code for scoring as often as you'd like. There is no penalty, nor is there any bonus for completing the program quickly. You score is the highest score of your submissions. After each submission, you learn which test cases were incorrect, but you will not see the actually test case until the contest is over.

Do we need to use the Code Stubs that HackerRank creates and provides for us?

NO, it is OK if you write all of the code from scratch, but it might be easier for you to not have to worry about input and output. If you use the Code Stubs that we've providing to handle the input and output, please pay attention to the data types being used and procedure signatures.

Can I complete all of the Short Problems in an hour?

MAYBE, we understand that this is more than in the past for every division except Elementary. All students within a division will have the same number to complete. They are challenging, but not tedious and varying levels of difficulty depending on the Division as in the past.

What topics are covered in the Short Problems?

The topics will be exactly the same as those covered during the regular season. All topics will be covered. For some, more than one question will be asked.

Why are the Short Problems not all multiple choice?

Using Google forms allows us to ask questions with multiple formats as shown in the Practice Short Problems. Short answer requires students to actually do each problem and not simply guess. For old-timers, we used to do it that way before scantrons made grading easier. Now both are just as easy to grade electronically.

Can I use a printer?

YES, you can print off the Short Problems or the Programming Problems. However, in terms of formatting, the contests have been optimized to be read online.

Do I have to pay $20 to compete?

YES, there is a $20 fee that can be paid using PayPal or your Debit/Credit card. A number of schools have paid for their students. Prizes will only be rewarded to participants who have paid, and students will only be listed on the Leaderboard if they have paid.