Teams first compete in the Regional Contests, held around the world from September to November each year. The winning team from each Regional Contest advances to the Contest Finals, typically held in mid-March to early April. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Contest lasts for five hours. A penalty of 20 minutes for each incorrect submission is added to the total time. The penalty only applies if the problem was eventually solved correctly.
Regional contests duplicate the atmosphere of the international contest.
Only contestants and staff are allowed in the contest area. At least two of the team members must be undergraduates. Graduate students may not have completed more than the equivalent of two years of graduate studies and may not hold a graduate degree. Also, each team must have a faculty advisor , a member of the school's faculty who will certify the eligibility of the team members and serve as the contact for contest communications. The first level of the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest takes place in 26 different regions , each of which advances the first place team to the Contest Finals.