The solutions the students must come up with are answers to complex story problems. Teams are given six to eight questions, which they must solve within the contest's five-hour time limit. The questions generally involve real-world scenarios, such as the Y2K computer problem or the routing of fire trucks through busy streets. Students apply programming skills in order to discover a solution that is both correct and efficient. Vargas noted that although each problem has just one correct solution, an infinite number of ways exist to reach this solution.
Some methods work faster than others.
Allen also stressed the importance of timing. He recalled a past competition in which top teams had tied in the number of solutions answered correctly. Time was then factored in to determine the winner. The time limit naturally adds a driving force to the competition. Although Allen has not yet competed above the regional level, he has some idea of what to expect at the finals.