Problem 1. Cowmpetency Problem 2. Potion Farming Problem 3. Cowlendar

Problem 1. Island Vacation Problem 2. Merging Cells Problem 3. Mooball Teams III

Problem 1. Walking in Manhattan Problem 2. Cowmpetency Problem 3. Nap Sort

Problem 1. Majority Opinion Problem 2. Cannonball Problem 3. Balancing Bacteria

USACO Programming Olympiad — New Season Preparation Guide

The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a prestigious national-level programming competition in the United States. Since its founding in 1992, it has a history of over 30 years and is widely recognized as a highly valuable and authoritative STEM competition.

What is USACO?

USACO is an international programming competition open to high school students around the world. It is specifically designed for students interested in algorithms and competitive programming.

Participants must register an account to access the official problem sets and compete.

Beyond improving coding skills, USACO also:

• Develops strong algorithmic thinking
• Enhances problem-solving abilities
• Strengthens college applications

Top institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology even include USACO among their recommended competitions.

Who Should Participate?

USACO is ideal for:

• Students interested in computer programming
• Students planning to apply for computer science or related majors

USACO Competition Schedule (Eastern Time, 2026 Reference)

• Contest 1: January 9–12, 2026
• Contest 2: January 30 – February 2, 2026
• Contest 3: February 20–23, 2026
• US Open: March 28, 2026

Note:
To receive official rankings in the Gold or Platinum divisions, U.S. participants must begin the contest at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, when problems are first released.

Students in China can only participate up to the US Open.

How to Register for USACO

• Visit the official website: http://www.usaco.org/
• Click “Register for new account” in the top-right corner
• Fill in your personal information in English

Activation

After registration:

• You will receive your account credentials via email
• Log in within 24 hours to activate your account
• You can change your password after logging in

Once registered, you can log in and participate during contest windows.

Competition Rules

• Format: Online, individual participation
• Duration: 3–5 hours per contest
• Language: English only (since 2023)
• Programming Languages Supported:
  • Java
  • Python
  • C++

Scoring System

• Total score: 1000 points
• Typically, 600–800 points are required to advance
• Each problem contains multiple test cases
• Points are awarded based on the number of correct test cases

USACO Division Progression

Participants advance through four levels:

Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum

Bronze

• For first-time participants
• Focus: basic programming syntax and simple algorithms

Silver

• Requires passing Bronze
• Focus: problem-solving and standard algorithms and data structures

Gold

• Requires passing Silver
• Focus: strong algorithmic skills and advanced data structures

Platinum

• Requires passing Gold
• Focus: deep algorithmic understanding and optimization skills

Academic Integrity

USACO places a strong emphasis on honesty:

• All work must be completed independently
• The use of generative AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) is strictly prohibited

Violations may result in a permanent ban from all USACO activities.

Get Ready for the New Season

To help students prepare efficiently for the upcoming USACO season, specialized preparation programs and training courses are now available.

Whether you are just starting out or aiming for higher divisions, structured guidance can significantly accelerate your progress.

Problem 1. Identity Theft Problem 2. Splitting Haybales Problem 3. Activating Robots

USACO Programming Olympiad — New Season Preparation Guide

The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a prestigious national-level programming competition in the United States. Since its founding in 1992, it has a history of over 30 years and is widely recognized as a highly valuable and authoritative STEM competition.

What is USACO?

USACO is an international programming competition open to high school students around the world. It is specifically designed for students interested in algorithms and competitive programming.

Participants must register an account to access the official problem sets and compete.

Beyond improving coding skills, USACO also:

• Develops strong algorithmic thinking
• Enhances problem-solving abilities
• Strengthens college applications

Top institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology even include USACO among their recommended competitions.

Who Should Participate?

USACO is ideal for:

• Students interested in computer programming
• Students planning to apply for computer science or related majors

USACO Competition Schedule (Eastern Time, 2026 Reference)

• Contest 1: January 9–12, 2026
• Contest 2: January 30 – February 2, 2026
• Contest 3: February 20–23, 2026
• US Open: March 28, 2026

Note:
To receive official rankings in the Gold or Platinum divisions, U.S. participants must begin the contest at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, when problems are first released.

Students in China can only participate up to the US Open.

How to Register for USACO

• Visit the official website: http://www.usaco.org/
• Click “Register for new account” in the top-right corner
• Fill in your personal information in English

Activation

After registration:

• You will receive your account credentials via email
• Log in within 24 hours to activate your account
• You can change your password after logging in

Once registered, you can log in and participate during contest windows.

Competition Rules

• Format: Online, individual participation
• Duration: 3–5 hours per contest
• Language: English only (since 2023)
• Programming Languages Supported:
  • Java
  • Python
  • C++

Scoring System

• Total score: 1000 points
• Typically, 600–800 points are required to advance
• Each problem contains multiple test cases
• Points are awarded based on the number of correct test cases

USACO Division Progression

Participants advance through four levels:

Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum

Bronze

• For first-time participants
• Focus: basic programming syntax and simple algorithms

Silver

• Requires passing Bronze
• Focus: problem-solving and standard algorithms and data structures

Gold

• Requires passing Silver
• Focus: strong algorithmic skills and advanced data structures

Platinum

• Requires passing Gold
• Focus: deep algorithmic understanding and optimization skills

Academic Integrity

USACO places a strong emphasis on honesty:

• All work must be completed independently
• The use of generative AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) is strictly prohibited

Violations may result in a permanent ban from all USACO activities.

Get Ready for the New Season

To help students prepare efficiently for the upcoming USACO season, specialized preparation programs and training courses are now available.

Whether you are just starting out or aiming for higher divisions, structured guidance can significantly accelerate your progress.

Problem 1. Logical Moos Problem 2. Walking Along a Fence Problem 3. Farmer John's Favorite Permutation

USACO Programming Olympiad — New Season Preparation Guide

The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a prestigious national-level programming competition in the United States. Since its founding in 1992, it has a history of over 30 years and is widely recognized as a highly valuable and authoritative STEM competition.

What is USACO?

USACO is an international programming competition open to high school students around the world. It is specifically designed for students interested in algorithms and competitive programming.

Participants must register an account to access the official problem sets and compete.

Beyond improving coding skills, USACO also:

• Develops strong algorithmic thinking
• Enhances problem-solving abilities
• Strengthens college applications

Top institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology even include USACO among their recommended competitions.

Who Should Participate?

USACO is ideal for:

• Students interested in computer programming
• Students planning to apply for computer science or related majors

USACO Competition Schedule (Eastern Time, 2026 Reference)

• Contest 1: January 9–12, 2026
• Contest 2: January 30 – February 2, 2026
• Contest 3: February 20–23, 2026
• US Open: March 28, 2026

Note:
To receive official rankings in the Gold or Platinum divisions, U.S. participants must begin the contest at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, when problems are first released.

Students in China can only participate up to the US Open.

How to Register for USACO

• Visit the official website: http://www.usaco.org/
• Click “Register for new account” in the top-right corner
• Fill in your personal information in English

Activation

After registration:

• You will receive your account credentials via email
• Log in within 24 hours to activate your account
• You can change your password after logging in

Once registered, you can log in and participate during contest windows.

Competition Rules

• Format: Online, individual participation
• Duration: 3–5 hours per contest
• Language: English only (since 2023)
• Programming Languages Supported:
  • Java
  • Python
  • C++

Scoring System

• Total score: 1000 points
• Typically, 600–800 points are required to advance
• Each problem contains multiple test cases
• Points are awarded based on the number of correct test cases

USACO Division Progression

Participants advance through four levels:

Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum

Bronze

• For first-time participants
• Focus: basic programming syntax and simple algorithms

Silver

• Requires passing Bronze
• Focus: problem-solving and standard algorithms and data structures

Gold

• Requires passing Silver
• Focus: strong algorithmic skills and advanced data structures

Platinum

• Requires passing Gold
• Focus: deep algorithmic understanding and optimization skills

Academic Integrity

USACO places a strong emphasis on honesty:

• All work must be completed independently
• The use of generative AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) is strictly prohibited

Violations may result in a permanent ban from all USACO activities.

Get Ready for the New Season

To help students prepare efficiently for the upcoming USACO season, specialized preparation programs and training courses are now available.

Whether you are just starting out or aiming for higher divisions, structured guidance can significantly accelerate your progress.

Problem 1. Bessie's Interview Problem 2. Painting Fence Posts Problem 3. The 'Winning' Gene

USACO Programming Olympiad — New Season Preparation Guide

The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a prestigious national-level programming competition in the United States. Since its founding in 1992, it has a history of over 30 years and is widely recognized as a highly valuable and authoritative STEM competition.

What is USACO?

USACO is an international programming competition open to high school students around the world. It is specifically designed for students interested in algorithms and competitive programming.

Participants must register an account to access the official problem sets and compete.

Beyond improving coding skills, USACO also:

• Develops strong algorithmic thinking
• Enhances problem-solving abilities
• Strengthens college applications

Top institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology even include USACO among their recommended competitions.

Who Should Participate?

USACO is ideal for:

• Students interested in computer programming
• Students planning to apply for computer science or related majors

USACO Competition Schedule (Eastern Time, 2026 Reference)

• Contest 1: January 9–12, 2026
• Contest 2: January 30 – February 2, 2026
• Contest 3: February 20–23, 2026
• US Open: March 28, 2026

Note:
To receive official rankings in the Gold or Platinum divisions, U.S. participants must begin the contest at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, when problems are first released.

Students in China can only participate up to the US Open.

How to Register for USACO

• Visit the official website: http://www.usaco.org/
• Click “Register for new account” in the top-right corner
• Fill in your personal information in English

Activation

After registration:

• You will receive your account credentials via email
• Log in within 24 hours to activate your account
• You can change your password after logging in

Once registered, you can log in and participate during contest windows.

Competition Rules

• Format: Online, individual participation
• Duration: 3–5 hours per contest
• Language: English only (since 2023)
• Programming Languages Supported:
  • Java
  • Python
  • C++

Scoring System

• Total score: 1000 points
• Typically, 600–800 points are required to advance
• Each problem contains multiple test cases
• Points are awarded based on the number of correct test cases

USACO Division Progression

Participants advance through four levels:

Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum

Bronze

• For first-time participants
• Focus: basic programming syntax and simple algorithms

Silver

• Requires passing Bronze
• Focus: problem-solving and standard algorithms and data structures

Gold

• Requires passing Silver
• Focus: strong algorithmic skills and advanced data structures

Platinum

• Requires passing Gold
• Focus: deep algorithmic understanding and optimization skills

Academic Integrity

USACO places a strong emphasis on honesty:

• All work must be completed independently
• The use of generative AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) is strictly prohibited

Violations may result in a permanent ban from all USACO activities.

Get Ready for the New Season

To help students prepare efficiently for the upcoming USACO season, specialized preparation programs and training courses are now available.

Whether you are just starting out or aiming for higher divisions, structured guidance can significantly accelerate your progress.

Problem 1. Cowreography Problem 2. Grass Segments Problem 3. Smaller Averages

USACO Programming Olympiad — New Season Preparation Guide

The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a prestigious national-level programming competition in the United States. Since its founding in 1992, it has a history of over 30 years and is widely recognized as a highly valuable and authoritative STEM competition.

What is USACO?

USACO is an international programming competition open to high school students around the world. It is specifically designed for students interested in algorithms and competitive programming.

Participants must register an account to access the official problem sets and compete.

Beyond improving coding skills, USACO also:

• Develops strong algorithmic thinking
• Enhances problem-solving abilities
• Strengthens college applications

Top institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology even include USACO among their recommended competitions.

Who Should Participate?

USACO is ideal for:

• Students interested in computer programming
• Students planning to apply for computer science or related majors

USACO Competition Schedule (Eastern Time, 2026 Reference)

• Contest 1: January 9–12, 2026
• Contest 2: January 30 – February 2, 2026
• Contest 3: February 20–23, 2026
• US Open: March 28, 2026

Note:
To receive official rankings in the Gold or Platinum divisions, U.S. participants must begin the contest at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, when problems are first released.

Students in China can only participate up to the US Open.

How to Register for USACO

• Visit the official website: http://www.usaco.org/
• Click “Register for new account” in the top-right corner
• Fill in your personal information in English

Activation

After registration:

• You will receive your account credentials via email
• Log in within 24 hours to activate your account
• You can change your password after logging in

Once registered, you can log in and participate during contest windows.

Competition Rules

• Format: Online, individual participation
• Duration: 3–5 hours per contest
• Language: English only (since 2023)
• Programming Languages Supported:
  • Java
  • Python
  • C++

Scoring System

• Total score: 1000 points
• Typically, 600–800 points are required to advance
• Each problem contains multiple test cases
• Points are awarded based on the number of correct test cases

USACO Division Progression

Participants advance through four levels:

Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum

Bronze

• For first-time participants
• Focus: basic programming syntax and simple algorithms

Silver

• Requires passing Bronze
• Focus: problem-solving and standard algorithms and data structures

Gold

• Requires passing Silver
• Focus: strong algorithmic skills and advanced data structures

Platinum

• Requires passing Gold
• Focus: deep algorithmic understanding and optimization skills

Academic Integrity

USACO places a strong emphasis on honesty:

• All work must be completed independently
• The use of generative AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) is strictly prohibited

Violations may result in a permanent ban from all USACO activities.

Get Ready for the New Season

To help students prepare efficiently for the upcoming USACO season, specialized preparation programs and training courses are now available.

Whether you are just starting out or aiming for higher divisions, structured guidance can significantly accelerate your progress.

p1 p2 p3

USACO Programming Olympiad — New Season Preparation Guide

The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a prestigious national-level programming competition in the United States. Since its founding in 1992, it has a history of over 30 years and is widely recognized as a highly valuable and authoritative STEM competition.

What is USACO?

USACO is an international programming competition open to high school students around the world. It is specifically designed for students interested in algorithms and competitive programming.

Participants must register an account to access the official problem sets and compete.

Beyond improving coding skills, USACO also:

• Develops strong algorithmic thinking
• Enhances problem-solving abilities
• Strengthens college applications

Top institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology even include USACO among their recommended competitions.

Who Should Participate?

USACO is ideal for:

• Students interested in computer programming
• Students planning to apply for computer science or related majors

USACO Competition Schedule (Eastern Time, 2026 Reference)

• Contest 1: January 9–12, 2026
• Contest 2: January 30 – February 2, 2026
• Contest 3: February 20–23, 2026
• US Open: March 28, 2026

Note:
To receive official rankings in the Gold or Platinum divisions, U.S. participants must begin the contest at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, when problems are first released.

Students in China can only participate up to the US Open.

How to Register for USACO

• Visit the official website: http://www.usaco.org/
• Click “Register for new account” in the top-right corner
• Fill in your personal information in English

Activation

After registration:

• You will receive your account credentials via email
• Log in within 24 hours to activate your account
• You can change your password after logging in

Once registered, you can log in and participate during contest windows.

Competition Rules

• Format: Online, individual participation
• Duration: 3–5 hours per contest
• Language: English only (since 2023)
• Programming Languages Supported:
  • Java
  • Python
  • C++

Scoring System

• Total score: 1000 points
• Typically, 600–800 points are required to advance
• Each problem contains multiple test cases
• Points are awarded based on the number of correct test cases

USACO Division Progression

Participants advance through four levels:

Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum

Bronze

• For first-time participants
• Focus: basic programming syntax and simple algorithms

Silver

• Requires passing Bronze
• Focus: problem-solving and standard algorithms and data structures

Gold

• Requires passing Silver
• Focus: strong algorithmic skills and advanced data structures

Platinum

• Requires passing Gold
• Focus: deep algorithmic understanding and optimization skills

Academic Integrity

USACO places a strong emphasis on honesty:

• All work must be completed independently
• The use of generative AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) is strictly prohibited

Violations may result in a permanent ban from all USACO activities.

Get Ready for the New Season

To help students prepare efficiently for the upcoming USACO season, specialized preparation programs and training courses are now available.

Whether you are just starting out or aiming for higher divisions, structured guidance can significantly accelerate your progress.

b1 b2 b3

USACO Programming Olympiad — New Season Preparation Guide

The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) is a prestigious national-level programming competition in the United States. Since its founding in 1992, it has a history of over 30 years and is widely recognized as a highly valuable and authoritative STEM competition.

What is USACO?

USACO is an international programming competition open to high school students around the world. It is specifically designed for students interested in algorithms and competitive programming.

Participants must register an account to access the official problem sets and compete.

Beyond improving coding skills, USACO also:

• Develops strong algorithmic thinking
• Enhances problem-solving abilities
• Strengthens college applications

Top institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology even include USACO among their recommended competitions.

Who Should Participate?

USACO is ideal for:

• Students interested in computer programming
• Students planning to apply for computer science or related majors

USACO Competition Schedule (Eastern Time, 2026 Reference)

• Contest 1: January 9–12, 2026
• Contest 2: January 30 – February 2, 2026
• Contest 3: February 20–23, 2026
• US Open: March 28, 2026

Note:
To receive official rankings in the Gold or Platinum divisions, U.S. participants must begin the contest at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, when problems are first released.

Students in China can only participate up to the US Open.

How to Register for USACO

• Visit the official website: http://www.usaco.org/
• Click “Register for new account” in the top-right corner
• Fill in your personal information in English

Activation

After registration:

• You will receive your account credentials via email
• Log in within 24 hours to activate your account
• You can change your password after logging in

Once registered, you can log in and participate during contest windows.

Competition Rules

• Format: Online, individual participation
• Duration: 3–5 hours per contest
• Language: English only (since 2023)
• Programming Languages Supported:
  • Java
  • Python
  • C++

Scoring System

• Total score: 1000 points
• Typically, 600–800 points are required to advance
• Each problem contains multiple test cases
• Points are awarded based on the number of correct test cases

USACO Division Progression

Participants advance through four levels:

Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum

Bronze

• For first-time participants
• Focus: basic programming syntax and simple algorithms

Silver

• Requires passing Bronze
• Focus: problem-solving and standard algorithms and data structures

Gold

• Requires passing Silver
• Focus: strong algorithmic skills and advanced data structures

Platinum

• Requires passing Gold
• Focus: deep algorithmic understanding and optimization skills

Academic Integrity

USACO places a strong emphasis on honesty:

• All work must be completed independently
• The use of generative AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT) is strictly prohibited

Violations may result in a permanent ban from all USACO activities.

Get Ready for the New Season

To help students prepare efficiently for the upcoming USACO season, specialized preparation programs and training courses are now available.

Whether you are just starting out or aiming for higher divisions, structured guidance can significantly accelerate your progress.