How is HKGOI related to HKOI?
HKGOI is a competition independent from HKOI. HKGOI is organised by the Hong Kong Association for Computer Education and is run by the trainers in the HKOI Training Team.
What is EGOI?
The European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics is an IOI-style contest initiated by a group of European countries in 2021. Gradually, more and more countries and regions, including those outside Europe, participated in the competition. Their website can be found at https://egoi.org/
Starting from 2025, we plan to select students through the Team Formation Test to participate in the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI) as a guest team, subject to the host country’s acceptance.
Who is Jane Street?
Jane Street, a global quantitative trading firm, is the sponsor of HKGOI and the EGOI Hong Kong team. Jane Street holds various programs or women, transgender, and gender-expansive students. Participants in the WiSE program will meet some of their traders and technologists and learn how they transitioned from studying STEM subjects to careers. For more information, please visit their website. https://www.janestreet.com/join-jane-street/programs-and-events/wise/
I am a parent and my child is interested in the competition. My school has never participated in the competition. How should we start?
HKGOI only accept nominations through schools. Please share the information on this website to your child’s ICT teacher.
I am a Grade 6 student studying at the Middle School section of a private/international school. Am I allowed to participate in HKOI?
Generally yes. We will double check with EDB school registration records when we receive the nomination form.
I hold an HKID card but I am studying at a school in the mainland / overseas. Am I allowed to participate in HKGOI.
No. Only students studying in a day secondary school in Hong Kong are allowed to participate.
Why is there an age limit?
As the HKGOI is a preliminary selection contest for EGOI, the same age limit is imposed.
Can I participate in both HKOI and HKGOI?
Yes, female students who meet the eligibility requirements can participate in both HKOI and HKGOI. However, each competition is independent, and schools and participants must follow the rules and nomination procedures for each event.
Is it required to join HKGOI in order to join HKOI?
No. The two competitions are independent.
Is there an application fee?
No. We do not charge any fee.
Is the HKOI Online Judge subscription required in order to take part in the competition?
No. HKOI Online Judge is a separate service provided by the HKACE. In fact, HKGOI participants who do not have an account will be provided a free practice account
I am the teacher-in-charge. The School Principal is out of town and the deadline is approaching soon.
The Vice-Principal can sign the nomination form on behalf of the Principal if they are authorised to do so.
What happens if our school submits multiple nomination forms?
The last nomination form should supersede any previous ones. Any student not listed in the last nomination form shall have their nomination cancelled. Therefore, teachers should coordinate and submit only one nomination form.
I was nominated by the school but now I cannot attend the competition due to some circumstances. What should I do?
No action is required. We do not impose penalties to absentees.
Is the teacher / parent required to accompany the student?
No. Students can attend the competition on their own.
My student ID card is being renewed, what should I bring instead?
Please bring a letter signed by your class teacher. The letter must contain the school name, school year or date, student’s full name and level of study. A student’s handbook can also be used if it contains all the information above.
I need to attend another competition, can I arrive late or leave early?
No. All contestants must arrive within the reporting time and early leave is not allowed.
I have an important appointment on the day of competition, can I write the paper at another location or on another day?
No. We do not offer such arrangements regardless of the reason.
Is school uniform required?
It is not required by the competition organisers. However some schools’ guidelines may require it.
Can I use an HKEAA-approved calculator in the competition?
No. Calculators are not allowed in the competition.
Are there any resources or tools I can bring to the competition?
No written or electronic resources, such as dictionaries or calculators, are allowed during the competition. Contestants must only use the provided software and virtual machine environment. However, they are permitted to bring their own keyboard and mouse, as long as they meet the competition's guidelines (no wireless devices, no macro keys, etc.).
Is there a Heat Event for HKGOI?
For now, all students nominated to the competition will compete directly in the Main Event which is the practical test similar to HKOI Final Event. We may add a Heat Event in the future depending on the interests from schools and students.
How do you compare the difficulty of HKGOI to HKOI?
The Main Event of HKGOI will contain 6 tasks, more than that in HKOI Final Event. Since there wasn’t any Heat Event, there will be a few easy tasks while the hardest tasks will be as hard as the ones that appear in HKOI Senior Group.
Can I use Python in the HKGOI Main Event?
Yes, as a 2nd-class programming language. Some solutions may be easier to implement in Python than in C++. However, for performance reasons, not all tasks and subtasks are guaranteed to be solvable using Python.
How can I prepare for the competition?
Students can prepare by studying algorithms, data structures, and programming techniques. It’s recommended to practice on coding platforms like HKOI Online Judge and use past papers if available. Medalists may also learn more through the HKOI Training Team.
Do you offer assistance to students with special needs?
Yes. We offer special arrangements to students with special needs in line with HKEAA guidelines. The requests must be made in the nomination form. We do not accept further requests after the end of the nomination period.
Do you issue certificates of attendance or supporting documents for Other Learning Experience (OLE) / Other Experiences and Achievements (OEA) / Student Learning Profile (SLP) purposes?
No. Only award winners will receive a certificate.
I lost my certificate, can you re-issue it?
No. Please use the past competition results displayed on our website to confirm your achievements.