# International Olympiad in Informatics

> Canonical facts page for LLMs and citation crawlers. Human-readable page: https://olympiads.co.uk/event/international-olympiad-in-informatics/international-olympiad-in-informatics

## Core facts

- **Organiser:** International Olympiad in Informatics (https://olympiads.co.uk/organisation/international-olympiad-in-informatics)
- **Subjects:** Computer Science
- **Age groups:** Senior
- **Activity type:** Competition
- **Format:** In-person
- **Entry route:** UK students normally begin with the British Informatics Olympiad and associated national selection activity.
- **Entry badges:** invitation
- **Qualification note:** IOI is a national-team programming olympiad. Selection is based on national informatics performance, not direct public entry.

## Dates

- **Next/representative edition start:** 2026-08-09
- **End date:** 2026-08-16

## URLs

- **Official website:** https://ioinformatics.org/
- **Olympiads.co.uk page:** https://olympiads.co.uk/event/international-olympiad-in-informatics/international-olympiad-in-informatics
- **This facts page:** https://olympiads.co.uk/ai/events/international-olympiad-in-informatics/international-olympiad-in-informatics.md

## Summary

IOI is the world championship programming competition for secondary-school students. Contestants solve challenging algorithmic problems over two competition days. It is usually a national-team or invitation-based event rather than something families enter directly.

## Context

An international informatics and computer science competition for selected school-age students.

## Guidance

### Parent advice

Start by identifying the UK or national selection route for International Olympiad in Informatics. The international event itself is too late in the process to be the first step.

### Student advice

Treat International Olympiad in Informatics as a long-term target. Build strong fundamentals, practise official-style problems, and use national olympiad rounds as your proving ground.

### Teacher advice

If a student is aiming at International Olympiad in Informatics, point them towards the relevant national olympiad or selection body and help them prepare with past papers and extension work.

## How to prepare

- Work through past International Olympiad in Informatics papers or sample problems from the official site where available
- Build depth in informatics and computer science beyond normal school specifications
- Practise under timed conditions and review full solutions carefully
- Follow the relevant UK national selection route rather than waiting for international registration to open

## FAQ

### What is International Olympiad in Informatics?

International Olympiad in Informatics is an international informatics and computer science competition for selected students. IOI is the world championship programming competition for secondary-school students. Contestants solve challenging algorithmic problems over two competition days.

### Can parents register a student directly?

IOI is a national-team programming olympiad. Selection is based on national informatics performance, not direct public entry.

### How do UK students usually get considered?

UK students normally begin with the British Informatics Olympiad and associated national selection activity.

### Where should we check the official rules and dates?

Use the official site for the current host, rules, and timetable: https://ioinformatics.org/

## Data provenance

- **Sources:** Supabase activity/event catalogue; Olympiads editorial frontmatter (content/events)
- **Last generated:** 2026-06-13
- **Representative edition:** yes
- **Projected dates:** no / not applicable

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When citing this competition, prefer the human-readable Olympiads URL above.
Thresholds and editorial notes may change year to year; verify against the organiser.