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Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS)

Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (IARCS)

Indian Computing Olympiad (ICO)

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About the Program

Overview

The Indian Computing Olympiad (ICO), organized by IARCS, is India's national school-student programming and informatics competition. The Zonal Computing Olympiad (ZCO) and Indian National Olympiad in Informatics (INOI) are stages in the pathway used to select India's team for the International Olympiad in Informatics.

2026–27 cycle

IARCS lists the ZCO exam for 12 December 2026, with registration closing 1 December 2026 at 21:00 IST. The ZCO fee is ₹472 including GST, plus any payment transaction charges. ZCO accepts Python, C, C++, and Java. IARCS lists INOI on 6 February 2027 for qualifying participants, and says C++ is the language used at INOI. Check IARCS's current page for examination centres, rules and updates.

IARCS states that students studying in school through Class 12 during academic year 2026–27 may participate and says students of any school board are welcome. Its page also requires that participants still be at school; students using an open-school route should confirm that their enrollment qualifies before registering.

Format and selection

ZCO is an individual in-person programming examination. Qualifiers can advance to INOI; top results may lead to the national training-camp and IOI selection process. Entry or participation is not itself a national honor, and selection is competitive. The current competition pages do not publish an acceptance rate.

Sources

Cycle-specific dates and fees change; confirm them with IARCS before applying.

Eligibility

For the 2026–27 cycle, IARCS states that students in school through Class 12 during academic year 2026–27 may participate and that students of any school board may apply. Students should confirm with IARCS if an open-school enrollment satisfies the current school-status requirement. No age limit stated on the IARCS overview page; participants must meet the current-cycle school-enrollment rules. For 2026–27: in school up to Class 12 in academic year 2026–27; still at school. Verify the current-cycle rule with IARCS.

Eligible Countries

For the 2026–27 cycle, the IARCS page states that students in school through Class 12 during the academic year may participate; verify applicability to open-school enrolment.: India🇮🇳 School students in India who meet the current IARCS class/enrollment criteria.

How to Apply

Individual registration for the relevant ZCO examination through IARCS; national stages and training camps require qualifying results. See IARCS for current rules, locations and dates.