Canadian Computing Competition (CCC) Award

Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (University of Waterloo)

Write this programming contest at your school in February 2027 (schools order it by February 11, 2027); top Senior writers can be invited to national events where gold medalists win $500 and silver medalists $200.

Published by G Paul · last checked September 26, 2026

Total value

$500

Deadline

Feb 11, 2027

Level

High school

Apply on the official site ↗

What you will need

Ask a teacher at your school to order the contest by the February 11, 2027 ordering deadline ($10.00 per participant), then create your CCC Online Grader account with your school's CEMC school number
Ensure your Contest Supervisor arranges for you to write the contest in school
Use an approved programming language: C, C++, Python 2, Python 3, or Java
For CCO (Canadian Computing Olympiad) participants: must use C++
For CIW (Canadian Informatics Workshop) participants: must use C++ or Python
Optional but recommended: screen record your entire contest session if you aim for a CCO or CIW invitation

About this award

The contest itself pays no money: every participant in the top 25% gets a Certificate of Distinction. About 20 top official Senior participants are invited to the Canadian Computing Olympiad (CCO), and about 10 top official Senior participants who are female-identifying or non-binary to the Canadian Informatics Workshop (CIW). At each, every gold medalist receives a $500 prize and every silver medalist a $200 prize. The contest fee is $10.00 per participant, plus a $5.00 processing fee per school order. This is for you if you are a secondary school student with a passion for programming and algorithm design, regardless of your current grade. The ordering deadline is Thursday, February 11, 2027. The contest takes place on Wednesday, February 17, 2027, for those in North and South America, and on Thursday, February 18, 2027, for those outside those regions. Results are available in the Contest Supervisor Portal within a few weeks of the contest date. The contest has 5 questions and is scored out of 75. CCO and CIW invitations and prizes are at the discretion of the CEMC. In 2026, 3,421 students wrote the Junior contest and 2,439 wrote the Senior contest.

Who qualifies

Any full-time student may participate; the contest is set at the secondary school level. Only official participants can be invited to the CCO or CIW: if you write at a school inside Canada, you must be born on or after July 1, 2007, and live in Canada. You can choose between two levels regardless of your grade: the Junior level is for any participant with beginner to intermediate programming skills, and the Senior level is for any participant with intermediate to advanced programming skills. Approximately 20 of the top official CCC Senior participants from schools in Canada are invited to the CCO (the Canadian Computing Olympiad — a week-long learning experience and contest). Additionally, the CIW (the Canadian Informatics Workshop — a week-long campus experience) is created especially for female-identifying and non-binary official CCC Senior participants from schools in Canada. Canadian citizens or permanent residents attending school outside of Canada may also be invited to the CCO and CIW at the discretion of the CEMC (the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing).

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

Canadian citizen, permanent resident or international student
Open to high school students
Studying computer science

How to apply

Read the award's official page
Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.
Submit your application
Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.

Tips for applying

Programming LanguageAvoid choosing a language just because you prefer it. Instead, use a language that allows for a perfect score on the grader, such as C++. Check the sample programs on the official site to see which languages perform best for specific algorithms.
PreparationAvoid starting your practice the week of the contest. Instead, use the CCC Online Grader to work through previous contests and build your confidence with algorithms. Set up a free practice account today to test your logic.
StrategyAvoid rushing through the first two straightforward questions. Instead, double-check your loops and conditions to ensure you secure the full 15 points for each. Small errors in basic questions can cost you a spot in the top rankings.
RealismAvoid assuming that a high score automatically earns an invite to the CCO or CIW. Instead, remember that selection is at the discretion of the CEMC. Focus on the learning experience and building your skill set while you compete.

Questions students ask

How do I apply?

Use the Apply on the official site button on this page: it opens the official application page in a new tab.

When is the deadline?

Applications close on February 11, 2027. Submit a day or two early: application sites get busy at the end.

Can international students apply?

Yes. It is open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and international students.

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FundMyCourse.ca · checked Sep 26, 2026