| Division | Grades | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Senior | Grades 10–12 | High school students taking AP Computer Science or with some programming experience. Not recommended for a team registering for the first time. |
| Intermediate | Grades 10–11 | High school students with relatively less programming knowledge and experience. |
| Junior | Up to Grade 9 | Junior high school students with little programming knowledge and experience. |
| Classroom | Any grade | Students in AP Computer Science Principles or other introductory classes without a major programming component. Each contest is an online 50-minute, 10-question short answer test. |
| Elementary | Grades 3–6 | Each contest is an online 30-minute, 5-question non-programming test focused on a single category of content. |
Every division can enter as a 3-person or 5-person team (for example, Senior 3 or Senior 5).
Scoring
A student’s score is the sum of their scores on the short answer test (theory) and the programming problem. A team score is the sum of the best 3 or 5 student scores for each contest.
Study Materials
The ACSL wiki describes every short-answer category in detail, with YouTube videos that walk through sample questions. Students should review past contests and practice sample programming problems before each contest. See also ACSL Study Materials.