CALICO Informatics Competition
Catalog organization: CALICO
Compiled by: ExtracurricularHub Editorial Team — editorial policy
Last updated
What Is CALICO Informatics Competition?
CALICO (formerly the California Informatics Competition) is an active, biannual international programming contest written and operated by a UC Berkeley student group. CALICO states that the group acts independently of the University of California. Everyone may participate; only teams made entirely of pre-college students, defined as people who have not entered college or university, are eligible for placement prizes. Teams may have one to three contestants and may optionally affiliate with a school or organization.
A live contest runs for three hours with roughly 9-13 problems spanning introductory through advanced difficulty. Spring 2026 supported C17, C++17, Java 17, Python 3, PyPy3, and Rust 1.63. Teams may use online resources, but may not communicate outside their team during the live contest; AI-generated code is generally prohibited under the adopted policy, and cheating can lead to disqualification and permanent bans. A weeklong REMIX practice event and the permanent problem bank support preparation.
CALICO Informatics Competition Key Facts: Cost, Deadline, and Eligibility
| Cost | Varies — see Cost and funding |
|---|---|
| Format | Hybrid |
| Eligibility | Grade 12 |
| Application deadline | Dates not announced |
| Listing last updated | August 30, 2026 |
Program details shown here reflect the current catalog record.
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