Canadian Computing Competition (CCC)

What is the CCC?

The Canadian Computing Competition (CCC), hosted by the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC) at the University of Waterloo, is Canada’s most prestigious high school programming contest. Open to students from Grade 9 and above, the CCC is divided into two divisions:

Junior – designed for beginners, covering basic programming logic and problem-solving.
Senior – advanced level, focusing on algorithm design, efficiency, and advanced programming concepts.

The CCC is the **gateway to the Canadian Computing Olympiad (CCO)**, which then leads to the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) — the world’s top high school programming competition.

Contest Date

Held every **February**. Schools and educators must register in advance via the CEMC portal.

Who Can Write

Open to students in Grade 9–12. Strong Grade 8 students can attempt early if their school permits.

Awards

Certificates for all participants. Top performers qualify for the **Canadian Computing Olympiad (CCO)**. Gold and Silver medalists receive plaques and cash prizes.

Pathway of the CCC

CCC Junior / Senior

Entry level contest with 5 programming questions (Junior or Senior stream).

Top Senior Students

Invited to the Canadian Computing Olympiad (CCO) at Waterloo each spring.

CCO Awards

Gold: $500 · Silver: $200 · Plaques for medalists.

International Olympiad

Top Canadian team competes at the IOI — world’s biggest programming competition.

How We Help Students Succeed

Step-by-step training in Python, Java, and C++ — languages used in CCC.
Practice with past CCC problem sets and mock contests.
Focus on algorithms: recursion, dynamic programming, graph theory, and optimization.
Personalized mentoring and growth tracking for each student.

Success Spotlight

Here’s a real example of how the CCC changes futures.

William Hu · CCC → IOI

William Hu, a Toronto high school student, excelled in the Canadian Computing Competition, qualified for the CCO, and went on to represent Canada at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), where he earned a gold medal. His journey from CCC to IOI was highlighted by the University of Waterloo’s CEMC: Canadian Team Strikes Gold (University of Waterloo News) .

Prepare for the Canadian Computing Competition

Enroll in structured tutoring with Karan — from beginner coding to advanced algorithms. Give your child the edge in computer science contests and university admissions.

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