The Examination of the Popularity and Development of Kódkupa Competition

Abstract

The first year when Hungary participated in the IIOT (International Informatics Olympiad in Teams) contest was in 2021. The Hungarian selection competition, Kódkupa (CodeCup) has gradually gained popularity over the years. This year, teams of four have already competed four times, each time in three-hour qualifying rounds, solving problems together. The tasks for the entry-free competition are set by an international panel of experts. It is a great way to practice for the final exams, prepare for individual competitions, or get involved in programming from a different perspective. It also provides a great opportunity to experience teamwork and professional communication. The number of students entering the competition is increasing every year, but it is believed that has not yet reached the level it is aspiring for. With some modifications to the IIOT competition rules but keeping the philosophy of the competition and most of the tasks, a lighter variant of Kódkupa called ProgramPohár (Program’Petition) was created. The hope was that this would get the word out to more students, give them the experience of programming in a team, and bring the gender ratio closer to ideal. The present work involves analysing data from the competitions of the last few years, supplemented with data from a questionnaire that was prepared for the first time this year. Apart from the fact that the first few years of a young competition are very exciting to analyse, there is also hope that this study will help spread Kódkupa among teachers of other potential competitors.