winterfire's blog

How to become a Candidate Master?
By winterfire, history, 2 years ago, In English

Yes, that's right. Don't you just love to see another "How to become a Candidate Master" blog lighten up the monotony, that is Recent actions?

Before we begin, I'll be plugging some useful blogs so you can choose to ignore these and make your own variant of "How/When/Why to become a Candidate Master/Expert/Newbie/LGM/Negative rated"! God knows we are aching to see it.

https://codeforces.me/blog/entry/83267
https://codeforces.me/blog/entry/66909
https://codeforces.me/blog/entry/75662
https://codeforces.me/blog/entry/98806
https://codeforces.me/blog/entry/98621

So, to elaborate on the blog title, is there a sure shot way of becoming a Candidate Master? Will the following checklist (feel free to add onto it) help others like me become a CM or would it be just another spell of being a hard-stuck expert?

  1. CSES, except for the sections of Advanced techniques, Additional problems, Geometry.
  2. Cursory glance of the CP 3 by Steven Halim, and Guide to CP by Antti Laaksonen
  3. USACO Silver & Gold.
  4. Pray to Ad-hoc forces and Speedforces gods?
  • Vote: I like it
  • +52
  • Vote: I do not like it

Comments Comments (16)
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2 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +7 Vote: I do not like it

I m sory bt I wl tell u no way

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2 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Why do so many people recommend USACO? Is it better than codeforces?

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    2 years ago, # ^ |
    ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Not necessarily, the problems are similar and you get a lot more time. Qualifying for gold should be kind of trivial for CMs though

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      2 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +17 Vote: I do not like it

      I guess gold is trivial for cms, but not for masters.

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2 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

Don't forget to check the USACO guide. I think it's one of the most comprehensive website for competitive programming. That and doing a bit of virtual participation on codeforces to practice speedsolving should be enough. For my first time reaching CM, I only solved A, B, C lol.

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    2 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Yes, and while we're on the subject of Comprehensive guides, I'd like to add CF EDU to the list. The catalogue is small (as of now) but I found the lectures + practice quite definitive.

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    2 years ago, # ^ |
    ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    I'm USACO plat and still blue so I'm not sure there is a really high correlation between cf rating and USACO skills (I know some master stuck in silver).

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      2 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

      How is that possible? USACO plat is insanely difficult, I don't think that you are still blue if you can solve plat problems

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        2 years ago, # ^ |
        ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +13 Vote: I do not like it

        USACO plat == can solve gold problems

        USACO finalist == can solve plat problems

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        2 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

        I only said I got plat, this doesn't mean I can consistently solve plat problems...I did solve a few plat problems but it's like 3 problems per USACO year

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2 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

You can become a master first, and then solve only problem A in a contest.

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2 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

Easy just give bad performance when you are master.

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2 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

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2 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +13 Vote: I do not like it

A piece of advice

Don't concentrate much on rating, just keep on solving the problems that challenge you, rating will follow.

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