The Bay Area Programming Contest ([link to last year's announcement](https://codeforces.me/blog/entry/139237)) returns on Sunday, March 1st, 2026. **This year, we will be hosting both a novice and advanced division.**↵
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The estimated Codeforces ratings of the Novice problems range from 800 to 1900 (USACO Bronze to Gold). For Advanced, the estimated ratings range from 800 to 3000 (USACO Bronze to Platinum).↵
↵
**If you are rated 1600+ or USACO Gold and above, you are only qualified to sign up for the Advanced Division.**↵
↵
Detailed information, which will be updated as the contest day draws nearer, is at [bapc.gunncpc.com](bapc.gunncpc.com). You can register for the contest [at this link](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdX04VD4NZjPy1-OmDPcXJQoe6nwF9XldqUMEqoHg3R2w_dUw/viewform).↵
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All problems were created and prepared by [user:GusterGoose27,2026-02-12], [user:hihitherethere,2026-02-12], [user:Westin_sheep,2026-02-12], [user:Agent-Pea,2026-02-12], [user:Yttrialite,2026-02-12], and [user:lazulib2,2026-02-12]. Thanks to [user:qpwoeirut,2026-02-12] for the DOMjudge infrastructure that the contest will be hosted on.↵
↵
**Time and place**↵
The contest day is Sunday, March 1st, 2026. It will be held in-person at [Gunn High School](https://gunn.pausd.org/). We will be providing free lunch for in-person participants. Those who can't make it in person can participate in an online mirror.↵
↵
**Contest Day Schedule (for in-person participants)**:↵
10:00 — 10:30 Check-In↵
10:30 — 10:50 Opening Ceremony↵
10:50 — 11:30 Practice Contest↵
11:30 — 12:20 Mini-Events + Lunch↵
12:45 — 3:45 Contest↵
3:50 — 4:10 Closing Ceremony↵
Times are in Pacific time. [Click here to see when the contest starts and ends in your timezone](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=BAPC+2026&iso=20260301T1245&p1=1240&ah=3).↵
↵
**Contest format and rules:**↵
Both the in-person contest and the online mirror will be held through DOMjudge. The contest will be 3 hours long, with 9-13 problems. Scoring will be ICPC-style. Participants can form teams of up to three people.↵
In-person participants are allowed one computer per team. Regarding use of the internet and similar, we will be using [the same rules as the USACO](https://usaco.org/index.php?page=instructions)-- in particular, participants may only look up basic information about their programming language. Templates, OEIS, generative AI, Codeforces blogs, and similar are not allowed. Teams will be given a printed copy of [KACTL](https://github.com/kth-competitive-programming/kactl/blob/main/kactl.pdf). We will review the rules in the opening ceremony.↵
↵
↵
Online participants do not need to follow these rules, since we have no way of enforcing them.↵
↵
↵
We will create accounts for participants and distribute login information to each team before the contest.↵
↵
↵
**Prizes**:↵
Prizes will only be available for in-person precollege teams, and heavy emphasis will be put on the Advanced division. More information on available prizes will be on our website, and covered in the opening ceremony.↵
↵
Note: If you already filled out the registration form, you will automatically be put into the Advanced division. Please email us at [email protected] if you want to change.
↵
The estimated Codeforces ratings of the Novice problems range from 800 to 1900 (USACO Bronze to Gold). For Advanced, the estimated ratings range from 800 to 3000 (USACO Bronze to Platinum).↵
↵
**If you are rated 1600+ or USACO Gold and above, you are only qualified to sign up for the Advanced Division.**↵
↵
Detailed information, which will be updated as the contest day draws nearer, is at [bapc.gunncpc.com](bapc.gunncpc.com). You can register for the contest [at this link](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdX04VD4NZjPy1-OmDPcXJQoe6nwF9XldqUMEqoHg3R2w_dUw/viewform).↵
↵
All problems were created and prepared by [user:GusterGoose27,2026-02-12], [user:hihitherethere,2026-02-12], [user:Westin_sheep,2026-02-12], [user:Agent-Pea,2026-02-12], [user:Yttrialite,2026-02-12], and [user:lazulib2,2026-02-12]. Thanks to [user:qpwoeirut,2026-02-12] for the DOMjudge infrastructure that the contest will be hosted on.↵
↵
**Time and place**↵
The contest day is Sunday, March 1st, 2026. It will be held in-person at [Gunn High School](https://gunn.pausd.org/). We will be providing free lunch for in-person participants. Those who can't make it in person can participate in an online mirror.↵
↵
**Contest Day Schedule (for in-person participants)**:↵
10:00 — 10:30 Check-In↵
10:30 — 10:50 Opening Ceremony↵
10:50 — 11:30 Practice Contest↵
11:30 — 12:20 Mini-Events + Lunch↵
12:45 — 3:45 Contest↵
3:50 — 4:10 Closing Ceremony↵
Times are in Pacific time. [Click here to see when the contest starts and ends in your timezone](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=BAPC+2026&iso=20260301T1245&p1=1240&ah=3).↵
↵
**Contest format and rules:**↵
Both the in-person contest and the online mirror will be held through DOMjudge. The contest will be 3 hours long, with 9-13 problems. Scoring will be ICPC-style. Participants can form teams of up to three people.↵
In-person participants are allowed one computer per team. Regarding use of the internet and similar, we will be using [the same rules as the USACO](https://usaco.org/index.php?page=instructions)-- in particular, participants may only look up basic information about their programming language. Templates, OEIS, generative AI, Codeforces blogs, and similar are not allowed. Teams will be given a printed copy of [KACTL](https://github.com/kth-competitive-programming/kactl/blob/main/kactl.pdf). We will review the rules in the opening ceremony.↵
↵
↵
Online participants do not need to follow these rules, since we have no way of enforcing them.↵
↵
↵
We will create accounts for participants and distribute login information to each team before the contest.↵
↵
↵
**Prizes**:↵
Prizes will only be available for in-person precollege teams, and heavy emphasis will be put on the Advanced division. More information on available prizes will be on our website, and covered in the opening ceremony.↵
↵
Note: If you already filled out the registration form, you will automatically be put into the Advanced division. Please email us at [email protected] if you want to change.
