Technostorm National Coding Competition Experience

Hi, I’m Pratik Gupta currently pursuing my B.E in Computer Engineering from Jayawantrao Sawant College of Engineering, Pune. I am a Competitive Programmer and like to participate in various hackathons and competitions. I’m going to share the greatest achievement I achieved in my Second Year of Computer Engineering. In my Second Year (2022), I participated in the Technostorm National Coding Competition organized by Vidya Pratishthan’s Kamalnayan Bajaj Institute of Engineering and Technology (VPKBIET), Baramati.

Participating in the National coding competition organized by VPKBIET College was a thrilling journey that pushed my coding abilities to a new level. The competition witnessed an overwhelming response, with more than 900 participants from various colleges across different states in India. This massive participation added competitiveness to the event. The competition was well-organized, comprising of three online rounds, each testing different levels of coding skills.

First Round: In the first round, participants were met with a unique and challenging format that tested their theoretical knowledge and quick thinking. This round was designed to evaluate not only the coding skills but also the ability to grasp and apply coding concepts as quickly as possible. The round featured a series of technical & programming-related 30 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). What made this round particularly demanding was the time constraint: participants had only 10-15 seconds to solve each question. The questions covered a broad spectrum of programming concepts, basic fundamentals topics. This first round served as a significant eliminator round, as only the Top 100 participants who demonstrated exceptional speed and accuracy in their responses would progress to the next round. After the first round, I waited for the results to be declared. The next day the results were declared and I was one of the Top 100 participants.

Second Round pseudo-code: Advancing to the second round was an accomplishment in itself. This round continued the multiple-choice format but with a twist – the difficulty level was significantly higher, and participants were presented with pseudo-code snippets to identify the output of the code snippet given. Participants had to carefully read and interpret the code to determine its output or behavior. The challenge was in understanding the logic and flow of the pseudo code and predicting the outcome within a stipulated time of approximately 15 to 20 seconds per question. The pseudo-code questions ranged from involving data structures, conditional statements, loops, and OOPs (Object Oriented Programming) concepts. After the second round concluded, the result was announced the next day and the Top 30 participants were selected for the next final round.

Third (Finale) round : The third and final round was the ultimate test of participants’ coding skills, problem-solving abilities. This round was conducted on the HackerRank platform and featured a single coding question that had to be completed within a time frame of 45 minutes. The round was proctored by supervisors using screen sharing, participant’s camera and microphone turned on throughout the duration. The coding question presented in this round was designed to be challenging and comprehensive, requiring participants to demonstrate their proficiency in efficient problem-solving skills. It required careful consideration of edge cases, optimizing code for speed and memory efficiency, and thorough testing to ensure accuracy. I successfully solved the problem within given timeframe.

After days of eager anticipation, the long-awaited moment arrived when the results were announced, and to my joy and amazement, I was declared the first winner of Technostorm National Coding Competition. Receiving the prize money of 3000 rupees and a winner certificate as recognition was a pride moment for me. It highlighted the hard work, efforts I had dedicated in honing my coding skills.

The competition challenged me to think critically, quickly, and work efficiently under constrained time. Participating in this competition and securing the first prize is an unforgettable experience for me. Participating alongside 900+ talented individuals and securing the first prize making it a significant milestone in my coding journey of 2^nd year. The competition provided a platform to me to showcase my abilities and problem-solving skills, learning that accompanied my journey.