Qualifications and Registration

Exam Eligibility

You must be attending a high school in Alberta to participate in the exam. If you have a strong knowledge of computing science, you may write. You do not need to have taken computing science courses.

In addition to the individual competition, students may also write the exam in teams to gain experience in advanced problem solving!


Iverson Exam Registration

For Students: Registration for the 2023 Iverson Exam will be through the supervising teacher at your high school.

For Supervisors: Please register by clicking on the green button below.

Supervisor Registration for Iverson Exam


Exam Day Schedule

The 2023 Iverson Exam will be held entirely online on  Monday, June 5  from  3:30 PM to 5:30+ PM.

As in 2022, and due to public health concerns, the exam will be online, per the schedule:

2023 Iverson Exam Day Schedule
Time Activity
12:00 PM to 3:30 PM Exams emailed to Supervising Teachers in PDF form.  If desired, paper copies of the Iverson Exam can be made prior to 3:30 PM. Link to a Video Conference meeting (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet) will be emailed at or before this time.
3:30 PM to 4:45 PM Distribute exams to students.  Write exam individually (for full scholarship and prize consideration) or in groups.
4:45 PM to 5:00 PM Upload completed Exams.  Break.
5:00 PM to 5:30 PM Optional discussion of solutions to the Iverson Exam.
5:30 PM to 6:00 PM Optional Discussion of ChatGPT.

FAQ

Why is the exam not on the University of Alberta campus?
Overall, an online exam is judged to be the best solution given the current public-health situation.
Why does the exam start (so late) at 3:30 PM?
The plan is to allow more students to participate without having to be excused from (many) classes. Also, supervising teachers (it is hoped) do not have to arrange for substitute teachers during the exam.
Do students have to write the exam under the direct supervision of a teacher at their school?
Yes, for full consideration for scholarships and prizes, a supervising teacher must certify that a student wrote the exam under their direct supervision. The details of what entails “direct supervision” can be flexible and can be discussed with the Director of Outreach (Dr. Paul Lu). Typically, direct supervision means that the exam is written in a classroom, with the supervising teacher present.
What if a supervising teacher is not available? What if a student is not able to write it at the designated time on June 5?
Contact the Director of Outreach to discuss other options. (Dr. Paul Lu, paullu@ualberta.ca) 
Do students have to register for the Iverson Exam?
No, only a Supervising Teacher has to register using the Google Form on this page. The list of students who write the Iverson Exam will be finalized as part of the upload process, at the end of the exam. Therefore, there is no need for students to register in advance, and it is possible for a student to decide to write (or not) the exam up to the start of the exam.
How will the exam be provided to the Supervising Teachers? How will the student solutions be submitted at the end of the exam?
On the day of the Iverson Exam (before 12 noon), the exam sheets will be provided in PDF form, by email, to all registered Supervising Teachers. Each teacher can then make enough copies for their students.

It is allowable for students to complete the exam digitally (e.g., by modifying a copy of the PDF file; including, using PDF editors on tablets with digital pencils).

Of course, we rely on the teachers to not review or discuss the exam questions prior to the start of the exam.

After the completion of the Iverson Exam, Supervising Teachers are asked to oversee the uploading of the completed exams (in PDF format), before 7 PM that day, using a provided Google Form. For example, smartphones can be used to scan/take pictures of paper exams, and uploaded as PDF files.
Questions about the Iverson?

Tel: (780) 492-2285
Email: cship@ualberta.ca