The British Informatics Olympiad is the computing competition for schools and colleges. We are proud to present BIO 2002, sponsored by Lionhead Studios.
The 2002 British Informatics Olympiad

I would like to invite you to enter for the 2002 British Informatics Olympiad, the national IT competition for schools and colleges. The BIO is free to enter, with a variety of prizes to be won. The top four competitors will represent Britain at the 2002 International Olympiad in Informatics, this year hosted in Korea.

The BIO is open to all students, whether they are studying computer science or not, provided that they are under 19 and in full time pre-university education. The main part of the BIO is a paper with three tasks to be solved by writing a program (on any computer and in any language), supplemented by short written questions. It is staged so that those with a little programming experience can do well - although the competition for places on the final round is fierce. For an introduction to the type of problems involved, see the sample questions.

Schools who want to enter should fill in and return the application form by 28 February 2002. Please also see the competition rules. We will send you the 2002 BIO paper, to be taken before 15 March. You will also get solutions to enable you to mark the papers rapidly (this will not require any specialist knowledge). We will award certificates for merit or distinction to a large proportion of entrants, and invite the top 15 competitors to the final, in Cambridge from 5-7 or 12-14 April.

If they are good enough to make the top four, your students will win an expenses-paid trip to Korea, in August, competing for Britain at the International Olympiad in Informatics. Team members have won eighteen medals in the last seven years.

Antony Rix
Chairman, the British Informatics Olympiad