Doubts on qhack

QHack 2026
1
  1. “Is there a runtime/time limit on submitted code, or just correctness checked?” — matters because if there’s a hidden timeout, “optimized code” actually does matter, contrary to what the public rules imply.
  2. “Are AI coding assistants allowed for the Coding Challenges?”
  3. “How exactly is ‘cumulative solve-time’ calculated — is it wall-clock time from contest start summed per problem, or something else (e.g. does time stop while you’re not actively working)?”
  4. “Once I’m signed in, where exactly do I create a team / get my team code?”
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Great questions, @ragulml! Starting September 14, 2026, you can create or join a team via the Challenge Portal at qhack.ai.

I’m double-checking a few specifics to make sure I give you accurate details. I’ll update this thread by Tuesday, September 8 once I have everything confirmed.

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Thank you for your patience, @ragulml. Here are the answers to your other questions:

Q1: “Is there a runtime/time limit on submitted code, or just correctness checked?” — matters because if there’s a hidden timeout, “optimized code” actually does matter, contrary to what the public rules imply.

  • A1: Scores depend solely on correctness, with speed breaking any ties—the faster your team submits, the higher you’ll rank on the leaderboard. Each test case has a timeout threshold; if exceeded, it counts as a failed test and will be clearly indicated.

Q2: “Are AI coding assistants allowed for the Coding Challenges?”

  • A2: Using AI assistants to generate submitted code is not permitted as it would violate the originality requirement. However, using AI tools as general reference or learning aids (like consulting documentation) is usually acceptable as long as the final solution code is entirely your own work.

Q3: “How exactly is ‘cumulative solve-time’ calculated — is it wall-clock time from contest start summed per problem, or something else (e.g. does time stop while you’re not actively working)?”

  • A3: Rank is determined first by total points, with solve-time breaking ties. Solve-time is the wall-clock time from the contest start to your team’s latest successful submission. The clock runs continuously from the event start, but unsolved problems and failed attempts do not affect your time.
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How AI assistant answer will be proved, I mean when you get the right intuition it’s quite difficult recognize an AI generated code from a very good one written by human