Overview
The National Olympiad in Informatics (NOI, 全国青少年信息学奥林匹克竞赛) is China's national programming olympiad for secondary school students. It is approved by the Ministry of Education and the China Association for Science and Technology and hosted by the China Computer Federation (CCF). It is the final stage of the national informatics path and the route to the national team for the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). NOI 2026 was held in Qingdao.
Who can take part
Entry is by selection. Each province forms a team under quotas set by the CCF, and places come through the province's qualifying results and provincial selection rounds, built on the CSP-S certification (see the csp programme). Reports describe the entrants as current students (not those who finished high school that summer), under 20 on June 30, with each province sending a leader and a limited number of contestants.
Contestants are placed in categories such as official team members, promotion-award entrants and informal participants. Medals and certificates go to the official categories; informal participants receive certificates only. CCF has announced that from NOI 2029 the bonus points for Category A participants will be eliminated.
Exam pattern
| Detail | NOI |
|---|---|
| Contest days | 2 on-computer programming contests |
| Time | About 5 hours each, with a rest day between |
| Task types | Standard programs, interactive programs and output-only tasks |
| Team element | A team contest whose results count toward the total |
Marking and results
Individual scores decide gold, silver and bronze medals. Top performers are invited to the national training team and winter camp, and the IOI team is chosen from them after training and further selection rounds.
Important dates
NOI 2026 was held in Qingdao and ended in July 2026. Its award list was published on July 23, 2026. Check noi.cn for the date of the next edition.
How to apply
Individuals do not register directly. Qualify through the CSP-S certification and your province's selection process, run by the provincial organiser.
Preparation tips
Build a strong base in data structures and algorithms, practise past NOI and provincial selection problems, and practise interactive and output-only formats.
Can any student enter the NOI?
No. Entry is through a provincial team, selected from CSP-S and provincial rounds.