---
title: "Congressional App Challenge Guide: Rules, Video, Judging"
description: "The Congressional App Challenge from the official 2026 rules: eligibility, teams, the AI rule, the 1 to 3 minute demo video, judging and a ten-week build plan."
canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/congressional-app-challenge-guide
source: src/pages/congressional-app-challenge-guide.html
---
> The Congressional App Challenge from the official 2026 rules: eligibility, teams, the AI rule, the 1 to 3 minute demo video, judging and a ten-week build plan.

In short

The Congressional App Challenge is a coding competition for US middle and high school students, run district by district and judged by each Member of Congress’s office. Students enter alone or in teams of up to four, build an app in any language on any topic, and submit a 1 to 3 minute demo video plus written answers. The 2026 rulebook sets the deadline at 12:00 pm EDT, Monday, October 26, 2026. Modern Age Coders teaches this live online for US students, in a batch or one to one, and the first class is free.

Build the app with a teacher

## Three courses for a Congressional App Challenge entry

Each one ends with a working app the student can explain line by line, which is what the judges ask about.

[![App Development for Teens course thumbnail](/images/app-dev-teens.webp)  CAC / 01 App development for teens Ages 13 to 18. Real mobile apps in React Native. Open the syllabus →](/courses/complete-app-development-masterclass-for-teens)[![Hackathon for Teens course thumbnail](/images/hackathon-teens.webp)  CAC / 02 Hackathon and competition prep Ages 13 to 18. Scoping, building and pitching on a deadline. Open the syllabus →](/courses/hackathon-prep-for-teens-coding-ai-build-innovate-win-course)[![Full Stack Web Development for Teens course thumbnail](/images/web-dev-teens.webp)  CAC / 03 Full stack web for teens Ages 13 to 18. A web app with a real database behind it. Open the syllabus →](/courses/full-stack-web-development-teens-masterclass)

Who can enter

## The 2026 eligibility rules, line by line

These are the rules as the official 2026 rulebook states them. Each later cycle publishes its own rulebook, so check the current one on the official site before you register.

| Rule | What the 2026 rules say |
| --- | --- |
| Age | "Students must be enrolled in middle school or high school on October 26th, 2026." Middle school "typically encompasses 6th-8th grades". |
| Residency | "All competing students must be U.S. residents at the time of submission. There is no citizen requirement for students." |
| District | Compete in the district where you live or where you attend school; a district must be hosting a Challenge, and you may submit in only one district. |
| Teams | Individuals, or "teams of up to four (4) students"; at least half of a team must live or attend school in the same Congressional District. |
| Prior work | "Students may submit any app they've created after October 30th, 2025." A 2.0 version highlights only the new code. |
| Entries | "Students may only submit ONE app per year." No entries across several teams. |

### What is open

Almost everything technical. The rules allow any topic, and any platform including web apps, desktop apps, mobile apps, browser extensions, robots, augmented and virtual reality, wearables and embedded systems.

Any language is allowed too, from C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python and Swift to block-based coding. A sixth grader’s Scratch project and a senior’s React app compete under the same rules.

### What trips families up

Registration asks for a personal email address that is not a school account, a parent or guardian’s name and email, and both home and school addresses with the full 9-digit zip code and Congressional District.

Finding the district matters, because a student can compete in only one. Look up both addresses early, and check that your district appears on the official list of participating districts.

Source: [Congressional App Challenge rules page](https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/students/rules/) and the linked 2026 rulebook PDF, read 17 October 2026. We are not connected with the Congressional App Challenge or the Internet Education Foundation, which administers it.

The calendar

## How a Challenge year runs: the 2026 cycle as published

The organisers publish dates for each cycle. Here is the 2026 calendar as published, which also shows the shape each year follows: registration in winter, building through spring and summer, submission in the fall.

| When (2026 cycle) | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| January 1, 2026 | Student pre-registration opens |
| May 2026 | The Challenge officially launches |
| 12:00 pm EDT, Monday, October 26, 2026 | Deadline to register and submit the app online |
| November 2026 | Judging by each Member of Congress’s office |
| December 2026 | Winners announced by each hosting Member |
| January 15, 2027 | Embargo date before which the organisers cannot disclose 2026 results |

### What the calendar means for planning

From a May launch to a late October deadline is roughly five months, which is plenty for a student who starts in spring and very tight for one who starts in October.

A comfortable timeline is an idea in the summer, a working first version by September, and the last weeks for testing and the video.

### If you are reading between cycles

Once a deadline passes, the next cycle’s rulebook and dates appear on the official site. Use the months in between to learn the tools and build a small practice app.

Remember the prior-work rule: for 2026, apps created after October 30, 2025 were eligible, so work started in the off season can count if the next rulebook keeps a similar rule.

What to submit

## The demo video and six questions the judges read

The rulebook calls the demonstration video the most critical part of the application. It is also where many good apps lose marks, because the video does not explain what the app does.

| Item | Rule |
| --- | --- |
| Length | "The video should be 1-3 minutes long." Videos outside the limit may be penalized. |
| Names | The name of each participant and the name of the app |
| Purpose | The purpose of the app, explained in one clear sentence |
| Audience | Who the app is intended for |
| Tools | The tools and coding languages used |
| Function | A showcase of the app working |
| Hosting | Uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo and set to "public" |

1. **What is the title of your app?**
2. **Explain the app’s purpose.**
3. **What inspired you to create this app?**
4. **What technical or coding difficulty did you face, and how did you address it?**
5. **What did you learn while participating? What was your biggest takeaway?**
6. **What would you change if you were to create a 2.0 version?**

### Writing the one-sentence purpose

The rules ask for the purpose in one clear sentence, and that sentence does more work than any other line in the application. A useful pattern is: who it helps, what problem it solves, and how.

Compare "An app for school" with "A book-swap app that lets students at our middle school list, find and borrow books from each other in under a minute." The second tells a judge exactly what to look for in the demo.

### The technical difficulty answer

Question four is where a student shows they built the app themselves. Name one real bug, say what caused it, and say how it was fixed.

Judges can request the source code, and the rules say refusing that request means disqualification, so every claim in the answers should match the code.

The rulebook is clear that "This is not a video-creation competition." A screen recording with a clear voice-over is enough; fancy editing earns nothing.

The AI rule

## Can students use AI tools in a Congressional App Challenge app?

Yes, under conditions the 2026 rules spell out. Families ask about this more than any other rule.

| Topic | What the 2026 rules say |
| --- | --- |
| AI tools | "The use of AI tools in app development for the Congressional App Challenge is permitted, provided that all AI usage is fully disclosed in the submission materials." |
| Limit on AI | AI may support specific aspects of the project and "must not constitute the entirety of the technical development". |
| Originality | The app must be original and created by the student or team; all coding and technical development must be theirs. |
| Libraries | Open-source libraries, frameworks and external tools are allowed if their use is clearly documented. |

### How we apply it in class

Students keep a simple AI log from day one: the date, the tool, what they asked, and what they kept. When the submission asks about AI, the answer is already written and accurate.

Our rule for students is the same as the judges’ spirit: if AI suggested a piece of code, the student must be able to explain it before it stays in the app.

### Age-appropriate tools

Many general AI chatbots set their own minimum ages in their terms, and some are for adults only. Under-18 students should use only tools whose terms allow their age, with a parent aware of the account.

For most entries, AI is most useful for explaining an error message or suggesting a test case, not for writing the app.

Judging

## How Congressional App Challenge apps are judged

Judging happens district by district, which is the feature that makes this competition unusual.

| Point | What the 2026 rules say |
| --- | --- |
| Who judges | The Member of Congress and their office, who may use a panel of judges |
| Criteria | Quality of the idea (creativity and originality); implementation (user experience and design); "Demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills" |
| Source code | Judges may request access to the app and source code; refusing means disqualification |
| Winners | Announced directly by the hosting Member of Congress |
| Recognition | Each district winner is featured on the House.gov and CongressionalAppChallenge.us websites, and can receive a copyright fee waiver under the ARTS Act |
| Ownership | "Contestants will own the intellectual property rights to their Submission" |

### Reading the three criteria

The idea, the implementation and the code are weighed together. A brilliant idea that barely runs struggles, and so does polished code that solves nothing anyone needs.

Implementation includes user experience and design, so a judge who opens the app should understand it within seconds, without the student in the room.

### Why the district matters

Each office judges the entries in its own district, so a student competes against classmates and neighbors, not the whole country.

Apps that solve a problem the student has seen in their own school or community are easy for a local office to understand, which is a natural advantage.

By the numbers

## How big the Congressional App Challenge is

The figures the organisers publish for the 2025 cycle and since the first official Challenge.

| Figure | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Participants in 2025 | 13,830 | Impact page |
| Applications in 2025 | 4,850 | Impact page |
| Congressional Districts participating in 2025 | 394 | Impact page |
| Students since 2015 | 85,000 | Impact page |
| House Resolution 77 vote (2013) | 411 to 3 | About page |

Our own arithmetic on the organiser’s 2025 figures: 4,850 applications across 394 participating districts is about 12.3 applications per district (4,850 / 394), if every application came from those districts. Real districts vary widely, so treat this as a sense of scale, not a forecast for any one district. Sources: [Impact](https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/impact/) and [About](https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/about/).

Ten weeks

## A ten-week plan from idea to submitted app

Our plan for a student entering alone or with one teammate. It assumes about three hours a week, including one live class.

| Week | Goal | Done when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Pick a real problem | One problem, one audience, written in a sentence |
| 2 | Scope it | A must, should and later list (see below) |
| 3 | Choose the tools | A starter project that runs on the target device |
| 4 to 5 | Build the must features | A first version a friend can use without help |
| 6 | Test with real users | Five people tried it; three problems written down |
| 7 | Fix and add one should feature | The three problems are fixed |
| 8 | Polish the design | A judge understands the screen in seconds |
| 9 | Video and answers | A 1 to 3 minute video and the six answers drafted |
| 10 | Submit early | Submitted days before the deadline, AI log disclosed |

### Grades 6 to 8

Block code or a simple web app is perfectly eligible. Keep the must list to three features.

### Grades 9 to 10

A first typed-code app: a web app in JavaScript or a Python project with a simple interface.

### Grades 11 to 12

A full app with a database or an API, and the time to test it properly with real users.

A worked example

## Scoping an app: must, should, later

Most unfinished entries are too big, not too hard. Here is how one of our example projects, a book-swap app for a middle school, gets cut down to something a student can finish and demo.

| Feature | Bucket | Effort (hours) | Why |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| List a book with title and photo | Must | 4 | Without it there is no app |
| Search books by title | Must | 3 | The core use in the demo |
| Request to borrow | Must | 5 | Shows the app solving the problem |
| Sign in with a school-approved account | Should | 6 | Useful, but a demo can use test accounts |
| Ratings and reviews | Later | 6 | Nice, not needed to show the idea |
| Chat between students | Later | 10 | Big, and raises safety questions |

In our estimate the three must features take 12 hours (4 + 3 + 5), which fits weeks 4 and 5 of the plan at three hours a week with time to spare for bugs. Adding everything would take 34 hours, almost three times as long, and the extra features would barely change what a judge sees in a three-minute video.

Getting ready

## Four stages before a strong entry

Where students usually are when they first hear about the Challenge.

| Stage | What it looks like |
| --- | --- |
| 1. Curious | Has built small projects or games, maybe in Scratch |
| 2. Builder | Can make a simple app work with help |
| 3. Finisher | Has finished one app end to end, tested by others |
| 4. Entrant | Can scope, build, explain and demo an app on a deadline |

### For parents

A student at stage 1 or 2 in spring can still enter in the fall with a steady plan.

The biggest jump is from builder to finisher: shipping one complete small app teaches more than starting three big ones.

### For students

Pick a problem you have actually seen. It makes every answer in the application easier to write.

Keep your AI log and your bug notes as you go. They become your submission answers.

The catalogue

## Nine courses for app builders in grades 6 to 12

Every course is taught live online by a regular teacher, in a batch or one to one.

I

### Middle school

Grades 6 to 8

CAC / MID / 01

#### Scratch coding

Block code is eligible too.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/scratch-programming-complete-course)

CAC / MID / 02

#### Python for kids

The first typed language.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/python-ai-kids-masterclass)

CAC / MID / 03

#### Coding for kids

From blocks to small apps.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/kids-coding-blocks-masterclass)II

### High school

Grades 9 to 12

CAC / HS / 01

#### Python for teens

Projects with data and interfaces.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens)

CAC / HS / 02

#### React for teens

Interfaces judges can use.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/react-for-teens-complete-masterclass)

CAC / HS / 03

#### JavaScript for teens

A web app from the first week.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/javascript-course-for-teens-beginners-interactive-web)III

### Going further

Strong coders

CAC / ADV / 01

#### AP Computer Science Principles

The Create task and the exam.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/ap-computer-science-principles-exam-prep-course)

CAC / ADV / 02

#### AP Computer Science A

Java, objects and the exam.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/ap-computer-science-a-java-exam-prep-course)

CAC / ADV / 03

#### Vibe coding for teens

AI-assisted building, disclosed.

[Open the syllabus](/courses/vibe-coding-for-teens-python-web-ai-projects-course)

How lessons run

## Live classes around a busy school schedule

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

Pick a batch that fits after school in your time zone.

Weekends

Weekend mornings are popular before a deadline.

1-on-1

Very personalised, timed around the project.

### One mentor

The same teacher across the whole build.

### Week-by-week plan

The ten weeks, adjusted to the student.

### Code review

Every feature explained before it stays.

### Video rehearsal

Practice the three-minute demo out loud.

### Live, online

From any district in any state.

### Batch or one to one

Fifteen to twenty, or one to one.

Student work

## Apps our students have shipped

Real projects by our learners, from first apps to full web tools. The [student labs](/student-labs) page has more.

![NutriLife AI nutrition coach project screenshot](/images/projects/nutrilife.webp)

AI and ML

#### NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · [Open it](https://nutrilife-bhavya.lovable.app)

![Misti AI chatbot for maths and coding screenshot](/images/projects/misti.webp)

AI and ML

#### Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · [Open it](https://misti.modernagecoders.com)

![GuardianX AI internet safety assistant screenshot](/images/projects/guardianx.webp)

AI and ML

#### GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · [Open it](https://guardianx-cybersaver.lovable.app)

![SkyCast weather forecast application screenshot](/images/projects/skycast.webp)

Web app

#### SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

## Fees

Entering the Challenge is free; our part is the teaching. Classes are billed one month at a time in US dollars, with nothing to sign for the whole build, so a student can join for the months before a deadline and stop afterwards.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

- A free first lesson
- Bring your app idea
- No card details

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

- Fifteen to twenty learners
- One regular teacher
- Choose your batch
- Monthly

Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

- A mentor to yourself
- Timed around your deadline
- Your own app

Enquire

What families say

## Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

Reviews parents left on Google, unchanged.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Questions from families

## Congressional App Challenge: common questions

### What is the Congressional App Challenge?

It is a coding competition for US middle and high school students, run in participating Congressional Districts and judged by each Member of Congress and their office. It is administered by the Internet Education Foundation.

### Who can enter the Congressional App Challenge?

For 2026, students enrolled in middle or high school on October 26, 2026 who were US residents at the time of submission. The rules say there is no citizen requirement.

### Can students enter as a team?

Yes. The 2026 rules allow individuals or teams of up to four students, and at least half of a team must live or attend school in the same Congressional District.

### What programming language can be used?

Any language, including C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Swift and block-based coding. Any platform is allowed too, from web and mobile to robots and wearables.

### Can AI tools be used?

Yes, for 2026, if all AI use is fully disclosed in the submission. AI may support parts of the project but must not be the entirety of the technical development.

### How long should the demo video be?

The 2026 rulebook says one to three minutes. It must name the participants and the app, state the purpose in one sentence, describe the audience and tools, and show the app working.

### What is the 2026 deadline?

The 2026 rulebook sets the deadline at 12:00 pm EDT on Monday, October 26, 2026. Later cycles publish their own dates on the official site.

### How are winners chosen?

Each Member of Congress and their office judge their district, sometimes with a panel. The 2026 criteria were the quality of the idea, its implementation, and demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.

### What do winners receive?

For 2026, each district winner is featured on the House.gov and CongressionalAppChallenge.us websites and can receive a copyright fee waiver through the ARTS Act. Districts may add certificates or small awards.

### Can a middle schooler with only Scratch experience enter?

Yes. Block-based coding is allowed. A small, finished Scratch app with a clear purpose is a real entry; the plan on this page keeps the must list to three features for grades 6 to 8.

### How can Modern Age Coders help?

A regular teacher works through the ten-week plan with your student: scoping, building, testing, the demo video and honest AI disclosure. Classes are weekdays or weekends, flexible, in a batch or one to one.

Elsewhere on this site

## Related pages

More for US students who like to build and compete.

### [Coding classes in the USA](/coding-classes-in-united-states)

All of our pages for US families.

### [Hackathons for high schoolers](/hackathons-for-high-school-students)

Building on a deadline, in teams.

### [CS extracurriculars](/computer-science-extracurriculars)

What else strong CS students do.

### [AP CS Principles](/ap-computer-science-principles-online-coaching)

The Create task and exam.

### [How to make a Roblox game](/how-to-make-a-roblox-game)

A first project for younger builders.

### [Student labs](/student-labs)

Apps our learners built.

### [Presidential AI Challenge guide](/presidential-ai-challenge-guide)

The Presidential AI (now SI) Challenge explained from the official 2027 rules.

### [ACSL competition preparation](/acsl-competition-preparation)

ACSL from the official 2026-27 pages, with original practice problems.

### [picoCTF for beginners](/picoctf-for-beginners)

picoCTF, now CyLab Security Academy, for US beginners aged 13 and up.

Start here

## Book a free first lesson

Bring the idea, even if it is only a sentence. In the first lesson the teacher helps turn it into a must, should and later list, so you leave with a plan.

If you would like to know how classes work first, [our teaching method](/how-we-teach) is set out step by step, and the [full course list](/courses) shows each syllabus.

[WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders%2C%20my%20child%20in%20the%20US%20wants%20to%20enter%20the%20Congressional%20App%20Challenge.%20Could%20we%20book%20a%20free%20first%20lesson%3F) · [+91 91233 66161](tel:+919123366161) · [connect@modernagecoders.com](mailto:connect@modernagecoders.com)

Classes are taught by video from India, so there is no local office to visit. WhatsApp is the fastest way for a US family to reach us.

### Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off.

[Book a priority demo](/book-demo)

## Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

### Related courses and guides

- [Computer Vision Course](/computer-vision-course)
- [Context Engineering Course](/context-engineering-course)
- [CS Summer Programs for High School Students: 2027 Guide](/computer-science-summer-programs-for-high-school-students)
- [Coolest Projects UK](/coolest-projects-uk-project-ideas)
- [K-12 Computer Science Standards by State, With AI](/computer-science-standards-by-state)
- [Learn Coding & Math Online](/course)
- [Game Design Summer Camp for Teens: Engines, Plans, Portfolio](/game-design-summer-camp-for-teens)
- [Transition Year Coding Course in Ireland](/transition-year-coding-course-ireland)
- [Best Coding Classes for Kids in Philadelphia](/best-coding-classes-for-kids-in-philadelphia)

### Free resources

- [Python Tutorial for Beginners: Complete Guide](/resources/python)
- [Taking Input and Type Conversion](/resources/python/taking-input-and-type-conversion)
- [Conditional Statements in Python (if, elif, else)](/resources/python/conditional-statements)
- [Conditional Statements (if, else, switch)](/resources/javascript/conditional-statements)

### From the blog

- [Touch Typing for Kids: When to Start and How to Practise](/blog/touch-typing-for-kids)
- [Coding Interview Preparation for Freshers: A Plan](/blog/coding-interview-preparation-for-freshers)
- [ICSE Class 10 Computer Applications: Revision Guide](/blog/icse-class-10-computer-applications-revision)

### Start here

- [How Modern Age Coders teaches, small batches and real projects](/how-we-teach)
- [What Modern Age Coders families say](/love)

Free class[Priority demo](/book-demo)[Call us](tel:+919123366161)

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*Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/congressional-app-challenge-guide*