United States · School year 2026-27 · Dates as published, read 17 October 2026

US coding, math and AI competitions calendar, 2026-27

This is a single dated list of the competitions for US students in grades K to 12 that this site covers, across coding, cybersecurity, mathematics and AI. Every date below is taken directly from the organiser’s site, as published when we read it on 17 October 2026, and every row links to that page. Where an organiser had not yet posted 2026-27 dates, or its site could not be read, the event is listed separately rather than guessed. Organisers do move dates, so treat the source link, not this page, as final.

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In short

Key 2026-27 dates for US student competitions: Congressional App Challenge deadline October 26, 2026; Bebras November 9 to 20, 2026; Presidential SI Challenge projects due December 23, 2026; USA-NA-AIO Round 1 February 19, 2027; MATHCOUNTS chapter rounds in February and nationals May 9 to 10, 2027; ACSL Finals May 29, 2027. Modern Age Coders, a live online school, prepares students for them.

Classes for these contests

Courses for the busiest rows in this calendar

Coding contests, middle school math, and security competitions account for most of the dates below.

Competitive Programming for Teens course thumbnail

UMAC / 01

Competitive programming

Ages 13 and up. ACSL and USACO-style problems.

Open the syllabus →
Middle School Math Competitions course thumbnail

UMAC / 02

Middle school math competitions

Grades 5 to 8. MATHCOUNTS, Math Kangaroo and AMC 8 prep.

Open the syllabus →
Cybersecurity Competitions for Teens course thumbnail

UMAC / 03

Cybersecurity competition prep

Teens 13 to 18. CyberPatriot rounds and capture the flag.

Open the syllabus →

Fall 2026

October to December 2026

The fall is crowded with registration deadlines as much as contests. Two rows at the top had already passed on the read date and are kept for context.

Competition dates, October to December 2026 (as published on each organiser’s site, read 17 October 2026)
DateCompetitionWhat happensSource
October 1, 2026 (passed)CyberPatriot 19Last day to create teams for the 2026-27 seasonCyberPatriot schedule
October 13, 2026 (passed)Presidential SI ChallengeOnline registration openedSI Challenge dates
October 19, 2026ACSLContest #1 opens; it closes January 10, 2027ACSL schedule
October 21, 2026CyberPatriot 19Roster finalization: competitors added by this dateCyberPatriot schedule
October 22 to 25, 2026CyberPatriot 19Round 1 for Open and All Service Division teamsCyberPatriot schedule
October 26, 2026, 12:00 pm EDTCongressional App Challenge2026 deadline to register and submitCAC rules
November 3, 2026MATHCOUNTSEarly Bird registration deadline; 2027 School Competition released onlineMATHCOUNTS FAQ
November 5, 2026MATHCOUNTSRegistration opens for non-school competitorsMATHCOUNTS FAQ
November 5, 2026CyberPatriot 19Team fee payment dueCyberPatriot schedule
November 9 to 20, 2026Bebras USAThe 2026 Bebras ChallengeBebras USA
November 9 to 30, 2026MOEMSContest 1 windowMOEMS
November 12 to 15, 2026CyberPatriot 19Round 2 (Open, All Service) and the Middle School Introductory RoundCyberPatriot schedule
November 2026Congressional App ChallengeEach Member of Congress’s office judges the entries from its districtCAC rules
November 2026 to January 2027MATHCOUNTSSchool competitions, dates set by each coachMATHCOUNTS FAQ
December 7 to 28, 2026MOEMSContest 2 windowMOEMS
December 10 to 13, 2026CyberPatriot 19State Round for all teamsCyberPatriot schedule
December 15, 2026MATHCOUNTSRegular-rate registration deadlineMATHCOUNTS FAQ
December 18, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ETPresidential SI ChallengeTeam registration deadlineSI Challenge dates
December 23, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ETPresidential SI ChallengeProject submission deadlineSI Challenge dates
December 2026Congressional App ChallengeWinners announced by each hosting MemberCAC rules
December 31, 2026ACSLSeason registration deadline for team advisorsACSL registration
December 31, 2026Math Kangaroo USARegular registration endsMath Kangaroo FAQ

Two fall dates are especially easy to miss: the CyberPatriot team deadline, which falls before most school clubs have met, and the MATHCOUNTS Early Bird rate on November 3, which depends on a school coach registering in time.

Winter 2027

January to March 2027

Winter is when most of the contests themselves happen. March is the single busiest month on this calendar.

Competition dates, January to March 2027 (as published on each organiser’s site, read 17 October 2026)
DateCompetitionWhat happensSource
January 1, 2027Math Kangaroo USALate registration opens (to February 1); last day to move to another centerMath Kangaroo registration FAQ
January 4, 2027ACSLContest #2 opens; it closes February 28, 2027ACSL schedule
January 4 to 25, 2027MOEMSContest 3 windowMOEMS
January 10, 2027ACSLContest #1 closes, 11:59 pm EasternACSL schedule
January 15, 2027Congressional App ChallengeEmbargo on 2026 results endsCAC rules
January 21 to 23, 2027CyberPatriot 19Semifinals, qualifying teams onlyCyberPatriot schedule
January 31, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ESTUSA-NA-AIORegistration closesUSAAIO
February 1, 2027ACSLContest #3 opens; it closes April 11, 2027ACSL schedule
February 1, 2027Math Kangaroo USALate registration endsMath Kangaroo FAQ
February 1 to 22, 2027MOEMSContest 4 windowMOEMS
February 1 to 28, 2027MATHCOUNTSChapter competitionsMATHCOUNTS FAQ
February 11 to 15, 2027Presidential SI ChallengeState Champions announcedSI Challenge dates
February 19, 2027, 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. ETUSA-NA-AIORound 1, proctoredUSAAIO
February 25 to March 2, 2027IAIO 2027International AI Olympiad in Vietnam; Team USA already selectedUSAAIO home
February 28, 2027ACSLContest #2 closesACSL schedule
March 1, 2027ACSLContest #4 opens; it closes May 23, 2027ACSL schedule
March 1 to 29, 2027MOEMSContest 5 windowMOEMS
March 1 to 31, 2027MATHCOUNTSState competitionsMATHCOUNTS FAQ
March 4 to April 8, 2027Presidential SI ChallengeRegional presentations to judges, onlineSI Challenge dates
March 12 to 16, 2027CyberPatriot 19National FinalsCyberPatriot schedule
March 18, 2027 (our calculation)Math Kangaroo USAIndividual competition; the published rule is the 3rd Thursday in MarchMath Kangaroo FAQ
March or April 2027USA-NA-AIORound 2 for qualifiersUSAAIO
March 31, 2027, 11:59 pm PTMOEMSDeadline to enter scores for all five contestsMOEMS

One row is our own: Math Kangaroo USA publishes that the 2027 individual competition is in March 2027 and that the contest takes place on the 3rd Thursday in March, and we counted the calendar to March 18, 2027. Confirm the exact day with your Math Kangaroo center.

Spring and summer 2027

April to July 2027

The season ends with finals and national events, most of them by invitation.

Competition dates, April to July 2027 (as published on each organiser’s site, read 17 October 2026)
DateCompetitionWhat happensSource
April 11, 2027ACSLContest #3 closes, 11:59 pm EasternACSL schedule
April 14 to 20, 2027Presidential SI ChallengeRegional Champions announcedSI Challenge dates
May 1 to 28, 2027ACSLFinals invitations emailedACSL Finals
May 9 to 10, 2027MATHCOUNTSNational Competition in Washington, DCMATHCOUNTS FAQ
May 23, 2027ACSLContest #4 closes, 11:59 pm EasternACSL schedule
May 29, 2027ACSLInvitational Finals, onlineACSL Finals
June 2027USA-NA-AIOUSAAIO campUSAAIO
June 6 to 9, 2027Presidential SI ChallengeNational Championships in Washington, DCSI Challenge dates
July 4 to 10, 2027IOAI 2027International Olympiad in AI, SingaporeIOAI

All dates above are the organisers’ own, as published on 17 October 2026, except the Math Kangaroo day, which is our calculation from its published rule. Modern Age Coders is not connected with any organiser listed. The UK version of this page is the UK coding, maths and AI competitions calendar.

Gaps

Competitions with no 2026-27 date yet, or no readable source

A calendar is only useful if it is honest about what it does not know. These events matter to US students but could not be dated from a primary source on 17 October 2026.

Events left undated, and why (checked 17 October 2026)
CompetitionStatus on the read dateWhat we know from the organiser
USACONo 2026-27 schedule posted2025-26 online contests: January 9-12, January 30-February 2 and February 20-23, 2026; proctored US Open: March 28, 2026
picoCTF (CyLab Security Academy)Flagship dates not yet postedOne flagship event each year aimed at US middle and high schoolers, with mini-competitions in between
Congressional App Challenge 2027Next cycle not yet publishedThe 2026 cycle opened pre-registration on January 1, 2026 and launched in May
FIRST LEGO League, Tech Challenge and Robotics CompetitionEvents are local and regionalSeason name for 2026-2027: FIRST CANOPY; events are found through FIRST’s own search, and the LEGO League season, BIOGLOW, is its last
AMC 8, AMC 10 and AMC 12Organiser’s site returned an access-denied errorNot described here; check the MAA directly
TechnovationOrganiser’s site blocked our requestNot dated here; see our Technovation Girls guide and the official site
Kaggle competitionsPages load only through JavaScriptNot described here; Kaggle sets its own account and competition age rules, so check them with a parent

Using last season as a guide

Where an organiser has only last season’s dates online, the pattern is still useful for planning. USACO’s winter contests, for example, ran on three January and February weekends in 2026, so a student preparing this fall should be ready by early January.

But never register, book travel or skip a school event on the strength of last year’s dates. Wait for the organiser to publish.

Why we do not fill the gaps

Dates copied from secondary sites are a common source of missed deadlines. Every dated row on this page comes from the organiser, and the rest stay blank until the organiser posts them.

When we refresh this page we re-read every source and change the read date at the top.

Sources: USACO home, CyLab Security Academy competitors, CAC rules and FIRST, read 17 October 2026.

Who signs up

Which competitions need an adult to register

Many of these contests cannot be entered by a student alone. This table is our summary of each organiser’s sign-up rule, so a family knows which adult to talk to first.

Who registers for each competition (our summary of the organisers’ rules)
CompetitionWho registersEarliest deadline this season
ACSLA team advisor: any adult with some computer science experience, including a parent or teacherDecember 31, 2026
CyberPatriotAn approved adult coach, who adds students to the rosterOctober 1, 2026 (passed)
Presidential SI ChallengeA Team Leader aged 21 or older, such as a teacher or approved club leaderDecember 18, 2026
MATHCOUNTSThe school; a parent only for a non-school competitorNovember 3, 2026 for the Early Bird rate
Bebras USAA teacher registers as coordinatorBefore November 9, 2026
MOEMSA school or group sets up a teamBefore the November 9, 2026 window
Math Kangaroo USAA parent or school, at a Math Kangaroo centerDecember 31, 2026 for regular registration
USA-NA-AIOThe student registers, then needs an onsite proctorJanuary 31, 2027
Congressional App ChallengeThe student registers, with parent detailsOctober 26, 2026

The pattern is worth noticing: only the USA-NA-AIO and the Congressional App Challenge are student-registered. Everything else depends on an adult acting before the deadline, which is why our first advice to families is to ask the school in September which of these it already runs.

The season at a glance

How busy each month is

Our count of the dated rows in the three tables above, by the month each row starts. It shows where the pressure falls in a typical year.

Dated rows per month, October 2026 to July 2027 (our count from this page)
MonthRowsWhat dominates
October 20266CyberPatriot and the app challenge deadline
November 20268Registration deadlines, Bebras and the first MOEMS contest
December 20268SI Challenge deadlines and end-of-year registration
January 20277ACSL windows, CyberPatriot Semifinals, USA-NA-AIO sign-up
February 20278MATHCOUNTS chapter rounds and the AI olympiad
March 20278MATHCOUNTS state, Math Kangaroo, CyberPatriot finals
April 20272Quiet; ACSL and SI results
May 20274MATHCOUNTS National and ACSL Finals
June 20272SI Challenge nationals and the USAAIO camp
July 20271IOAI in Singapore

What the count suggests

November, December, February and March tie as the heaviest months, and the first two are mostly deadlines rather than contests. A family that sorts registrations in October removes most of the fall stress.

April is almost empty, which makes it the natural month to review the season and decide what to enter next year.

How we counted

Each row in the three dated tables counts once, in the month it starts, including the two October rows that had already passed. Rows dated to a whole month or a range of months count in their first month.

The count is a planning aid, not a measure of how hard any month is for a particular student.

Planning

Turning this calendar into a season plan

Our five steps for a family choosing what to enter. The idea is to work backwards from each deadline, so preparation starts early enough.

  1. Pick two or three competitions, not ten. One that suits the student’s strongest skill, and one that stretches them.
  2. Find the earliest registration date for each in the tables above, and the adult who must act on it.
  3. Count back eight to twelve weeks from the first contest date. That is when focused preparation should begin.
  4. Put every date in a shared family calendar with the source link, and check the link again a month before.
  5. After each contest, write down three things to fix before the next one on the list.

Elementary

Bebras and Math Kangaroo are gentle first contests; ACSL Elementary suits grades 3 to 6.

Middle school

MATHCOUNTS, MOEMS and Bebras for math and logic; ACSL Junior and CyberPatriot for coding.

High school

ACSL, CyberPatriot, the SI Challenge and the USA-NA-AIO, with USACO once dates appear.

Readiness

Four stages of a competition year

A well-run season moves through these in order.

The shape of a well-run season (ours)
StageWhen it usually happens
1. ChooseSeptember or early October: decide on two or three events
2. RegisterOctober to December: every adult sign-up done early
3. CompeteNovember to March: contests one after another
4. ReviewApril to June: results, finals for some, plans for next year

For parents

The registration stage is where your help matters most. Several deadlines need an adult and fall before contests begin.

Keep this page bookmarked, but always confirm on the organiser’s own site before acting on a date.

For students

Look at the months, not just the days. Two contests in the same fortnight need a plan.

Treat the first contest of the year as practice for the one you care most about.

The catalogue

Nine courses matched to the competitions in this calendar

Live classes taught online by one regular teacher, in a group batch or one to one.

I

Coding contests

ACSL, USACO, CyberPatriot

UMAC / COD / 02

Problem solving and DSA

The structures behind them.

Open the syllabus
II

Math contests

MATHCOUNTS, Kangaroo, MOEMS

UMAC / MTH / 01

Middle school math competitions

The three main contests.

Open the syllabus
III

AI and building

SI Challenge, USA-NA-AIO, apps

UMAC / AI / 01

AI and machine learning

Models built and explained.

Open the syllabus

How lessons run

Live classes that follow the competition calendar

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

Batches after school, in US time zones.

Weekends

Good for mock contests close to a date.

1-on-1

Scheduled backwards from one student’s deadlines.

Deadline-aware

Lessons planned from the dates above.

Mixed subjects

Coding, math and AI under one roof.

Mock rounds

Timed practice before each contest.

Season review

A spring check on what to enter next.

Nationwide

Live online in every US time zone.

Batch or one

A group of fifteen to twenty, or one learner.

Student work

Built by our students

A few of the apps and tools our learners have made. The student labs page has the full set.

NutriLife AI nutrition coach project screenshot

AI and ML

NutriLife

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

by Bhavya · Open it

Misti AI chatbot for maths and coding screenshot

AI and ML

Misti

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

by Harshit · Open it

GuardianX AI internet safety assistant screenshot

AI and ML

GuardianX

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

by Vivaan · Open it

SkyCast weather forecast application screenshot

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

Fees

Competition entry is between families and each organiser. What we charge is for classes, billed monthly in US dollars with no season contract, so lessons can follow the calendar: more before a contest, a pause in a quiet month like April.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

  • A free first lesson
  • Bring your shortlist of contests
  • 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 private teacher
  • Planned from your dates
  • One plan for every contest
Enquire

What families say

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Reviews from parents on Google, exactly as posted.

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Questions from families

The 2026-27 competition calendar: questions families ask

What is the next big competition deadline for US students?

On the read date of 17 October 2026, the next was the Congressional App Challenge, due at noon EDT on Monday, October 26, 2026. The MATHCOUNTS Early Bird rate follows on November 3, 2026.

When are the Presidential SI Challenge deadlines?

Registration closes December 18, 2026 for teams, and projects must be in by December 23, 2026, in both cases at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. The state results come out between February 11 and 15, 2027.

When is MATHCOUNTS in 2027?

Chapter rounds fill February 2027 (1 to 28), state rounds fill March 2027 (1 to 31), and the National Competition meets in Washington, DC on May 9 and 10, 2027.

What are the USA-NA-AIO dates for 2027?

Round 1 takes place on February 19, 2027 (a Friday), 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Sign-ups end on January 31, 2027.

When are the 2026-27 USACO contests?

As of 17 October 2026, USACO had not yet posted a 2026-27 schedule. In the 2025-26 season its online contests ran in January and February with a proctored US Open in late March.

When is Math Kangaroo 2027?

Math Kangaroo USA says the contest is held on the 3rd Thursday in March, and the 2027 competition is in March 2027. Our own count of the calendar gives March 18, 2027; check with your center.

Why are the AMC contests missing?

Our request to the MAA site was refused with an access-denied response, and this calendar only prints dates read on the organiser's own site. Please check the MAA directly for AMC dates.

How often is this calendar updated?

Each refresh re-reads every source and changes the read date at the top. Until then, the source link in each row is the authority if a date has moved.

Do you organise any of these competitions?

We do not. Our part is teaching the skills these contests test; we play no role in running, judging or registering for any of them.

Can classes fit around these contest dates?

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

Elsewhere on this site

Guides to single competitions

For the rules behind a row in this calendar.

Congressional App Challenge

The 2026 rulebook explained.

USACO coaching

How the divisions work.

MATHCOUNTS preparation

Sprint to Countdown.

Math Kangaroo preparation

Getting ready for March.

ACSL preparation

All four contests and the Finals.

CyberPatriot preparation

Rounds from October to March.

Presidential AI Challenge

Now the SI Challenge, renamed 29 September 2026.

picoCTF for beginners

Practice before the next flagship.

UK competitions calendar

The same idea for the UK.

Cybersecurity classes for teens

Cybersecurity for US teens: CyberPatriot, CyLab, AP Cybersecurity and a safe start.

Technovation Girls guide

Technovation Girls and the 2026-27 Technovation Challenge, from the official pages.

Coding competitions for high school students

US high school coding competitions for 2026-27, from the organisers' own rules.

Start here

Book a free first lesson

Bring the two or three competitions your child is considering. The teacher looks at the dates with you, checks the skills each one needs, and suggests a starting point.

If you want the background first, how we teach sets out our method and the course list shows each syllabus.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com

Classes run on live video with teachers in India; there is no local branch. US families tend to get the quickest answer on WhatsApp.

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