How much does it cost?
It is free. Irrespective of the number of entries or the status of the school, participation in Talent Search is free.
May primary school students participate?
Yes. There are two age categories for Primary Schools and three age categories for High Schools.
Options for home-schoolers
- Your parents can contact us, we will refer you to the nearest participating school. Your parents can then contact the school and ask if you may participate there.
- Take part under the supervision of a qualified, registered teacher who is not a parent of the participant. The teacher will have to register.
- Take part under the supervision of a minister of religion of one of the major faiths. The minister will have to register.
Do we need a computer?
Only for online participation. The pen-and-paper version does not need access to computers.
Who may participate?
Anyone, who in the opinion of the school, should take part. All learners will benefit from the exercise in computational thinking.
What about certificates?
The Computer Olympiad Office will post certificates for the following:
Gold: the top 7% of all participants nationwide
Silver: the next 14% of all participants nationwide
Bronze: the next 29% of all participants nationwide
Gold: the top 7% of all participants nationwide
Silver: the next 14% of all participants nationwide
Bronze: the next 29% of all participants nationwide
Can someone win two certificates?
No, this should not be possible.
May the school send papers to the Computer Olympiad office to be marked?
No, for the Talent Search any teacher can mark it.
Are there any extra certificates available?
Only if the originals have been lost in the post.
When in the given week must we write the paper?
Any time that suits the school.
What is the duration of the Talent Search paper?
Thirty minutes for the Elementary paper (teams of two) and Forty-five minutes for the other papers.
What happens if the school participates in the pen-and-paper version and does not receive the papers in time?
The paper will be faxed or e-mailed to the teacher.
Must we photocopy the papers ourselves?
Yes, but the paper is available in a PDF version which can be loaded on a server and be available on all screens – in colour.
Do you have past question papers available?
Please check the website under “Past Papers”.
May we enter the Programming or Applications Olympiad without taking part in the Talent Search?
Yes.
Who sets the questions?
An international panel o.f 72 professionals and other experts representing 36 countries.
May I bring a calculator into the exam room?
Yes for a simple calculator. No if it is a programmable device. A calculator will be of limited use, however, because most questions involve reasoning and minimal calculation.
May we do only the Talent Search and skip the other Olympiads?
Yes. Schools may enter one, two or all three of the competitions. The school decides how many and which learners take part in each of the competitions.
Do scores in the Talent Search affect the Applications Olympiad or the Programming Olympiad?
The three competitions are independent. Schools can enter any one, any two or all three as they wish. Results in the one competition do not affect the other competitions as far as we are concerned. Some schools use the Talent Search to select learners for the Applications Olympiad or Programming Olympiad, but that is their choice. There is no obligation to do so.
May schools from neighbouring and distant countries take part?
Schools from outside of South Africa may participate. They receive all documentation electronically, but will not receive certificates.
What format does the competition take?
Schools with sufficient connectivity should take part online.
Schools without sufficient connectivity can use the pen-and-paper version. Teachers copy the documentation and mark the answers on an easy-to-mark answer sheet.
Schools without sufficient connectivity can use the pen-and-paper version. Teachers copy the documentation and mark the answers on an easy-to-mark answer sheet.
May a school write on a different date?
No school may write before the official date. If a school cannot write on the official date, they may write on the first suitable date after that. However, the online test is only available during the official week for participation. No certificate will be provided for participation after the official Talent Search Week.