Pan African Informatics Olympiad Participants Brief
Welcome to the Pan African Informatics Olympiad
Understanding the Pan African Informatics Olympiad (PAIO)
PAIO's Core Goals
Encourage Talent: To encourage and give recognition to exceptional talent on the continent
Foster Relations: Facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration between African nations.
Global Stage: Prepare participants for international competitions like the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI).
Participating Countries
PAIO brings together bright young minds from numerous African nations, creating a diverse and competitive environment. This year there are fifteen :
For specific details on regulations and participating countries, please refer to the official PAIO website: pafricanoi.com
The Pillars of PAIO: Our Dedicated Committees
The success of the Pan African Informatics Olympiad is built upon the tireless efforts of several key committees, each playing a vital role in its organization and execution.
International Committee (IC)
Oversees the general organization, strategy, and continuity of PAIO. They ensure the event aligns with international standards and goals.
International Scientific Committee (ISC)
Responsible for problem setting, testing, and ensuring the scientific integrity and fairness of the competition tasks.
Host Committee
Manages the local logistics, venues, accommodations, and overall experience for participants and guests in the host country.
You can find detailed information about the esteemed members of these committees on the official PAIO website: pafricanoi.com/committee
PAIO 2025: Competition Schedule
PAIO 2025: Competition Schedule Overview
To ensure all teams are well-prepared, here is an overview of the key dates and events for the Pan African Informatics Olympiad 2025.
Please note that this schedule is subject to minor adjustments. The most current and detailed schedule can always be found on the official PAIO website.
Competition Format: 2 Days of 5 hours
PAIO tests data structures and algorithm skills.
Two Competition Days
Duration: The competition is structured into two 5-hour session from 0900-1400 UTC on Saturday and Sunday
Task Focus: Each session will feature a set of algorithmic problems requiring participants to design efficient algorithms and implement them in code.
Problem Types: Expect a range of difficulties, from fundamental data structures to advanced graph theory and dynamic programming.
Syllabus Alignment
The PAIO syllabus is fully aligned with the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) syllabus. This ensures that participants are evaluated on a globally recognized set of topics, including:
Competition Rules: Technical Setup & Languages
To ensure a fair and standardized environment for all competitors, strict technical rules are in place regarding allowed programming languages and competition paper format.
Allowed Programming Languages
Participants are primarily allowed to use C++ and Python 3.11 for their solutions.
Competition Paper Language
Competition Tasks will be in English with an optional translation session at 1800 UTC 11th September (Friday)
Adherence to these technical guidelines is mandatory to ensure smooth evaluation and fair scoring. Any deviations must be formally approved.
Competition Rules: Proctoring Guidelines
Effective proctoring is essential to maintain the integrity and fairness of the PAIO competition. Proctors play a critical role in ensuring all rules are followed.
Supervision: Zoom Proctors from Rwanda Olympiad Program will monitor participants
No External Resources: No LLMs, no external resources, no communication. External Resource access will lead to disqualification.
Clarification Protocol: Proctors will forward queries to committee
Incident Reporting: Any suspected rule violations or technical issues must be immediately reported to the Host Committee and ISC representatives.
Your diligence in upholding these rules safeguards the fairness and credibility of PAIO for all competitors.
Competition Rules: Connecting to the Virtual Machine (VM)
All PAIO participants will compete within a standardized Virtual Machine (VM) environment. This ensures a consistent and controlled setup for coding and testing across all workstations.
01
Network Connection
Your workstation should be connected to the internet
02
Record your screen
Start recording before connecting to VM
03
Connect to VM
Use VNC Viewer to connect to the machine. IP address and password will be distributed on the morning of Day 1
04
Write Code
Login and compete
05
Upload your recording after done
Submit your recording for verification.
A brief technical tutorial will be provided during the practice round to familiarize participants with the VM environment.
Competition Rules (Screen Recording)
We use Screen Recording with FFMPEG for recording. You may refer to this guide from the Malaysian Informatics Olympiad Team
Invite your students to join the Discord: https://discord.gg/hHRCwETv
Competition Rules (Medal Boundaries)
Verifications will be done on Day 2 by IC right after the competition.
Competition Rules (Question Answering)
Competition Rules ( What to do in event of Outage)
How to Prepare?
African Olympiad Academy has been conducting training using it's rising stars program. Recordings have been placed on Discord. Link here
An Overview of General Assembly
Sponsors
PAIO 2026 & 2027
Reach out if you would like to host