Inquiry Events

Cryptanalysis, on-the-spot experiments, and pure written communication. Solve what can't be looked up.

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3 Competitive Events

Cryptanalysis, on-the-spot experiments, and pure written communication.

TEAM OF 3

A timed cryptanalysis exam — decode encrypted messages using both historical and modern ciphers.

Solving monoalphabetic ciphers: Aristocrats, Patristocrats, Xenocrypts

Cryptanalysis of Vigenère, Hill, and other polyalphabetic ciphers

Letter-frequency analysis and pattern recognition

Splitting problems across a team of three to work efficiently under time pressure

TEAM OF 3

Given unfamiliar materials, teams design, run, and write up an original experiment entirely on the spot.

Writing a testable problem statement and hypothesis

Identifying independent, dependent, and controlled variables

Collecting and graphing real data within a roughly 50-minute window

Analyzing results and reporting conclusions in a structured write-up

TEAM OF 2

One teammate writes instructions for building a structure; the other builds it from those instructions alone, with no drawings allowed.

Writing clear, unambiguous step-by-step instructions

Describing a 3D structure using only text

Building an accurate replica from a partner's written directions

Scored on how closely the final build matches the original