The official purpose of the test is to select members of the U.S. Sudoku team, to participate in the 2011 World Sudoku Championship (Eger, Hungary, November 6-10, 2011). Unofficial participation is open to all puzzlers world-wide. Nationality is determined by citizenship, not residence. All U.S. and International results may be published.
All contestants must register to participate in the online championship, and must login to submit answers. Contestants who registered before September 13 (including those for the 2010 team qualifying test), will receive email containing their existing user name and password. Contestants registering starting September 13 will receive immediate confirmation. See the Privacy Policy regarding our use of registration and other information collected by this site.
The Practice Test will use the same formats and procedures as the official qualifying test. You should try all of the procedures described here using the Practice Test (including downloading, decryption, printing, answer submission, and answer resubmission). However, note that the qualifying test is made up of two parts, to be downloaded, decrypted, and solved separately.
On Friday, September 23, one day prior to the qualifying test, you will download the TWO encrypted test files to your local computer, and save them until the start time.
You should also download the Instructions and Sample Puzzles. It is highly recommended that you read the instructions and solve the sample puzzles in advance, so that on the day of the test you are ready to solve!
On Saturday, September, at 1pm EDT (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-4), the qualifying test will start, and the decryption password for Part 1 (not your login password) will appear on the Password page. Please note: to help reduce network traffic, please refrain from refreshing the password page until the test starting time (note the server timestamp displayed on that page). However, you should test that your web browser will actually refresh the page when requested.
At 2:00pm EDT, the decryption password for Part 2 will be available on the same Password page.
You will submit answers for Part 1 and Part 2 on separate answer pages (both linked on the right-sidebar). Most answers will be two selected rows or columns of the completed puzzle grid, separated by a comma. Your submission time is recorded with your answers. After you submit answers you can return to the answer page to see your submitted answers, and to submit additional answers.
Please make sure that you've submitted answers for both Part 1 and Part 2. Answers for Part 1 may be submitted at any time before the end of the test, but the completion bonus is only available for answers submitted within the first hour.
At 3:30pm EDT, the qualifying test will end. You will have 2 1/2 hours to solve as many puzzles as you can, and submit your answers via the Answer Page. Your submission time is recorded with your answers. After you submit answers you can return to the Answer Page to view your submitted answers, continue solving, and to submit additional answers. It is not necessary to re-submit answers at the deadline if they are already recorded.
Your last Answer Page submission for each part will be time-stamped and scored. Your final score is the total of all points accumulated for both parts, including bonus.
Ranking and tie-breaking will be based on the following rules in order:
Outside solving help of any kind is not permitted. This includes but is not limited to: assistance of any kind from any other person; prepared notes, books, calculators, computers, or tools other than items explicitly permitted.
You are allowed to use writing implements, eraser, blank paper (including commercial graph paper), ruler, scissors, and tape.
All entries and scores are subject to review for rules compliance. Winners may be asked provide a copy of their passport ID page to prove nationality, and to sign an affidavit confirming that they did, in fact, abide by the rules of the competition. The organizers reserve the right to disqualify any contestant if, in their sole judgment, they believe the rules have been violated.
In case of a dispute, protest, or other judgment, the decision of the judges is final.
The organizers do not expect any technical problems with the operation of championship. If you do encounter a problem that is likely causing trouble for many contestants, check the Qualifying Test home page. If you have a problem that is most likely affecting only you, you may call the test hotline number: 650-302-4898. Officials will not, however, answer any questions regarding the puzzles themselves.
The solutions to the test puzzles will be posted no later than one day after the test.
The top five U.S. contestants will be notified within one day of the test. Within two days, all contestants will receive an email summary of their test score, and will have a 1-day window to respond with any scoring protests. Results will be posted on this web site no later than Wednesday, September 28.
The top four U.S. contestants will be selected as members of the U.S. Sudoku Team (joining two exempt team members), to compete as individuals at the World Sudoku Championship in Eger, Hungary, November 6-10. The formal WSC team competition allows for one team of four individuals from each country. The top two U.S. contestants will be selected to compete as a member of the official team. The remaining qualifiers will be able to participate in the WSC team events, but as unofficial participants.
Scores for participants from other countries will be posted at the same time as the U.S. scores, and may be forwarded to the corresponding WSC team organizer, upon request, for consideration. If there is no organized team for your country, you may be contacted regarding individual WSC participation.