What is Codeforces?
Codeforces is the world's largest competitive programming platform, hosting 2–3 rated contests per week. Top ratings are recognized by Google, Meta, Atlassian, and other tech giants in hiring processes.
Rating System Explained
- Gray (Newbie): 0–1199
- Green (Pupil): 1200–1399
- Cyan (Specialist): 1400–1599
- Blue (Expert): 1600–1899
- Violet (Candidate Master): 1900–2099
- Orange (Master): 2100–2399
- Red (Grandmaster+): 2400+
6-Month Roadmap to Expert (1600)
Month 1–2: Foundations
- Master one language (C++ recommended for speed)
- Solve 800–1000 rated problems (100 problems)
- Topics: Arrays, strings, brute force, basic math
Month 3–4: Core Algorithms
- Solve 1100–1400 rated problems (150 problems)
- Topics: Binary search, sorting, greedy, two-pointer, prefix sums
Month 5–6: Advanced Topics
- Solve 1400–1700 rated problems (100 problems)
- Topics: DP (basics), BFS/DFS, graphs, number theory
Contest Strategy
- Participate in every Div. 2 contest regardless of readiness
- Read all problems before starting to solve
- Allocate 20 min max per problem — skip if stuck
- Upsolve problems you couldn't solve during the contest
Recommended Resources
- CSES Problem Set (best structured practice)
- CP-Algorithms.com (reference for all algorithms)
- William Lin (tmwilliamlin168) YouTube tutorials
- Errichto's Codeforces guides on YouTube