Hey I am able to solve 3 sums in codechef starters contest but I am not gaining rating i am losing rating why? And the first 2 are done with in 10 mins and the 3rd by 40 mins I am struggling to gain rating while other do the same ammount of sums and gain more rating is there anything I can do about it
4 problems are optimum for rating gain
Even if you solve 3 problems in a contest, your CodeChef rating depends on more than just the number of problems solved. Here are the key reasons why your rating might go down:
- Wrong Submissions Penalty (Time Penalty):
- In rated contests like Starters, every wrong submission before the correct one adds a time penalty (usually 10 minutes per wrong try).
- Even if you solve 3 problems, multiple wrong submissions on a problem can push your rank down due to increased penalty time.
- Relative Performance:
- CodeChef rating is ELO-based, meaning your rating change is based on how well you perform compared to others around your rating.
- If many others with your rating or lower solve the same problems faster or with fewer errors, they gain more, and you might lose rating.
- Difficulty of Problems Solved:
- Solving easier problems quickly doesn’t give as much rating boost.
- To gain rating, you often need to solve harder problems that many others cannot.
- Accuracy Matters:
- If you only try a problem and don’t submit, the system gives 0 points (no penalty).
- But if you submit and it’s wrong, it adds penalty time, which affects your ranking negatively.
Tips to Improve Rating:
- Focus on accuracy: avoid wrong submissions.
- Use custom inputs and dry runs before submitting.
- Solve at least one question that many people fail (prefer medium/hard problems).
- Track your penalty time and compare with leaderboard.