Skills and Resources
Participants are expected to arrive with prior coursework or experience in relational databases and SQL. The competition assumes familiarity with the following areas:
Writing SQL queries involving joins, filtering, aggregation, conditional logic, and other core query constructs
Teams must bring their own computers with a working local installation of one relational database management system: Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, or MySQL. Teams may choose whichever platform they are most comfortable with, but all work must be completed using a single database system.
Teams must be able to create an entity-relationship diagram (ERD) and submit it as a single PDF document. Image files are not accepted.
SQL solutions must be submitted as plain text files with a .sql or .txt file extension.
Submissions that do not conform to the specified formats will not be graded.
Teams may bring hard-copy reference materials, such as textbooks or printed notes.
All required schemas, data, and instructions will be provided as part of the competition materials. Internet access is not required for successful participation.
Team
Teams may consist of one or two participants. Solo entries are welcome, and two person teams are encouraged to collaborate and share responsibilities.
Protocol
The challenge is organized into multiple parts, each targeting a different layer of database expertise. Early sections focus on foundational SQL knowledge and query accuracy, while later sections emphasize schema reasoning and database design judgment.
Submissions are evaluated using a common evaluation rubric to ensure fairness and consistency across teams and database platforms. Because this is a ranked competition, evaluation is conducted progressively, and later sections place greater weight on higher-order reasoning and design quality.
In cases where final placements are affected by ties, judges apply additional evaluation criteria based on the quality, completeness, and coherence of submitted work. Final results include the top three teams, with honorable mentions awarded at the judges’ discretion. Intermediate scores and feedback are not reported.
