HackBenchers North America

Can I participate even if I don't fit the eligibility criteria?
Well, everyone is welcome to participate in HackBenchers as this gives you the full essence of learning. However, only those who meet the eligibility criteria can claim the prizes if they win.

Do I need to pay any money to register for the hackathon?
No, you do not have to pay to register for any hackathon on HackerEarth.

Do I need to have any specific qualifications participate in the hackathon?
If you are from North America and love to learn and create new things, you are welcome to participate in this hackathon.

Is HackBenchers and hackathons the same?
No, HackBenchers is a one of a kind series focusing on the roots of science and technology.

What if I don’t know how to code?
No problem! You can compete with beginners in every session of this hackathon. If you’ve never coded before, it’s a great opportunity to spend a weekend learning. You will be participating with other coders who will help you out through discussion forums. Coding can look pretty difficult, but actually, it’s easy to get started. If you already have some experience, you’ll fit into a team. Your team will help teach you some new things and give you tasks to complete so you can build a project together.

How is this series helpful?
This series gives you an intense experience during which your problem-solving skills will be stretched to the limit. You’ll need to learn to work fast and focus on what’s important to get the job done. You will also learn to be adaptable and flexible in your approach irrespective of how pre-defined your ideas are before you attend the hackathon. Lastly, you will get the unique opportunity to really drill down and understand an issue to its very core.

How do I submit what I have built for the hackathon?
You have to develop the application on your local system and submit it in the form of a .tar/.zip file format along with the instructions to run the application and source code.

Do we need to have the entire application fully working?
The entire application need not be fully implemented, however, the submission should be functional so that it can be reviewed by the judges.

Do I have to be online and available for the entire duration of the hackathon?
No, you do not need to be logged in on HackerEarth or be online for the entire duration. You can develop the application on your local system based on the given themes and then submit it on HackerEarth on the specific challenge page.

Do I need to give a demo for the product that I have built?
If you want you can submit a small presentation or video that demonstrates your submission, however, it's not mandatory (but good to have). If you are one of the winners, you may be invited to demo your application on a Skype call (details will be shared when it is applicable).

Who will own the Intellectual Property (IP) rights to the product that I have built?
The developer/developers of the web/mobile application will have all the rights and own the IP of the product. However, all the code needs to be in the public domain (open source) so that it can be evaluated by the judges.