What is ?
is an online programming classroom that aims to improve your programming skills! All you have to do is submit a solution for a problem with your favorite programming language. From there, your solution is judged for accuracy. Problems range from easy to difficult. Build up your skill set to solve all the problems and share with friends!
Path to Success
The best way to teach yourself to code is to practice. Like playing a musical instrument, you need to seek out challenges to grow as a computer programmer. Diligent, consistent practice will eventually make you fluent in computer programming. Programming is available to everyone and anyone. All it takes is some curiosity as to how a computer "thinks." Once you find that pattern in one area, it is easy enough to apply the same logic to another area.
Our Goal
We hope you enjoy the challenges presented to you! Learn from the mistakes you may make. Learn to solve problems in a better way logically. Try out new languages. Join up with friends to collaborate on potential solutions. Think about the very real possibilities programming can bring to the world.
How the Challenge Works
Check out the Quest section of the website. You will find a large set of coding problems, ranging from easy to hard. You will be able to search and filter our problems by difficulty level and by your status on each problem, one of:
- Not Started
- Solved - Successfully solved the challenge and earned points.
- Incorrect - Attempted the problem but not yet successful.
When attempting to solve a problem, your solution is run twice; once against the sample set of input you're provided with, and once against a much larger set of output that's kept secret to maintain the challenge. Your solution must reproduce the expected output for both runs exactly in order to be judged correct.
Quest Points
Point Ranking:
- Practice: 5 points
- Easy: 10 points
- Medium: 20 points
- Hard: 30 points
Solve as many problems (and earn as many points) as you can!
Code Your Way
While it is important to follow common best practices and coding standards, Code Quest Academy is focused more on developing your skills rather than adhering to a particular style of coding. You won't be judged on the appearance of your solution code, only whether or not it works.
Language and IDE Support
Many different programming languages exist, and they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. We aim to support the languages most commonly used in schools and in the software development industry to ensure that you're able to apply the skills you're developing no matter what your future holds. Currently, Code Quest Academy supports the following languages and versions:
- Java (OpenJDK 17.0.12)
- Python 3.9.16
- C++ (compiled with g++ 12.2.0)
- C# (run/compiled with Mono 6.8.0.105)
Choose your favorite IDE or text editor to code solutions. Save each programming file to a folder on your computer. Afterwards, upload the source code file for your solution to the website. The solution will be judged and you will receive a notification displaying the results of the uploaded solution.
- Visual Studio Code
- Eclipse
- Other Alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
The Code Quest Academy program is constantly being updated to help you excel, so if your question isn't answered here, please contact us by email using the button at the bottom of this page!
Code Quest and Code Quest Academy... What's the Difference?
Lockheed Martin is proud to offer multiple programs aimed at encouraging and developing STEM skills for high school students and preparing them for technology-related careers.
Code Quest is Lockheed Martin's annual software programming competition for high-school age students (generally 14-18 years old, not yet enrolled in secondary education). Held in April, the contest asks teams of 2-3 students to solve as many problems as possible within a 2.5-hour time limit by writing software programs that produce a pre-determined output from a given set of input. US-based attendees at these events are offered the opportunity to apply for one of several summer internships across the Lockheed Martin corporation.
Code Quest Academy is a STEM outreach program in which volunteer Lockheed Martin employees are paired with a high school classroom to provide in-person or virtual mentoring sessions. Registration for these sessions takes place in the fall semester, and accepted classrooms will be offered at least four mentoring sessions over the course of the spring semester. This aims to provide students, particularly those in under-served or under-priviledged communities, with practical programming skills and career advice, as well as prepare them for participation in the Code Quest contest. Teachers with classes registered with Code Quest Academy receive access to a two-week early registration period for the Code Quest contest (however, teams are not automatically registered).
Can I Request a Teacher Account?
While we are continually working on updating this website and adding new features, at this time we do not have separate accounts for teachers and other educators. If you would like more information about the resources we are able to offer to teachers and educators, please contact us by clicking the button at the bottom of this page.
I've Registered My Class for Code Quest Academy; Are We Automatically Registered for Code Quest?
No; Code Quest Academy and Code Quest are separate programs and have different registration requirements. Being registered for Code Quest Academy mentoring sessions grants you access to early registration for the Code Quest contest, but you still must complete registration for each team that will participate in Code Quest. Please also be aware that attendance at Code Quest is often strictly limited due to physical space limitations (for on-site events) and volunteer availability (for virtual and on-site events), so we may not be able to accomodate the attendance of your entire class at the Code Quest contest.