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Computing Student Heads to Oxford University for The Bebras Challenge

Delight in Learning

Computing Student Heads to Oxford University for The Bebras Challenge

Beavers with the wrong sized toothbrushes; drawbots, which drive and draw at the same time; the perfect game of tic-tac-toe: these are just some of the problems in the computational challenges facing students in S1 to S6. The Bebras Challenge is an international competition that tests computational thinking, or the kind of problem-solving skills and techniques that software engineers use to write programmes and apps.

Back in November, all Computing Science students from S1 to S6 took part in the competition. Cabhan Dunsmore (S5) was St Aloysius’ highest scorer in the Elite (S5-S6) category. Of the 88,000 young people that took part in the competition, Cabhan was one of the top 100 or so in his category. To celebrate his achievement, and to continue the competition, he travelled down to Hertford College, Oxford last week to compete with other computational minds.

Over the course of the event, Cabhan competed in an extra competition, and was shown around Oxford University. While he did not take away gold, silver or bronze, he should be congratulated for his success: to be included in the second stage demonstrates an outstanding achievement in its own right. It should also be noted that the second round he progress from 155 to 183 out of the maximum score of 200. This is quite an achievement. 

Mr Harkins, Head of Computing congratulated Cabhan on his achievement, and his ‘keen, logical mind’.