Opportunity brief
About The Competition:
- The National Probability Challenge is a national quantitative reasoning competition by Techfest, IIT Bombay, that tests mathematical intuition, probabilistic reasoning, and quantitative problem-solving through a series of competitive challenges.
- Designed to mirror the analytical thinking and decision-making expected in quantitative finance and research, the competition begins with a preliminary screening on fundamental probability and combinatorics before advancing to an on-site final built around real-time decision-making and collaborative simulation challenges.
- Bring your quantitative edge to life at Techfest, IIT Bombay, Asia's largest science and technology festival.
Structure:
The competition will be held in two stages, with Stage 2 as an on-site final at Techfest, IIT Bombay.
- Eligibility: Stage 1 is open to all registered participants across all years of study. Stage 2 requires a valid ID from the participant's educational institution.
- Participation: Stage 1 is individual. Stage 2 is played in teams of up to 3 members, who may belong to different institutes, with teams decided randomly.
Stage 1 - Preliminary Screening:
- Conducted primarily online via the HackerEarth platform. The 60-minute test carries 15–20 questions spanning basic probability, conditional probability and Bayes' theorem, combinatorics, random variables, standard distributions, expectation and variance, indicator variables, and simple game-theoretic and expected-value problems. A scientific or non-programmable calculator is permitted. For the online round, the top 50 students globally qualify.
Stage 2 - Final Round:
- Held fully offline at Techfest, IIT Bombay, this stage focuses on advanced quantitative problem-solving, real-time decision-making, and collaborative simulation challenges mirroring high-stakes trading floors.
Timeline:
- Registration closes - 15th October 2026.
- Round 1 (Online Test 1) - 24th October 2026.
- Round 1 (Online Test 2) - 31st October 2026.
- Offline rounds - Scheduled as per college availability.
- Round 1 results - 10th November 2026.
- Finale (Offline) - 16th December 2026.
Rewards And Prizes:
- INR 3,80,000 for the top 3 winners.
- Certificates for all participants who qualify for Round 2.