The American Computer Science League (ACSL) is structured into four independent contests held throughout the academic year. Each contest evaluates students on different fundamental topics in computer science.
Importantly, students are not eliminated between rounds—they may participate in all four contests, and their cumulative scores determine their overall standing. At the end of the season, top-scoring students (based on cumulative results) from each division and scoring type (3-score or 5-score) are invited to the Finals—a separate, prestigious online competition.