Hello Codeforces friends, I want to share my personal upsolving strategy that helped me improve my rating and understanding over the last few months. This guide is especially for beginners and intermediates who are trying to break through or even higher.
1. Revisit the Contest Within 1 Hour
Right after the contest ends, I take a short break and come back to review the problems even if I didn’t solve them during the contest. I ask myself:
Was it a logic issue or implementation problem?
Did I panic during the contest?
2. Solve the First Unsolved Problem Again
I open my IDE and try to solve the first unsolved problem without seeing the editorial. I usually give myself 15–30 minutes. If I still can’t solve it, I read just a hint or the first paragraph of the editorial.
3. Understand the Key Concepts Used
I note down the algorithm used (like prefix sum, sliding window, two pointers) and try to find 2–3 similar problems in the Codeforces Problemset → Tags section. This repetition helps me recognize patterns in future contests.
4. Maintain a CP Notebook or Google Doc
For each contest, I write:
What problems I solved
What problems I failed
What I learned (new tricks, STL functions, etc.)
5. Read Others' Codes
Many top contestants share short and elegant solutions. I learn a lot by comparing their approach to mine.
Finally
Don’t skip upsolving – this is where real improvement happens.
Even 1 upsolved problem per contest makes a big difference.
Keep consistency – solve 1–2 problems daily if possible.
Thanks for reading. If you found this useful, please give an upvote so others can find it too. Let me know your upsolving strategy in the comments.
