Compete · Oct — Mar
CyberPatriot Competition
The National Youth Cyber Defense Competition - Securing America's Future
2026–27 round dates
Full schedule →- Practice Round 1Friday, October 9Practice
- Round 1Friday, October 23Scored
- Training Round 2Friday, November 6Practice
- Round 2Friday, November 13Scored
- StateFriday, December 11Scored
Practice and training rounds are unscored. They exist so the format, the images and the scoring engine are familiar before a round that counts towards placement.
Competition Schedule
- Season:
- October - March
- Rounds:
- R1 → R2 → State → Nationals
- Duration:
- 4 Hours per Round
- Team Size:
- 2-6 Students
Competition Features
How the Rounds Work
Clear path from Round 1 to Nationals
Round 1
Qualifiers
Every team across the country scores on identical images. Focus on fundamentals and time management.
Round 2
Tier Placement
Round 1 and 2 combined determines your tier. Scores reset inside each tier, so steady improvements matter more than perfection.
State Round
Everyone Competes
All teams registered advance to State, where you compete only against schools in your tier.
Three brackets, equal opportunity
After Round 2, every team is placed into one of three tiers for State. Each bracket runs its own leaderboard and awards.
Platinum
Top 30% in the nation, most competitive bracket.
Gold
Middle 40% in the nation, mix of experienced and rising teams.
Silver
Bottom 30% in the nation, Emerging teams building core skills.
Advancement & Nationals
Top 30% of every tier at State move on to Semifinals.
From Platinum Semifinals, the top 12 teams earn an invitation to Nationals in Baltimore.
The Air & Space Forces Association covers all travel expenses for National finalists.
Baltimore awaits—keep climbing!
About CyberPatriot
CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition created by the Air Force Association to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future.
Teams are given a set of virtual operating systems and are tasked with finding and fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities while maintaining critical services. It's like being a digital detective and system administrator rolled into one!
What You'll Work On
Windows Systems
Secure Windows 10/11 and Windows Server environments
Linux Systems
Harden Ubuntu and other Linux distributions
Cisco Networking
Configure and secure Cisco network equipment
Skills You'll Develop
System Security
Learn to identify and fix security vulnerabilities
System Administration
Master Windows and Linux system management
Network Management
Configure and secure network infrastructure
Join Our CyberPatriot Team!
Be part of our competitive cybersecurity team and develop real-world skills that employers value. No prior experience required - we'll teach you everything!