LeetCode Weekly Contest Schedule 2026 - Complete Guide

If you have been searching for the LeetCode weekly contest schedule 2026, you are in the right place. LeetCode runs two recurring contest series, and understanding when they happen is the first step to consistent participation.

LeetCode Weekly Contest Time

The LeetCode Weekly Contest runs every Sunday at 2:30 AM UTC (which is 8:00 AM IST, 9:30 PM EST Saturday, 6:30 PM PST Saturday). Each contest lasts exactly 90 minutes and features 4 problems of increasing difficulty.

The difficulty breakdown is typically: - Q1: Easy (brute force, simulation) - Q2: Medium (hash map, two pointers, or greedy) - Q3: Medium-Hard (dynamic programming, graph traversal) - Q4: Hard (advanced DP, segment trees, complex math)

LeetCode Biweekly Contest Time

The LeetCode Biweekly Contest runs every other Saturday at 2:30 PM UTC (8:00 PM IST, 9:30 AM EST, 6:30 AM PST). Same format: 90 minutes, 4 problems.

LeetCode Contest Schedule 2026 Calendar

Since both contests follow a fixed weekly and biweekly pattern, the schedule is completely predictable. Here is how to never miss one:

1. Manual approach: Check the LeetCode contest page every weekend and manually set reminders.
2. Automated approach: Use the Contest Reminder Chrome extension to auto-sync all LeetCode contests directly to your Google Calendar. One setup, zero maintenance.

How the LeetCode Rating System Works

LeetCode uses a modified ELO rating system. Your rating changes based on: - How many problems you solve - How fast you solve them - The ratings of other participants in the same contest

New accounts start unrated and receive an initial rating after the first few contests. Typical rating ranges: - 1400-1600: Beginner (can solve Q1 comfortably) - 1600-1800: Intermediate (solves Q1+Q2 reliably) - 1800-2100: Advanced (can tackle Q3) - 2100+: Expert (consistently solves Q3 and attempts Q4)

Tips for LeetCode Contest Preparation

1. Practice daily challenges to build breadth across problem types
2. Focus on speed for Q1 and Q2 instead of perfection. In contests, partial credit matters less than finishing quickly
3. Upsolve Q3 after every contest - this is where the biggest rating gains come from
4. Learn patterns, not problems - sliding window, binary search on answer, monotonic stack, and union-find cover 80% of contest problems

Never Miss a LeetCode Contest

The easiest way to stay on top of the schedule is to use the Contest Reminder extension. It handles timezone conversion automatically and puts every contest directly on your calendar.