Glossary of hackathons, business games and challenges.

The EU regulation on artificial intelligence, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, which among other things classifies AI used to select or evaluate candidates as high-risk (Annex III, point 4). See who evaluates candidates in a hiring challenge.

The document that describes the problem: context, question, constraints, what to hand in and by when. It is also called a problem statement. A good brief is precise about the problem and leaves the solution open. See brief examples and how to write the brief.

A team competition built on a business situation, such as a product launch. It runs for several weeks in stages. Each submission builds on the previous one, so you see how a team reasons over time. See business games.

A test built on a concrete problem, with a brief, rules, criteria, deliverables and a deadline. On MARA it is the unit you work with: hackathons, business games and hiring challenges are all challenges. MARA AI writes them with the organizer, and none goes live until the organizer approves it. See how MARA works.

The final day when teams present their work to the judges, often in public and with a live demo, before the prizes are announced. See the event-day checklist.

A data protection impact assessment under Article 35 of the GDPR, required before processing personal data in a way likely to result in a high risk to people's rights. If you use AI to evaluate candidates, check with an adviser whether you need one. See what to say about personal data.

A timed challenge where people, alone or in teams, work on a problem and hand in a solution: a prototype, an analysis, a plan. In person it lasts a few hours to a few days; online, it can run for several weeks. See hackathons.

A challenge used to hire: candidates work on a real problem from the role and hand in a result. The company's people review it against criteria set in advance. When it is team-based and lasts a few days, it is also called a hiring hackathon. See hiring challenges.

A hackathon where you hand in a developed idea, with the problem, solution, plan and presentation, but no working prototype. You usually do not need to code. See corporate hackathon themes.

The rights to ideas, text, code and projects: who owns them and who can use them after the event. In a hackathon or a challenge the rules settle this, and participants accept them when they sign up. See who owns hackathon projects.

A hackathon open only to a company's employees, on a company problem, with an internal jury. It runs from half a day to two days on site, or one to two weeks online. It is best run on company time, in place of normal work. See internal hackathons.

Before scoring, each judge rates the same sample submission alone; then the jury compares scores criterion by criterion. This way every point on the scale means the same to everyone. See calibrating the jury.

The items judges use to assess submissions, usually each with a weight: for example fit with the brief, feasibility, clarity. They are fixed before the start and are the same for everyone. See judging criteria.

The people the organizer picks to assess submissions against the criteria and choose the winners. It helps if each judge scores alone, before any discussion. See who to invite and how the jury works.

An expert who answers teams' questions during the event without doing the work for them. Mentors usually work in shifts and do not sit on the jury. See judges, prizes and mentors.

A timed test, often logic or coding problems, used to screen candidates early. It is not a hackathon: you solve set exercises, not an open problem. See what a hackathon is.

A hackathon where sign-up, work, questions and submissions all happen remotely. It usually runs for 1 to 3 weeks, so people who study or work can take part. See online hackathons.

A short, timed presentation in which a team explains the problem, the solution and the choices it made. Listeners should grasp in a few minutes what the team did and why. See presenting your work.

The collection of work you show to people who hire: a CV says what you can do, a portfolio shows it. On MARA every participant has a portfolio that holds, for each challenge, the brief, their role in the team, the work submitted and the certificate. See hackathons on your CV and portfolio.

All the prizes on offer: cash, interviews, internships, experiences, gear. Cash prizes, or prizes with a cash value, can fall under prize-contest rules that vary by country (in Italy, DPR 430/2001): check with an adviser. See splitting a prize pool.

The scoring sheet: for each criterion, a weight and a scale, for example 1 to 5, with a written description of each score. It makes scores from different judges comparable. See free judging rubrics.

The document with the event's rules: who can take part, teams, dates, deliverables, use of AI, criteria, prizes, intellectual property, personal data, conduct. You accept them when you sign up, so read them first. See the rules template.

Two-round judging for events with many submissions. First a few judges read each submission and pick a shortlist. Then the full jury reviews only the finalists. It cuts judging hours without skipping any submission. See how long judging takes.

A non-transferable token recorded on a blockchain: it stays tied to the person who receives it and cannot be sold or passed on. It is used for credentials that must stay personal and verifiable. See MARA certificates.

What a participant or team uploads by the deadline: a document, slides, a prototype, code, a video. The brief sets its format and limits. The jury reviews only what the submission contains. See preparing your submission.

The group of people working on the same submission. The rules say how many people, how teams form and whether you can take part alone. See the FAQ.

The broad topic of the event, for example sustainability or customer service. One or more precise questions for teams follow from it. The theme sets the direction; the brief says what to hand in. See 36 themes to adapt.

A category within the same event, with its own brief, jury or prize, for example one track on logistics and one on customer service. Each team usually picks one. See choosing the format.

A credential anyone can check from a link, without trusting a file. On MARA everyone who submits, winner or not, gets one, free and with no wallet needed. MARA issues it, it names the challenge and the organizer, and it can be added to LinkedIn. See MARA certificates.

A task that reproduces a real part of the job, given to a candidate to see how they do it rather than hear them describe it. A hiring challenge is a work sample test. See work samples and CVs.