Techkriti ’27 at IIT Kanpur is running Speed Quant, a two-round quantitative aptitude contest with a ₹60,000 cash prize pool, plus certificates, Letters of Recommendation and PPIs listed among the rewards. Registration is individual, it is free, and it is open to students and working professionals anywhere in the world: a wider door than most campus-fest competitions.
Two things make this worth a serious look even if you have never entered a fest competition. First, this is not a coding contest. Despite sitting under the hackathons listing, Speed Quant is pure quantitative aptitude and mathematical problem-solving, which means your preparation for it is the same preparation you need for TCS NQT, Infosys, Wipro NLTH, Cognizant and every other placement aptitude round. You are not spending time on a detour; you are practising the thing you already have to practise, with ₹60,000 attached. Second, as of 1 October 2026 the listing shows only 51 registrations. That will climb, but right now the field is unusually small for a prize pool this size.
For more contests like this, browse Hackathons & Coding Events on FreshersJob4U.
Register Now — Speed Quant, Techkriti ’27
Table of Contents
Quick Overview
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Speed Quant |
| Organiser | Techkriti ’27, IIT Kanpur |
| Category | Quizzes & Treasure Hunt — quantitative aptitude, not coding |
| Participation | Individual only — no teams |
| Eligibility | Students or professionals, anywhere in the world |
| Prize Pool | ₹60,000 cash |
| Other Rewards | Certificates, Letters of Recommendation (LoRs), PPIs |
| Round 1 | Online — 60 questions, 30 minutes |
| Round 2 | Onsite at IIT Kanpur — 8 questions, 60 minutes |
| Registration Deadline | 14 Nov 2026, 12:00 AM IST |
| Registration Fee | Free |
| Venue | IIT Kanpur, Kalyanpur, Uttar Pradesh |
Two Things That Will Cost You the Prize If You Miss Them
1. You have to register twice. The rules state that to claim prize money, participants must register on both the contest platform and Techkriti’s official website. Registering on Unstop alone puts you in the contest but not in line for the cash. This is the single most commonly missed requirement in fest competitions, and it is stated plainly in the guidelines rather than buried. Do both the day you decide to enter, not after Round 1.
2. Read the deadline literally. It is listed as 14 Nov 2026, 12:00 AM IST. Midnight at the start of the 14th is the end of the 13th — so if you plan to register “on the 14th”, you may find it already closed. Treat 13 November as your real last day, and ideally register weeks earlier; there is no advantage to waiting.
Round 1: Online — and the Marking Scheme Decides Your Strategy
- Format: Multiple-choice or numerical quantitative aptitude questions
- Questions: 60
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Marking: +1 for a correct answer, 0 otherwise — no negative marking
- Navigation: Questions can be revisited any number of times during the test
Work out what those numbers actually demand. Sixty questions in thirty minutes is thirty seconds per question, including reading time. Nobody solves all sixty properly. This is a speed-and-selection test disguised as an aptitude test, which is exactly what the event name says.
The marking scheme hands you a clear strategy, and it is worth stating bluntly: with no negative marking, never leave a question blank. A guess costs nothing and a blank is a guaranteed zero. The right approach is two passes: sweep through answering everything you can do quickly, flag the rest, then return to the flagged ones with whatever time is left, and spend the final minute filling in every remaining blank with your best guess. The revisit facility exists precisely to make that pattern possible.
If your aptitude base needs work, the good news is that this preparation is not single-use. The quantitative sections of TCS NQT and the other mass recruiters draw on the same ground. Our TCS NQT syllabus and eligibility guide covers what those exams test, and our six-month roadmap for bank PO and clerk exams is the most structured quantitative-aptitude plan on this site, built for exactly the speed-under-pressure conditions Round 1 imposes.
Round 2: Onsite Finale at IIT Kanpur
- Format: Numerical or short-answer quantitative mathematical questions
- Questions: 8
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, covering brainstorming, probability and mathematical problem-solving
The shape inverts completely: from 30 seconds per question to 7.5 minutes per question. Round 1 rewards speed and triage; Round 2 rewards depth and the willingness to sit with a hard problem. Strong performers in one are not automatically strong in the other, and the mention of probability specifically is worth taking seriously. It is the topic most aptitude preparation treats shallowly.
The practical catch: Round 2 is onsite. You have to physically be at IIT Kanpur during Techkriti ’27. Factor in travel and accommodation before you build plans around the prize money, particularly if you are outside Uttar Pradesh. The listing does not state the finale date, only the registration deadline, so confirm the fest dates with the organisers before booking anything.
How the Winner Is Decided
- Combined scores from Round 1 and Round 2 determine the winner: Round 1 is not merely a qualifier you can scrape through.
- Tie-breaker: if two or more participants finish on the same score, the one who took less time to submit wins.
Both facts should change how you sit the online round. Because Round 1 scores carry forward, there is no such thing as “just qualifying”. Every extra correct answer there is banked. And because submission time breaks ties, finishing early with the same score beats finishing late. Do not sit on a completed paper waiting for the clock.
Prizes and Rewards
| Reward | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cash prize pool | ₹60,000 |
| Certificates | Participation certificate for everyone who takes part |
| Letters of Recommendation | Listed among the rewards |
| PPIs | Pre-Placement Interviews, listed among the rewards |
| Disbursement | All prizes and certificates released within 30 days after the event |
A note on the PPIs and LoRs, because this is where listings get over-read. Both appear in the rewards section, but the listing does not say which companies offer the PPIs, how many are available, or what performance level earns one. If a pre-placement interview is your main reason for entering, ask the organisers directly before you build expectations around it. Their contact details are below and they are responsive. The cash pool and the participation certificate are the parts stated unambiguously.
That said, a Letter of Recommendation tied to a ranked performance at an IIT Kanpur event is a genuinely useful thing to hold, particularly for students applying to higher studies or to roles where competition results are screened. Our look at fresher hiring trends in 2026 covers how much weight employers are now putting on demonstrable competition results.
Who Should Enter?
- Anyone preparing for placement aptitude rounds: the overlap is near-total, so this costs you no extra preparation time.
- Students who enjoy fast mental maths and want a competitive setting for it.
- Candidates who can realistically travel to IIT Kanpur if they clear Round 1.
- Working professionals: unusually, the eligibility explicitly includes them.
- Anyone who wants a competition result on their CV without needing a coding background.
Who Should Skip It?
- Anyone who cannot travel to IIT Kanpur for the finale. Round 2 is onsite and there is no stated remote option.
- Candidates looking for a coding or hackathon contest. This is mathematics and aptitude, with no programming component.
- Those who want team participation: registration is individual only.
- Anyone entering solely for a PPI, without first confirming the terms with the organisers.
How to Register
- Open the official listing: Speed Quant, Techkriti ’27 and click Register.
- Also register on Techkriti’s official website: both registrations are required to claim prize money.
- Register as an individual. Team entries are not accepted.
- Complete both steps before 14 November 2026, 12:00 AM IST: in practice, by the end of 13 November.
- Download the problem statement PDF from the listing page for the full official rules.
- Contact the organisers if anything is unclear, particularly about the finale date or the PPI terms.
Important Links and Contacts
| Resource | Detail |
|---|---|
| Register | Speed Quant listing → |
| Techkriti ’27 | Techkriti ’27 fest page |
| Pratyush Srivastava | pratyushs@techkriti.org · +91 87563 66441 |
| Ridham Solanki | ridhams@techkriti.org · +91 84337 68226 |
| Ayush Kumar Singh | ayushks@techkriti.org · +91 92609 67921 |
About Techkriti, IIT Kanpur
Techkriti is the annual technical and entrepreneurial festival of IIT Kanpur, running a wide programme of competitions, workshops and talks across engineering, science and management. Speed Quant sits in its competitions track as an individual quantitative contest. Techkriti states that any participant found indulging in malpractice or plagiarism will be immediately disqualified, and that in any dispute the final decision rests with the Techkriti team at IIT Kanpur.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Is this a coding competition?
No. Speed Quant is a quantitative aptitude and mathematical problem-solving contest. There is no programming component in either round.
Q2. How many rounds are there?
Two: an online round, followed by an onsite finale at Techkriti, IIT Kanpur.
Q3. Is there negative marking?
No. Round 1 awards +1 for a correct answer and 0 otherwise, so there is no penalty for a wrong answer. Never leave a question unanswered.
Q4. How is the winner decided?
By combined scores from Round 1 and Round 2. If participants tie, the one who submitted in less time is preferred.
Q5. Can I participate as a team?
No. Speed Quant is an individually rated contest and registrations must be made individually.
Q6. Can working professionals enter?
Yes. Eligibility is open to students or professionals across the world.
Q7. Do I need to register anywhere other than the contest platform?
Yes. To claim prize money you must register on both the contest platform and Techkriti’s official website. Doing only one is the most common way participants lose their claim.
Q8. Is there a registration fee?
No. Registration is free.
Q9. When will prizes be given out?
All prizes and certificates are released within 30 days after the event concludes.
Q10. When is the onsite finale?
The listing gives only the registration deadline of 14 November 2026 and does not state the finale date. Confirm it with the organisers before arranging travel.
Other Contests Open Right Now
- DevDash ’26 at IIT Dhanbad — web development hackathon, registrations close 7 October 2026.
- NASA Space Apps Challenge 2026 — open until 15 November 2026, across all disciplines.
- Top 10 off-campus hiring companies for freshers in 2026 — where the aptitude preparation you do for this contest pays off directly.
Source & Verification
- Source: Official Speed Quant listing for Techkriti ’27, IIT Kanpur
- Verified live: 1 October 2026: registration open, 51 registrations recorded at the time of checking
- Registration deadline: 14 November 2026, 12:00 AM IST
FreshersJob4U is not affiliated with Techkriti or IIT Kanpur. This post is for informational purposes only. Rules, dates, prize terms and PPI details are set by the organisers and may change. Verify everything on the official listing and with the Techkriti team before registering or making travel arrangements.
Engineering graduate and founder of FreshersJob4U. I write detailed job guides, interview prep resources, and career roadmaps for freshers and early-career professionals in India. This site started from my own experience with the scattered, confusing fresher job search — I wanted to build something cleaner.