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# These ratings are subjective

Linguistics problems have incredibly subjective difficulty judgements. In fact, difficulties are so unknown that the people who write the contests make no (or very little) effort to try to order them in any meaningful way.

As a corollary, you should not take what's written here as gospel; anyway, it's probably a bad idea for you to do problems by difficulty^[1]. I find this more useful for myself, but since I went through this effort anyways I decided to publish it. But if you find this useful regardless, all the power to you.

# Notation

All problems are rated on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "very easy" and 10 being "very hard". Some caveats:

Team problems are rated on their own scale, separately from individual problems. You should not think that a team problem rated 7 is as hard as an individual problem rated 7.
Problems are rated by how difficult it is to solve the whole problem. This can lead to one problem being rated higher than an other even if its numerical average score was larger, due to how partial credit is awarded.
The eagle-eyed among you might have noticed that despite the above claiming the scale is from 1-10, some problems are marked with 11. These problems are too hard for contest and probably shouldn't have shown up (they might have had some solves in-contest anyway, but they usually have something that fundamentally makes them way too hard).
Some problems are marked with a star ★. These are problems I especially liked^[2].

# IOL

Year	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5	Ind. avg.	Team
IOL2003	2Transcendental AlgebraKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	4Arabic ArithmeticIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	3Basque DatesAlexandre Arkhipov 🔑︎	2AdygheYakov Testelets 🔑︎	1FrenchBoris Iomdin 🔑︎	2.4	2Tocharian / Subscripts / VerbsSvetlana Burlak; Maria Rubinstein; Boris Iomdin 🔑︎
IOL2004	3KayapoPeter Zubkov 🔑︎	1Swift News AgencyBoris Iomdin Leonid Iomdin 🔑︎	4LatinSvetlana Burlak Ilya Itkin 🔑︎	2★LakhotaIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	5ChuvashBoris Iomdin 🔑︎	3.0	4ArmenianAlexander Berdichevsky Boris Iomdin
IOL2005	5TzotzilBoris Iomdin 🔑︎	3LangoKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	3★MansiIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	3YorubaIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	5LithuanianAlexander Lubotsky 🔑︎	3.8	6FiguigMaarten Kossmann Alexander Lubotsky
IOL2006	3LakhotaPyotr Arkadiev 🔑︎	2CatalanBoris Iomdin 🔑︎	5KhmerSergey Dmitrenko 🔑︎	3UdiheBoris Iomdin 🔑︎	3NgoniOlga Fyodorova 🔑︎	3.2	6American Sign LanguageAlexander Berdichevsky
IOL2007	3BrailleAlexander Berdichevsky	3MovimaDmitry Gerasimov 🔑︎	6GeorgianYakov Testelets 🔑︎	2NdomIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	4Turkish and TatarIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	3.6	4HawaiianOlga Fyodorova
IOL2008	4★MicmacBozhidar Bozhanov 🔑︎	5Old NorseAlexander Piperski 🔑︎	6Drehu and CemuhîKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	3Copainalá ZoqueIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	5InuktitutBozhidar Bozhanov 🔑︎	4.6	7FanqieTodor Tchervenkov 🔑︎
IOL2009	7SulkaEvgenia Korovina Ivan Derzhanski 🔑︎	2Maninka and BamanaIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	3BurmeseIvan Derzhanski Maria Cydzik 🔑︎	5★Old IndicAlexander Piperski 🔑︎	5NahuatlBozhidar Bozhanov Todor Tchervenkov 🔑︎	4.4	6VietnameseBoris Iomdin 🔑︎
IOL2010	2BudukhIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	3DrehuKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	1BlissymbolicsAlexander Piperski 🔑︎	1mRNA SequencingAlexander Berdichevski 🔑︎	2RomanschBoris Iomdin 🔑︎	1.8	7MongolianBoris Iomdin 🔑︎
IOL2011	5MenomineeIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	5★FaroeseAlexander Piperski 🔑︎	2VaiOlga Kuznetsova 🔑︎	6NahuatlLiudmila Fedorova 🔑︎	11EAN-13Hugh Dobbs 🔑︎	5.8	8Sanskrit PoetryAdam Hesterberg 🔑︎
IOL2012	6DyirbalArtūrs Semeņuks 🔑︎	4Umbu-UnguKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	5BasqueNatalya Zaika 🔑︎	5TeopMaria Konoshenko 🔑︎	4RotumanBoris Iomdin Alexander Piperski 🔑︎	4.8	7LaoBoris Iomdin 🔑︎
IOL2013	4★YidinyBozhidar Bozhanov Ivan Derzhanski 🔑︎	9Tundra YukaghirIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	5★PirahãArtūrs Semeņuks 🔑︎	5★MunaKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	1TelepathyBoris Iomdin 🔑︎	4.8	9GeorgianIvan Derzhanski
IOL2014	4★BenabenaIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	4★KiowaAleksejs Peguševs 🔑︎	5★TangutIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	6EngenniArtūrs Semeņuks 🔑︎	10GbayaBoris Iomdin 🔑︎	5.8	7ArmenianBoris Iomdin Ivan Derzhanski
IOL2015	5Nahuatl and ArammbaMilena Veneva 🔑︎	6KabardianPeter Arkadiev 🔑︎	7SoundexAlexander Piperski 🔑︎	5WambayaKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	2Somali MasafoAlexander Piperski 🔑︎	5.0	8Northern SothoBoris Iomdin 🔑︎
IOL2016	7Aralle-TabulahanKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	7LuwianTae Hun Lee 🔑︎	6Kunuz NubianAleksejs Peguševs 🔑︎	9IatmülArtūrs Semeņuks 🔑︎	5JaqaruIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	6.8	10TaaDanylo Mysak
IOL2017	6BiromMilena Veneva 🔑︎	10AbuiAleksejs Peguševs 🔑︎	5KimbunduBruno L'Astorina 🔑︎	3Khom script/LavenTae Hun Lee 🔑︎	5★MadakIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	5.8	6Emoji/IndonesianBoris Iomdin 🔑︎
IOL2018	5CreekAleksejs Peguševs 🔑︎	2HakhunPeter Arkadiev 🔑︎	4TerênaAndrey Nikulin 🔑︎	9Mountain Arapesh (Bukiyip)Aleksejs Peguševs 🔑︎	6★AkanKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	5.2	9Mẽbêngôkre, Xavante and KrĩkatíAndrey Nikulin 🔑︎
IOL2019	6YonggomIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	5★YurokBoris Iomdin Samuel Ahmed 🔑︎	6★Book Pahlavi scriptAndrey Nikulin 🔑︎	4West TaranganElysia Warner 🔑︎	5NooniSamuel Ahmed 🔑︎	5.2	11Rhythmic GymnasticsAnna Danilova 🔑︎
IOL2021	9EkariAleksejs Peguševs 🔑︎	10★ZuniElysia Warner Samuel Ahmed 🔑︎	4KilivilaSamuel Ahmed 🔑︎	3AgbirigbaEimear McKnight 🔑︎	7RikbaktsaAndrey Nikulin 🔑︎	6.6	10Garífuna, Lokono and Kari’ñaAndrey Nikulin Milena Veneva 🔑︎
IOL2022	5UbykhPeter Arkadiev 🔑︎	11AlabamaIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	5Nǀuuki (Nǁng)Eimear McKnight Samuel Ahmed 🔑︎	4★ArabanaTom McCoy 🔑︎	6Proto-Chamic, Phan Rang Cham and TsatTung-Le Pan 🔑︎	6.2	9ManchuMinkyu Kim 🔑︎
IOL2023	5Guazacapán XinkaSamuel Ahmed 🔑︎	4★ApurinãKsenia Gilyarova 🔑︎	5Coastal MarindDavid Hultman 🔑︎	6Plains CreeLidija Stanovnik Aleksejs Peguševs 🔑︎	8SupyireAleksejs Peguševs 🔑︎	5.6	8Murrinh-pathaBoris Iomdin Milena Veneva 🔑︎
IOL2024	6KoryakIvan Derzhanski 🔑︎	6HadzaSamuel Ahmed 🔑︎	6KomnzoAida Davletova 🔑︎	11DâwJoão Henrique Oliveira Fontes 🔑︎	5YanyuwaDan-Mircea Mirea 🔑︎	6.8	9LexicostatisticsAndrey Nikulin Milena Veneva
IOL2025	2DzongkhaVlad A. Neacșu 🔑︎	7GaahmgDavid Hultman 🔑︎	5★KuriaEimear McKnight 🔑︎	4★KewaSamuel Ahmed 🔑︎	2KaqchikelDan-Mircea Mirea 🔑︎	4.0	9Camling and BantawaSamuel Ahmed 🔑︎

# APLO

Year	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5	Avg.
APLO2019	6IkMinkyu Kim 🔑︎	8UrarinaYung-Jui Yao 🔑︎	6Mee (Ekari)Tsuyoshi Kobayashi 🔑︎	5HebrewAalok Sathe 🔑︎	6★Old Turkic scriptJaeyeong Yang 🔑︎	6.2
APLO2020	7IaaiRujul Gandhi 🔑︎	6WalmanSamuel Ahmed 🔑︎	10Koyra ChiiniJaeyeong Yang 🔑︎	4TübatulabalRujul Gandhi Shardul Chiplunkar 🔑︎	7MantauranYung-Jui Yao 🔑︎	6.8
APLO2021	7PitjantjatjaraVlad A. Neacșu 🔑︎	10Cushillococha TicunaTsuyoshi Kobayashi 🔑︎	6★Osmanya script/SomaliMinkyu Kim 🔑︎	7HdiChih-Chun Wang 🔑︎	5★SandaweShen-Chang Huang 🔑︎	7.0
APLO2022	5PanaráJoão Henrique Fontes 🔑︎	11WayuuVlad A. Neacșu 🔑︎	7★JarawaraHoju Cha Jaeyeong Yang 🔑︎	10NgkolmpuJi Hun Wang Minkyu Kim 🔑︎	7MiskitoChih-Chun Wang Vlad A. Neacșu 🔑︎	8.0
APLO2023	9YimasVlad A. Neacșu Tamila Krashtan 🔑︎	4★KtunaxaJerome Jochems 🔑︎	1KobonVlad A. Neacșu Michał Boroń 🔑︎	7★InanwatanKazune Sato 🔑︎	8KombaiFarhan Ishraq Jerome Jochems 🔑︎	5.8
APLO2024	5TutubaTsuyoshi Kobayashi 🔑︎	8Wemba WembaVlad A. Neacșu 🔑︎	8BambaraOh Haenaem 🔑︎	6MairasiKazune Sato Minkyu Kim 🔑︎	7Chungli AoVlad A. Neacșu 🔑︎	6.8
APLO2025	5★Misantla TotonacTamila Krashtan 🔑︎	6LoomaVlad A. Neacșu 🔑︎	5TangsaMinkyu Kim Zdravko Ivanov 🔑︎	9MakoArul Kolla 🔑︎	8KhasiJaeyeong Yang 🔑︎	6.6
APLO2026	6Ja’a KumiaiArul Kolla 🔑︎	6★HiakiKazune Sato Tsuyoshi Kobayashi 🔑︎	3NgitiMinkyu Kim Vlad A. Neacșu 🔑︎	11LulamogiJi Hun Wang 🔑︎	8BangimePanawat Tiacharoen Faraz Ahmed 🔑︎	6.8

Since there is no way to judge a problem's difficulty just by sight, using difficulty to decide which problems to attempt may hinder your ability to develop this skill for yourself. Anyway, there are quite few problems in general, so you should try to use them wisely! ↩︎
I was planning to make a so-called "quality rating", but I honestly think that such fine-grained distinctions in quality are not really necessary. Essentially, there are some problems I like, and everything else kind of blends in (okay, there are some problems I don't like, but I don't feel the need to shame them publicly). ↩︎