Terms of Service

Last updated: August 2026

These terms govern your use of CtrlDogma at ctrldogma.com. By creating an account or using the service, you agree to them. Please also read our Privacy Policy and Cancellation & Refund Policy, which form part of these terms.

What CtrlDogma is

CtrlDogma is an online platform for practising bioinformatics and computational biology through coding problems. It is an educational and skills-practice service. It is not a certifying authority, a degree-granting institution, or a substitute for formal qualifications, and it must not be used for clinical, diagnostic or other decisions affecting real patients.

Your account

You need an account to solve problems and track progress. You are responsible for keeping your credentials secure and for activity that happens under your account. Provide accurate information — in particular, the name on your profile is what gets frozen onto any certificate you claim. One person, one account: creating multiple accounts to bypass limits, inflate a leaderboard position, or re-use single-use codes is not permitted.

Acceptable use

Don't:

  • attempt to abuse, overload or circumvent the code-execution system, or use it to run workloads unrelated to solving problems on this platform;
  • submit malicious code, or code intended to attack the sandbox, the platform, or any third party;
  • scrape, bulk-download or redistribute problem statements, test data or other platform content;
  • attempt to access other users' accounts, submissions or private data;
  • resell, share or transfer paid access.

Code execution is a real, metered cost to us, so usage limits apply and may be adjusted as the platform grows.

Submission integrity

Automated checks run on submissions to detect hardcoded answers, output that doesn't vary with input, and attempts to probe hidden test data. Submissions that fail these checks are rejected and flagged.

A leaderboard and a certificate are only worth something if they're honest. Repeated or deliberate integrity violations may result in flagged submissions being discounted, certificates being revoked, features being restricted, or the account being suspended.

Code you submit

You keep ownership of the code you write. By submitting it, you grant us permission to store it, run it against test cases, and display it back to you — in your submission history, on your public profile, and (if you enable GitHub Sync) by pushing it to your own repository. We don't sell it or claim it as our own.

Platform content

Problem statements, test data, curriculum structure, and the site's design and branding remain the property of CtrlDogma. You may use them for your own learning; you may not republish or redistribute them.

Free and Pro access

Core tracks and core problems are free, at every difficulty, and remain so. Solving problems, tracking progress, earning track completion, and appearing on the leaderboard have never required payment, and Pro-only problems are deliberately excluded from track completion, CD Score and leaderboard ranking — so paying can't buy you a better position.

CtrlDogma Pro is a paid tier adding Pro problems, unlimited GitHub Sync, and official track certificates. Each purchase is a one-time payment for a fixed period — it does not auto-renew, so there is no recurring charge and nothing to cancel. When the period ends, the account returns to the free tier; buying again before it ends extends rather than replaces it.

Refunds are covered by our Cancellation & Refund Policy. Features described as "launching soon" are exactly that — planned, not yet available, and not part of what you are paying for today.

Certificates

A certificate attests that you completed a track's core problems on CtrlDogma on a given date. It is not an accredited academic or professional qualification.

Each certificate has a public verification page, and its validity is checked live every time that page loads. We may revoke a certificate where it was obtained through integrity violations, or where the subscription that unlocked it was refunded or charged back. A revoked certificate's page says so plainly.

GitHub Sync

GitHub Sync is optional. If you enable it, you authorise us to create and write to a solutions repository in your GitHub account. You are responsible for what ends up in your own repository and for its visibility. Disconnecting stops future pushes; files already pushed remain yours and are not deleted.

Availability and changes

CtrlDogma is under active development. We may add, change or remove features, adjust usage limits, and take the service down for maintenance. We aim to keep it available and reliable, but we don't guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. If we make a change that materially reduces what an active paid subscription provides, contact us and we'll make it right.

Suspension and termination

You may stop using CtrlDogma or request account deletion at any time. We may suspend or terminate an account that breaches these terms — for serious cases (attacks on the platform, systematic cheating, payment fraud) without prior notice. Where an account is terminated for a breach, unused paid time is not refundable.

Disclaimer and liability

The service is provided "as is". To the maximum extent permitted by law, we exclude implied warranties and are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, lost data, or lost opportunity arising from your use of the platform. Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim. Nothing here limits rights you have under applicable consumer law that cannot be waived.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of India, and the courts of India have jurisdiction over any dispute. Please contact us first — most issues are resolved far faster by email than by anything formal.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as the product evolves. The terms that apply to a purchase are the ones published at the time you paid. Material changes will be reflected here with an updated date at the top of this page.

Contact

Questions about these terms: support@ctrldogma.com, or see our Contact page.