Bit manipulation is a powerful tool in competitive programming, allowing you to solve problems involving set operations, parity, or number properties more efficiently. Operations like bitwise AND, OR, XOR, and shifts work directly with the binary representation of numbers, often leading to more concise and faster solutions compared to traditional methods. Common problems that can benefit from bit manipulation include finding subsets, determining the number of set bits in an integer, or toggling specific bits. Understanding how to use these operations effectively can help you solve a wide range of problems with minimal overhead.