Preparing for the Judges
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM JUDGES AND HOW
TO PREPARE FOR JUDGING DAY.
Preparing for
the Judges
o How will I be judged?
o Preparing for your
oral presentation
o Preparing an effective
visual display
o What kinds of
questions should I
expect?
o How do I answer
questions?
o What steps should I
take to prepare?
o Expectations
 Creative ability (30)
 Well defined, original problem is of significance,
focused and clear
 Scientific thought or technology goals (30)
 Clear hypothesis and high quality plan for scientific
or technology investigation, accurate observations
and data analysis, valid identification and
interpretation of conclusions, a well reasoned
argument
 Thoroughness (15)
 Project carried out with careful and appropriate
investigative procedures and methods, welldocumented investigation
 Technical skill (15)
 Exhibition is well constructed, visual presentation is
carefully prepared and effective
 Clarity and gramatic value (10)
 Oral presentation is effective and concise, student is
able to engage in meaningful discussion and answer
questions about project, clearly understands project
Preparing for
the Judges
o How will I be judged?
o Preparing for your
oral presentation
o Preparing an effective
visual display
 Practice makes perfect
 Communicating your research well is most
important
 Practice in front of someone, time your
presentation, make sure it flows well, work as
a supplement to your board
 Write a short speech
 Be able to give your speech without reading.
This should include:

o What kinds of

questions should I
expect?


o How do I answer

questions?
o What steps should I
take to prepare?
o Expectations

How you got the idea
How you did the experiment
Results and Conclusions
How is your research relevant
Demonstrate that you know the theory behind
your research.
Expect to be interrupted with questions
 Be Professional
 Prepare a 30 second “elevator speech”
Preparing for
the Judges
 The display is the judge’s first

o How will I be judged?
o Preparing for your
oral presentation

o Preparing an effective
visual display
o What kinds of
questions should I
expect?



o How do I answer
questions?
o What steps should I
take to prepare?
o Expectations

impression of your research
It must attract an audience and be
informative
Convince judges that your research
is of sufficient quality to deserve
closer scrutiny
Free standing
Includes pictures and text
The judge can easily understand
what your research is about and
what your results are in a few
minutes
What do you think makes a good
visual display?
Preparing for
the Judges
o How will I be judged?
o Preparing for your
oral presentation
o Preparing an effective
visual display
o What kinds of
questions should I
expect?
o How do I answer
questions?
o What steps should I
take to prepare?
o Expectations
 Common Questions:
 How much help did you receive from
others?
 What does your data tell you?
 Why is your research important?
 What do your graphs represent?
 What problems did you encounter and
how did you fix them?
 What are the three most interesting
things you learned from your research?
 How would you extend your research in
the future?
Preparing for
the Judges
o How will I be judged?
 Think about other questions
beforehand

o Preparing for your
oral presentation
o Preparing an effective
visual display
o What kinds of
questions should I
expect?
o How do I answer
questions?
o What steps should I
take to prepare?
o Expectations

Including questions specific to your
research
If there are any holes in the research,
make sure you can answer questions
pertaining to this
 If you do not know the answer:
 Don’t try to fake it, you are not
expected to know everything
 Answer questions with confidence
 Remember that it is YOUR research,
YOU are the expert
Preparing for
the Judges
o How will I be judged?
o Preparing for your
oral presentation
o Preparing an effective
1.
2.
3.
4.
visual display
5.
o What kinds of
6.
questions should I
expect?
o How do I answer
questions?
o What steps should I
take to prepare?
o Expectations
7.
8.
9.
Pick your topic
Research your topic
Organize
Make a time table
Plan your experiment
Consult with an adult sponsor
Conduct your experiment
Analyze your results
Draw conclusions
Preparing for
the Judges

o How will I be judged?
o Preparing for your
oral presentation

o Preparing an effective
visual display
o What kinds of

questions should I
expect?
o How do I answer
questions?
o What steps should I
take to prepare?
o Expectations

What should you do when the
judge approaches?
How should you act during your
presentation?
What should you do after your
presentation?
How should you act between
judging?
Take Home
Design your research project well
 Take the necessary steps
 Know your research
 Know the background information
 Practice your presentation
 Practice makes perfect
 Make sure you practice in front of
someone
 Be prepared for questions
 Common and others
 Make strong conclusions within reason
and relate them to previous research

Other Questions/Comments