FAQ's - Judges

FAQs by Judges

  1. Which projects should I judge?

  • You will be pre-assigned a list of projects for you to judge. If you see any conflicts of interest, such as being asked to judge a child from a family that you know, please ask for a different assignment.
  • Each project will be evaluated by at least two different judges to help minimize inconsistencies in scoring.
  1. How long should I spend per project?

  • Aim to spend an average of 10 minutes judging a project. For grade 3, you might need only 5 minutes or so.
  1. How should I ensure confidentiality?

  • Don't discuss any of the projects unless you are in the judges’ area. You never know which other volunteers or visitors are parents.
  1. What was the students’ Science Fair Project process?

  • Students spent over ten weeks working on their projects, primarily at home, but with assistance and grading in class. Teachers guided the process and gave structured assignments for each step of the scientific method. Teachers distributed a guide to parents to ensure that they supported their children's work without actually doing any of the steps.
  1. How do I judge projects outside my field of expertise?

  • Do not hesitate to judge projects outside your field of expertise. It would be impossible for us to find judges skilled in every specific area represented by all of our science projects. At the core, you will be judging the students' use of the scientific method, a fundamental skill that crosses all specific areas of science.

Judging Effectively


  1. What are the most important things to remember when I am evaluating a student’s project?

  • First, you should be keenly aware of the abilities the students have at their grade level. Second, it is exceptionally important that the students are judged fairly and for you to understand what warrants low/high scores.

PDF Version - FAQ - For Judges