What Are Some Criteria for Judging Competitions?
Some criteria for judging competitions include originality, creativity, audience appeal, entertainment quality, ability to correctly perform some task or ability to answer questions. A competition or contest is a game of skill in which competitors are judged on their ability to successfully perform certain skilled activities. The criteria by which a competition is judged vary widely based on the nature of the competition and the skills it involves.
Creative competitions, in which contestants submit some creative work, may be judged on related but distinct criteria. An essay competition, for example, might be judged based on the humor, originality, content and clarity of the submitted work. A video or photo contest might be judged on similar criteria, but the color and composition of the submission would be judged as well. Competitions involving a physical skill or ability, such as gymnastics, might be judged on completely different qualities, including a contestant’s ability to successfully perform a skill and his technique and speed while doing so. Criteria in other competitions may hinge on more objective judgments, such as the participants’ ability to correctly solve certain problems or answer certain questions.
Once criteria have been determined, the value of each one toward the overall score must also be determined, typically adding up to 100 percent. For example, creativity might be worth 50 percent of a contestant’s score, while technique might be worth 35 percent and audience reaction 15 percent.
