Who is qualified to be a judge?
A judge should have the following three qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree in a scientific, technical, or educational field. (Exceptions may be made for related experience. Please contact judging@science-fair.org prior to registration.)
- Enjoy working with middle and high school students.
- Be available during judging hours on judging day.
Can parents judge who have students participating in the fair?
Parents of participating students are welcome to volunteer as judges; however they must conform to the SCVSEFA conflict of interest policy listed on the Judges Home Page. Parents must also refrain from speaking to their children, their children’s teachers, or their children’s friends during the judging period to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Why are there THREE kinds of judges?
We have three kinds of judges, Category Judges, Grand Prize Judges, and Sponsored Award Judges, for determining the three kinds of awards.
- Category Judges evaluate all the projects at the Fair and recommend which projects win SCVSEFA Category Awards. Projects must win a Category Award to be eligible to be considered for the California Science & Engineering Fair (CSEF) and International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
- Grand Prize Judges consider all the projects and select projects for Grand Prizes and those which may advance to CSEF and ISEF.
- Sponsored Award Judges evaluate and award projects just in the fields that are relevant to the organizations which sponsor the awards. Sponsored Awards are given by various professional organizations and companies. Sponsored Awards may take many forms, including certificates, cash, trips, equipment, and work fellowships. Criteria for the Sponsored Awards are determined by the sponsoring organizations.
What are the different categories for Category Judging?
Students designate a category and field of study for their project. Judging is done within one of four categories so that biological sciences projects are judged together, and physical sciences projects are judged together. Projects are also divided based on the amount of professional mentoring and access to non-school laboratories the student received.
Category Judges are asked to choose their preferred fields of study during online registration. We use the field of study to form project groups and to assign teams of judges with appropriate interests and qualifications to judge about 8 to 12 projects.
The four categories and fifteen fields of study are described at: Categories and Fields of Study.
Can others participate during judging?
No. Only assigned Category judges and students may participate in interviews during judging. Other judges may listen during an interview, unless they are a family member, teacher or sponsor of the students. Other family members, teachers and sponsors of the students may not participate. Occasionally a science fair staff member may join the interview for a few minutes to answer judges’ questions.
When is the Presentation of Awards?
Names of winning students are posted on the website after the Awards Ceremony. Awards will be presented to the student winners, representatives from the top schools, and the top teachers at the Awards Ceremonies which is typically 3 weeks after the Championship.
