Talking to the judges can be scary for some. Remember, the judges are just regular people who are there because they are interested in learning about your project an because they love science and engineering as much as you do. They want you to do well and are rooting for you to succeed.
Questions commonly asked by judges
- “Tell me about your project.”
- “What did you find out? Were there any surprises?”
- “Why did you do your project this way?”
- “What does that word mean?”
- “What led you to this topic?”
- “Why do you think your results turned out as they did?”
- “If you studied this more, what would you do next? What would you do differently?”
You are going to hear that last question a lot, so be prepared for it.
The best way to prepare is to practice explaining your project to others. Explain your project to your teachers. family and practice answering the questions above. Pets and plush toys are really good listeners too.
You should be able to explain your project in about 1 minute. It is great to reference items on your display board but avoid reading it to the judges. It is also not necessary to memorize a speech. Judges prefer a more open conversation about your project and research.
On the day of the fair you will talk with several judges, sometimes in small groups and sometimes individually. Smile, don’t rush and let them know how excited you are about your project! Judges are on your side!
You can also review the Judges Handbook to see more about the things they will be looking for, along with the criteria used to score projects. Their goal is to make the interview process one of your best memories of the fair.
Team projects
While it is natural for some team members to be a little more comfortable talking with judges than others, be sure to let each member contribute to the conversation. This leaves a really good impression on judges about the project and how you worked as a team.
Judges’s comments and scoresheets
While students’ desire to better understand where they excelled in their project presentation and where they should focus on in the future is commendable, NCSEF policy prevents the release of score sheets or judges notes after the fair.
Students should think back to the interviews with judges. What questions did they ask? Which were easy for you to answer? You know your stuff there, keep up the good work! Which were a little more difficult? Those are good places to focus next year, not just in practicing for the interview, but especially in the depth and how you conduct your research? What questions did you hear from all judges? You should definitely be prepared for those next year.
For more details see the criteria used to score projects.
