Frequently Asked Questions
Students should be prepared to explain their projects to 3 different judges. Judges will be interested in hearing about your hypothesis, experimental design, data and conclusions. Judges may also ask you additional questions such as, “How did you think of this research project,” or “if you were to do this project again, what would you do differently,” or “if you could continue this research, what would you do next?” You may want to consider preparing a brief presentation in response to the question, “What did you do?” It can be helpful to outline a possible 3-4 minute explanation in advance but don’t memorize or set a speech. Graphs, pictures and models can be helpful in explaining the more complicated aspects of a project. A couple of hints-1) Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” (in other words, don’t try to fake it!) and 2) Relax!
Keep in mind judges study project reports before students arrive or after they leave and they will look at your log book and your backboard at those times. Don’t forget to introduce yourself to the judges in the beginning, shake their hands, and thank them for their time when the judging interview concludes. Students will remain with their projects during the entire judging time.
Reminder: Students ONLY during Judging-NO parents (or teachers please)
Elementary school judging between 10:10 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.
Middle school judging between 9:00 a.m. and 11:10 a.m.
High school students between 12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.