Guidelines for Competitors

These guidelines are to help competitors to achieve the optimum score with the material they have for their entry.

• 1. Guidelines are not rules that have to be followed.

  2. Experienced competitors and judges are probably available within the society to help those who might be entering for the first time. New competitors should not be afraid to ask for advice or how to get advice.

  3. Use the guidelines for the class you are entering to help you understand how you need to construct and develop the entry.

  4. The marking scheme can be used to indicate where marks are to be gained.

  5. Look at other competition entries. A high scoring entry has to get good marks in all sections that the judges are marking. Try to pick up tips that you can put into your entry.

  6. When you have put your entry together use the marking scheme to evaluate your entry.

  7. Put yourself in the place of the judge. Assess your entry on what you think is good, not so good and poor and then set about doing something about improving it.

  8. Judges pay particular attention to the first sheet – they use it to find out what the entry is about and what you are trying to show. Sheet one is where you should be telling them. The sheets that follow should then set out what you have said your entry will be showing. The introduction page should agree with what follows and this can often be achieved by writing it last.

  9. The first page is where an entrant may place an item that is not strictly philatelic – but it does have a bearing on the exhibit. This can mean a map or a postcard.

  10. Remember that this is your entry and you can put it together as you want it to be BUT the judges will be marking it according to a set of criteria. If your entry does not meet these criteria then you will not be awarded marks.