How Science Fair Judging Works
A science fair rubric does two jobs. It lets judges who have never met compare a volcano model, a plant growth study and a home-built water filter on the same scale, and it tells students in advance what good work looks like. Hand the rubric out with the project guidelines, not on fair day.
Most fairs judge in one of these ways:
- Rubric scoring: teams of two or three judges score every project in a division, and the highest averages place
- Two rounds: a first round scores every project, then a finalist panel interviews the top projects in each division
- Special awards: organizations and sponsors judge separately for their own prizes, such as best environmental project
- Showcase: younger grades present without ranking, and every student gets feedback and a certificate
If your fair is affiliated with a regional or state fair that feeds into the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, it follows the Society for Science rules, which include review and approval before experimentation for some projects, such as those involving people, vertebrate animals or hazardous materials, and rules for what can be displayed. Read the current rule book before you write your own guidelines, since students who advance must have met it from the start.
Science Fair Judging Criteria and Rubric
The rubric below makes a 100-point sheet. Method and the interview carry the most weight, because they show whether the student did and understood the work. The board counts, but a beautiful board should not rescue a weak experiment.
| Criterion | What judges look for | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Research question | Clear, focused and testable; background research shows why it matters | 10 |
| Design and method | Variables identified, a control, repeated trials, a procedure someone else could follow | 25 |
| Data and analysis | Enough data, organized in tables and graphs, conclusions supported, errors and limits discussed | 20 |
| Creativity | An original question, approach or apparatus, beyond a kit or a well-known demonstration | 15 |
| Interview | Explains the work in their own words, answers questions, knows what they would change | 20 |
| Display board | Clear, readable, logically ordered, with the question, method, results and conclusion | 10 |
| Total | All criteria | 100 |
Engineering and invention projects follow the engineering design process rather than the scientific method. Use the same points but swap what judges look for.
| Criterion | Science project | Engineering project |
|---|---|---|
| Research question | A testable question and hypothesis | A real problem, who has it, and design requirements |
| Design and method | Controlled experiment with repeated trials | Several designs considered, one chosen for stated reasons, a prototype built |
| Data and analysis | Results compared with the hypothesis | Prototype tested against the requirements, then improved |
| Creativity | A fresh question or method | A clever solution, material or mechanism |
| Band | Points | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning | 1 to 8 | Steps listed, but no control or only one trial |
| Developing | 9 to 15 | A control and some repeats; variables partly identified |
| Proficient | 16 to 21 | A fair test with clear variables and repeated trials |
| Exemplary | 22 to 25 | Careful design for the grade level, with sources of error planned for |
Printable Science Fair Score Sheet
Print one sheet per project per judge. Identify projects by table number and title only; leave student names off the judging sheet so judges score the work in front of them.
Grade Divisions and Categories
A fourth grader and a high school senior should never be scored against each other. Divide by grade first, then by category if you have enough projects to fill each group.
| Division | Grades | How to judge |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | K to 2 | Often a showcase with feedback, or class projects judged together |
| Elementary | 3 to 5 | The full rubric, scored for what a strong elementary student can do |
| Junior | 6 to 8 | The full rubric, with more weight on a controlled experiment |
| Senior | 9 to 12 | The full rubric, with research depth and statistics expected |
- Categories such as life sciences, physical sciences, earth and environmental, engineering, behavioral science and computer science
- A team project rule: how many students, and whether every member must be present for the interview
- A minimum number of projects to award a category, and the category small ones merge into
- A clear statement of how much adult help is allowed, and a line on the entry form where the student and a parent confirm it
Science Fair Judge Interview Questions
The interview is where judges find out what the student understands. Start with an easy, open question so the student relaxes, then go deeper. Give judges a card of questions like these, and remind them that a student saying they don't know, then reasoning about it, is a good answer.
- Keep each interview to the time set for the round, often a few minutes per judge, so every project gets seen
- Ask the same core questions of every project in a division, then follow up on what you hear
- Kneel or sit at eye level with younger students
- If a project looks adult-made, ask gentle, specific questions about the method rather than accusing
- Never tell a student their score or how they compare with others
Laying Out Project Tables on the Floor Plan
The floor plan decides how fast judges move and how easily families find a project. A science fair floor works much like a poster session: rows of tables, wide aisles, and numbers that tell a judge where to go next.
- Group each division together, so a judge team works one block of tables instead of crossing the room
- Number tables in walking order within each division, with a prefix such as E, J or S, and print the same number on the table card and the judging sheet
- Leave aisles wide enough for a judge team and a crowd of parents to pass, and keep exits and fire lanes clear as the venue requires
- Put projects that need power along walls with outlets, and ask on the entry form who needs it
- Check the fair's and venue's rules on liquids, live organisms, open flames and chemicals before students arrive
- Set a quiet area for the judges' room, away from the noise of the hall, for briefing and tallying
Give each judge team a printed map with its tables marked and a list of table numbers in order. For room layouts more generally, see event room setup styles; to draw the floor itself, an event floor plan maker is faster than a spreadsheet.
Running Judging Day and Results
- 1
Brief and Calibrate Judges
Judges arrive before students are released to their tables. Walk through the rubric, the bands and a sample project, and agree what an average project in each division scores.
- 2
Collect Conflict Statements
Every judge signs a short statement listing any student, school or classroom they are connected to. The head judge reassigns those projects.
- 3
Run the First Round
Students stay at their tables during set judging windows. Judges score each project right after the interview, without conferring.
- 4
Tally and Check
Two volunteers total the sheets, average each project's scores and flag any project with a very wide spread between judges for a second look.
- 5
Judge the Finalists
A fresh panel interviews the top few projects in each division and ranks them. Ties go to design and method, then the interview.
- 6
Return Feedback
Give every student their judges' written comments, not just the result. For many students, this is the first time a stranger has asked them about their work.
Recruit judges early: teachers from other schools, local scientists and engineers, university students and retirees. Event volunteer management covers shift planning, and the talent show judging sheet has more on calibrating judges for school contests. Put the judging windows, the public viewing hours and the awards on your run of show template.