Skip to content

Adjudication

One hundred points, five criteria, one score sheet nationwide

A two-venue competition only works if both rooms are measuring the same thing. The rubric, the judge brief and the fairness rules are identical in Toronto and Vancouver.

  • Content & Ideas

    30

    Substance of the argument, depth of thought, real-world relevance.

  • Structure & Logic

    20

    Complete structure, clear reasoning, an argument that advances.

  • Delivery

    25

    Voice, pace, eye contact, stage presence, clarity.

  • Originality

    15

    Independent thinking and a distinctly personal expression.

  • Impact / Audience Connection

    10

    Connection with the room and the carrying power of the message.

  • Total: 100 points

    Substance is weighted most heavily. Content, structure and originality together account for 65 of the 100 points.

Fairness

The rules that keep two rooms comparable

Accent is not a scoring factor

Judges assess clarity, ideas, structure and expression — never proximity to a native-speaker accent.

One score sheet, one brief

Toronto and Vancouver use an identical score sheet and the same judge brief, issued before the event.

Age-appropriate reading of the same rubric

Both divisions share one core framework; judges weigh depth, maturity and lived experience against the age band.

Declared conflicts, numbered speakers

Judges sign a conflict-of-interest declaration. Scoring uses speaker numbers to de-emphasize school and background.

Panels

Two layers of judging, deliberately separated

Local Panels

3 judges per venue

Score both divisions at their own venue and produce that venue’s Top 3 in each division.

National Awards Panel

3 independent judges

Take no part in local scoring. Review the shortlisted recordings from both venues and both divisions, then determine the national placements and speech special awards.

How a result is produced
Stage Who decides Output
Live scoringThree local judges at each venueScores for every competitor in both divisions at that venue
Local tabulationEach venue independentlyMiddle School Top 3 and High School Top 3 for that venue
National reviewThree independent national judges who took no part in local scoringMiddle School National Top 3, High School National Top 3, and the speech special awards

See how the day is structured.

Check-in, joint kickoff, parallel competition, local tabulation, national review, joint awards — all in a single afternoon across two time zones.

Competition day Awards