Q1. My child’s birthday is approaching shortly. How does this influence the level that I pick?
The child’s age on October 10th (the registration deadline) is to be used to assign the criteria for levels.
Q2. Can I register my child for a higher level than the criteria listed on the website?
Yes. If you choose to register your child for a higher level than they qualify for then this is acceptable, but you understand that they will be competing with children who will be older than them.
Q3. Can I register my child for a lower level than the criteria listed on the website specified?
No. You may not enter for a lower level than the age limit specified for that level as this will put your child at an unfair advantage compared to other children in the level. If the date of birth is not consistent with the level selected, then the child will automatically be moved up to the appropriate level corresponding to their age.
Q4. Will I be notified if I am selected for Round 2?
Yes, the top 5 finalists will be notified after the first round for Round 2.
Q5. Can the same speech or topic be selected for round 2 as was used in round 1?
No. Finalists must select a different topic for round 2.
Q6. Is this a physical event or a remote event?
This will be an in-person event. Location of the event will be shared with the registered participants.
Q7. Are the scoring criteria identical for round 1 and round 2?
Yes, except for one additional criterion in round 2, which will evaluate the competitor’s response to a single question asked by one of the judges. Scoring criteria are detailed on the website.
Q8. How long should each speech be?
Level 1: 3 minutes (180 seconds) maximum
Level 2: 4 minutes (240 seconds) maximum
Level 3: 6 minutes (360 seconds) maximum
Any seconds after the allocated time will negatively impact the score. Any time the speaker is over by 30 seconds will automatically receive a zero score.
Q9. Can I pick a different topic to the ones listed on your website?
No, you must pick only from the titles listed on the website. An objective of the speech competition is for participants to research and develop Islamic concepts and the titles have been selected with this in mind.
Q10. Is it permitted to read my speech from a script?
In principle, it is allowed to read your speech from a written script. However, this will negatively impact your score under the scoring category “presentation, delivery and voice”. For more information please see the scoring criteria.
