The IJP levels structure and certification process have been out in the world for a month. During this period we have received a lot of very valuable feedback, we’ve carefully analyzed it and we found some areas that can be changed or improved.
We want to thank our amazing Temporal Regional Advisors team, as well as the many judges who provide us feedback in many different ways.
We are applying the following changes to the level requirements, effective immediately:
Levels 2 & 3
These levels have one change.
Old: These levels used to have different pools for rules and policy questions.
New: These levels will use the same pool of rules & policy questions. However, Level 2 requires a passing score of 75% while Level 3 requires a passing score of 85%.
The reason for this change is mostly logistical. When we compared the pools, we realized they overlapped a lot with each other and this way we will have a second version of the exams sooner for candidates who failed their first attempt.
Level 4
This level has three changes.
Changes 1 and 2:
Old: “2. Lead a team that is assigned each of these tasks at least once:
- Pairings
- End of Round
- Deck Checks
- Any Public Events Team (scheduled/ODE/Kickstarter)”
New: “2. Lead, as a team lead or as a task lead, the following tasks at least once:
- Deck Checks
- End of Round
- Any other Main Event team
- Any Public Events Team (scheduled/ODE/Kickstarter)
You can find a definition of “task leader” in the IJP Levels Glossary.
There are two primary reasons for this change:
- We have realized the opportunities to lead teams were very low for L2s before the IJP in many regions of the world. However we need a judge with the L4 certification to be familiar with leading those tasks. This brought up the role of task manager, which allows familiarity with leading a task in a smaller event.
The most important part here is highlighting that just showing up at an event and having a task assigned is not valid for this. Leading a task requires having it assigned before the event and doing the pre-event communication with the HJ and other judges regarding that task. - We added other alternative options to leading the Pairings team. While we believe End of Round and Deck Checks are very unique in their task and any L4 judge must have some familiarity in leading them, we think it’s fine having familiarity with just another team. Similarly, we believe some degree of familiarity with any of the teams at Public Events is necessary.
Change 3:
Old: “4. Serve as head judge for a headlining event at a multi-day event”
New: “4. Serve as head judge for either a headlining event at a multi-day event or medium-sized competitive event”.
You can find a definition of “medium-sized competitive event” in the IJP Levels Glossary.
The reasoning for this change is that we realized there are a number of judges in the world that for various reasons didn’t have the opportunity to HJ in a multi-day event, but that have equivalent skills by head judging a more complex tournament that can be done locally.
Level 5
This level has one change and an adjustment of the passing score for the written exam.
Old: “Once they are approved for the panel process, they may take the exam. They must complete the exam with a score of 80% or higher before a panel can occur. Unlike other IJP exams, this test is closed book. This exam will be proctored and timed.”
New: “Once they are approved for the panel process, they may take the exam. They must complete the exam with a score of 85% or higher before a panel can occur. This exam will be open book, proctored and timed.”
You can find a definition of “open book” in the IJP Levels Glossary.
The reasoning for this change is that we believe that this version better reflects the reality of judging at events, where judges have access to rules and policy resources to ensure accurate and consistent rulings. At events Head Judges actually encourage judges of every level to always double check their rulings. Additionally, we want to test the ability to quickly and efficiently locate information rather than solely relying on memorization.
Also, the threshold for passing the L5 written exam has been raised to 85%. This adjustment aims to reflect the higher level of mastery and expertise expected of Level 5 judges, while still maintaining an achievable standard for those who aspire to reach this prestigious level.
Levels 4 and 5
The following change affects both of these levels and is in effect for the Transition Phase only.
The maintenance requirement of “Pass three out of four advanced set update quizzes throughout the year” with “Pass the Judge Academy L3P or L3 test”.
The reasoning for this change is mostly of a practical nature. Until our actual 1st maintenance next year, we won’t have all of the advanced set update quizzes in place, therefore those are impossible to take. However, during last year there were the L3 and L3P exams available and we consider passing them as proof of being up to date with rules.
Clarification on the Transition Phase
This is not a change per se but we believe it is important to clarify two points about the transition phase that we have received many quesitons about:
- May 31st is the deadline to fill in the form. The actual testing, paneling or any other thing that the certification process needs can be done after this deadline.
- It is acceptable to fill in the form including experience from future events as long as the position is confirmed and the schedule is public. This means, if you already have a schedule where you’re assigned to do “role X”, you can include it in the Transition Period form and we will schedule your test/levelup for after that event takes place.
Our first level advancements
We are excited to welcome the first judges who have advanced to a new level within the IJP, who we will be able to announce very soon.
