Question 014: Judging

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Judging at local testings is very subjective. Judging at national testings is also subjective, but all the judges are highly experienced at judging so there is some continuity in their judgments. Judges at local testings are usually senior students or instructors of the school conducting the testings; sometimes instructors or senior students from regional schools are also included. One difference between local testings and national testings is that at national testings most of the judges do not know the abilities or life circumstances of the students who are testing; they only know what they see standing before them. In an ideal testing, students would only be tested on how well they perform the required skills at the moment; however, in reality, testings are not so simple.

Rank is primarily an indication a students’ class attendance, school participation, and trying to do their best. In general, the longer a student is in training, the higher the rank. School owners need paying students to keep their schools open. If they never promote students, the students will quit and the schools will close. This does not mean that school owners necessarily promote everyone all the time, but this is always a consideration during testing. This aspect of testing is not normally known or understood by students as they progress through the ranks. At a testing, they just see the judges at the head table watching them and except the situation for what it is. Some times, the secondary judges at the table are also unaware of these considerations; usually, only the primary judge, the school owner, is thinking about them.