These rules apply to all Evaluation Contests, which are conducted in English only.  These rules may not be supplanted or modified, and no exceptions may be made.

To encourage development of evaluation skills and to recognize the best as encouragement to all.

To provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient evaluators who have benefited from their Toastmasters training.

Each Club in good standing may select its Club Evaluation Contest winner to compete in the Area contest.  A Club may choose its contestant by whatever means the Club desires.  If a contest is held, it must comply with all these rules and the contest result is final.  The Area speech contest winner then proceeds to the Division contest (if applicable).  The Division winner then proceeds to the District contest.  Should an Area or Division contest winner be unable to participate in the next contest level, the highest placed available contestant will advance to the next level.

All Toastmasters who are members in good standing of the Club in which they are competing are eligible to compete.  The Club also must be in good standing.  New, dual, or reinstated members must have dues and membership application current with Toastmasters International.

A member must maintain eligibility at all levels of any contest.  If at any level it is discovered that a contestant was ineligible to compete at any previous level, the contestant must be disqualified even if the ineligibility is not discovered until a later level and has been corrected.

The following are ineligible to compete in this contest: incumbent International Officers and Directors; District Officers (Governor, any Lieutenant Governor, Division Governor, Area Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, or Public Relations Officer) whose terms expire June 30; International Officer and Director candidates; Immediate Past District Governors, District Officers or announced candidates for the term beginning the upcoming July 1; presenters of educational sessions at the Area, Division, and District event at which the contest will be held.  An individual may not be a judge at any level for a contest in which they are still competing.

Toastmasters who are members in more than one Club and who meet all other eligibility requirements may compete in each Club in which membership in good standing is held.  However, should they win more than one Club Evaluation Contest, they can represent only one of the Clubs at the Area level.  No contestant can compete in more than one Area Evaluation Contest, even if the two Areas are in different Divisions or different Districts.

A contestant must be a member in good standing of the Club, Area, Division or District being represented when competing in a speech contest at the next level.

Each contestant must complete the Speaker’s Certification of Eligibility and Originality (Form 1183) and submit it to the Chief Judge prior to the contest.

Each contestant must be present to compete.  Participation by audio and video tape and teleconference is not permitted.

A contest Chairman, contest Sergeant at Arms, Chief Judge, at least five Judges, a Tiebreaking Judge,  two Counters and two Timers are appointed.  These appointments will be as far as is practical at Club levels, but required for Area through District levels of this contest.  All Judges will judge all contestants.

Before the contest, contestants and the contest Sergeant at Arms are briefed on the rules by the contest Chairman.  Judges, Counters and Timers are briefed on their duties by the Chief Judge.  Contestants will then draw for their speaking position with the contest Chairman.

If a contestant is absent from the briefing, the alternate speaker, if present, may be included in place of the primary contestant.  When the contest Toastmaster is introduced, if not present, the primary contestant is disqualified and the alternate officially becomes the contestant.  Where the primary contestant arrives and makes this known to the contest Chairman and has all required paperwork in good order prior to the introduction, and missed the briefing, disqualification shall not occur and the primary contestant may speak in the drawn order, but waives the opportunity of a briefing.

All contestants will speak from the same platform or area designated by the contest Chairman with prior knowledge of all the Judges and all the contestants.  The contestants may speak from any position within the designated area and are not limited to standing at the lectern/podium.

A lectern/podium will be available.  However, the use of the lectern/podium is optional.

If amplification is necessary, a lectern/podium fixed-mounted microphone and a portable microphone should be made available, if possible.  It is suggested that the fixed-mounted microphone be nondirectional.  The selection and use of a microphone is optional for each contestant.

All equipment will be available for contestants to practice prior to the contest.  Contestants are responsible for arranging their preferred setup of the lectern/podium microphone and other equipment in a quiet manner before being introduced by the Toastmaster.

At the beginning of this contest a five to seven minute test speech will be presented.  The test speech should be either a contest-type speech, or taken from one of the assignments in the basic Communication and Leadership Program manual.

Contestants may make preparatory notes during the test speech using materials of their choice.  It is recommended that at all levels of the contest, the Toastmaster giving the test speech is not a member of the same Club as any one of the contestants.  The test speaker shall be introduced by announcing the speaker's name, speech title, speech title, the speaker's name.

Neither the manual nor any objectives that the speaker may have shall be made known to the contestants, Judges or audience.