Overview

The YSC Portal makes the process of setting up judging time slots simple by allowing you to create multiple time slots at once, ensuring efficient judging of all projects.

Understanding Judging Time Slots

Judging time slots define when your judges will evaluate projects during your fair. These time slots:

• Determine the schedule for your judges
• Define how long each judge will spend with each project
• Help ensure all projects receive equal judging time

Accessing Judging Time Slots

To begin setting up judging time slots:

1. Log in to the YSC Portal as a regional coordinator
2. Navigate to your regional fair in the sidebar menu
3. Click on Judging Time Slots under the judging section

Creating Judging Time Slots

The YSC Portal offers two methods for creating time slots:

Method 1: Batch Creation (Recommended)

This method is ideal for creating multiple time slots at once:

1. From the Judging Time Slots page, click Choose an option at the top

2. Select Create Judging Time Slots from the dropdown

3. In the dialog box that appears, enter the following information:

   • Day: Select which judging day to create slots for (if your fair spans multiple days)
   • Delete current time slots: Check this box if you want to replace existing time slots
   • Start Time: Enter when judging will begin (e.g., 9:00 AM)
   • End Time: Enter when judging will end (e.g., 4:00 PM)
   • Time Slot Length: Enter the duration of each judging period in minutes (typically 30 minutes)
   • Lunch Time (Optional): If your judging spans the full day, you can specify lunch break times

4. Click Create Time Slots

The system will automatically generate time slots based on your specifications.

Method 2: Individual Creation

For adding single time slots or making adjustments:

1. From the Judging Time Slots page, click Create Judging Time Slot
2. Enter the following information:
   • Day: Select the judging day
   • Start Time: Enter when the time slot begins
   • End Time: Enter when the time slot ends
3. Click Create

Managing Existing Time Slots

Once created, you can manage your time slots:

• View: See all created time slots in chronological order
• Edit: Click the pencil icon next to a time slot to modify its details
• Delete: Remove individual time slots if needed

Tips for Effective Time Slot Planning

1. Consider project complexity: Typically, 30 minutes per project works well, but complex projects might need more time
2. Include buffer time: Consider adding 5-10 minute breaks between time slots to allow judges to move between projects and complete scoring
3. Plan for meals: Add a lunch break if judging spans midday
4. Balance judge workload: Ensure each judge has a reasonable number of projects to evaluate
5. Allow for deliberation: Schedule time at the end of the day for judges to discuss and reach consensus on scores

Considerations for Multi-Day Judging

If your fair includes judging across multiple days:

1. Make sure the correct judging days are set in your event settings
2. Create separate time slots for each day
3. Consider using different days for different categories or types of judging

Next Steps After Creating Time Slots

After setting up your judging time slots, you'll need to:

1. Create project groups (grouping projects that will be judged together)
2. Assign judges to these project groups
3. Generate judging schedules that will assign specific judges to specific projects during your time slots