What Do Judges Look for at a Pageant? Here's Exactly What to Expect at IJM

One of the most common questions we get at International Junior Miss is: “What are your pageant judges looking for?”

Whether you're new to pageantry or a returning contestant aiming to elevate your performance, understanding what judges are looking for can make all the difference in your preparation and confidence. At IJM, we prioritize transparency and fairness. That's why we provide our judges with the exact same competition guidelines that we give to our delegates. The expectations, rules, and scoring criteria are clearly outlined and consistent across the board. Nothing is a secret or left to chance. It's important that you as the contestant (or contestant's parent, mentor, or coach) reads and reviews the guidelines we provide. You'd be surprised how often contestants and their families simply do not read the rules... trust us, it's worth your time!

How Judging Works at IJM

There are three required competitions at IJM:

• Interview

• Fun Fashion

• Evening Gown

  
  

Each of these counts for one-third of your preliminary score, and each is judged on clear, published criteria. We even hold a delegate orientation presentation (our Crown Convos series) before the competition that walks through timing, walking patterns, and what to expect --- and that same presentation is shown to our judges. Everyone is on the same page.

What Judges Are Actually Looking For

Interview

The Interview Competition gives each delegate a chance to show the judges who she is off the stage. Contestants will meet one-on-one with each judge. Junior Delegates (Princess, Jr. Pre-Teen, and Pre-Teen) will have 2 minutes with each judges whereas our Senior Delegates (Jr. Teen, Teen, Miss, and Ms.) will have 3 minutes with each judge. Our judges are warm and friendly... they’re not looking to trip you up. They want to see a kid being a kid, and a teen being a teen.

You’ll be asked simple, age-appropriate questions about your interests, goals, and what makes you uniquely you. This isn’t about rehearsed speeches, it’s about real conversations.

Judges are looking for:

• Authenticity: Be yourself! Speak honestly and let your personality shine through.

• Confidence: Make eye contact, speak clearly, and show you’re comfortable sharing who you are.

• Poise: Sit tall, stay relaxed, and handle the conversation with grace... even if you get nervous!

• Age-Appropriate Style: Your interview outfit should reflect your personality and fashion sense. Think posh, not corporate. Dresses, jumpsuits, and two-piece sets (for our senior divisions) are all welcome.

Fun Fashion

Each delegate will showcase an outfit of her choice that reflects her personal style and is age-appropriate. The attire should exude fun and creativity, allowing for simplicity or ornateness according to preference. Please refrain from denim attire and note that props such as umbrellas, purses, or bags are not allowed on stage.

Judges are looking for:

• Unspoken Confidence: Representatives who exude vibrant confidence, take the stage with commanding strides, maintain engaging eye contact, and infuse their routines with contagious energy.

• Style: Fashion-forward runway looks, from cocktail dresses to rompers and jumpsuits. Capes and overskirts are popular choices but not necessary for success. Ensure age-appropriate styling and showcase your unique style (more on that to follow!).

• Energy: Exceptional modeling prowess and high energy. Balance confident strides and turns to showcase your charisma without overshadowing with excessive sashaying and spins.

• Captivating Expressions: Dynamic facial expressions to captivate judges' attention and leave a lasting impression.

Evening Gown

All delegates must wear an age-appropriate floor-length gown for the Evening Gown competition. Fit and style are very important in this competition. We suggest getting your garments tailored by a professional seamstress to fit your body. Make sure that you select a dress style that compliments your particular body type. If you need help shopping for or creating your dream gown, look no further than our Elite Competition Attire Vendor, Ashley Rene's Prom & Pageant. Delegates are judged on grace, poise, and elegance during their presentation.

Judges are looking for:

• Unspoken Confidence: Representatives who radiate confidence effortlessly, from commanding strides to unwavering eye contact.

• Style: Fashion-forward floor-length gowns of any silhouette, ensuring age-appropriate necklines for our Junior Divisions. Let your dress enhance your presence on stage without overshadowing your natural charm.

• Grace: Exceptional modeling prowess, including impeccable posture, confident strides, and graceful turns.

• Captivating Expressions: Dynamic facial expressions to captivate judges' attention and leave a lasting impression. Genuine eye contact is essential.

No Guessing. Just Guidance.

At International Junior Miss, we believe success starts with clear expectations. That’s why from the moment someone registers, we provide open access to our rules, judging criteria, and expectations - no secrets, no surprises.

We Don’t Just Say It - We Teach It

In the weeks leading up to Internationals, we will host a series of online presentation for all delegates that we call Crown Convos. These sessions are designed to reiterate everything we’ve published from day one - from the International Guidebook to the website. We go over walking patterns, time limits, wardrobe guidelines, and judging standards, so every contestant knows what to expect and how to prepare.

We also show this exact same presentation to our judges. That means everyone - contestants, families, and adjudicators - is operating from the same playbook. It’s part of our commitment to a transparent, professional, and empowering competition experience.

Executive Deductions: When Clear Rules Are Clearly Enforced

Some things don’t come down to a judge's interpretation... they’re monitored and enforced by our team. This includes:

• Routine time limits

• Makeup rules in junior divisions

  
  

For issues like exceeding the time limit, we apply an Executive Point Deduction. This means that our judges' coordinator tracks each contestant's time, and if the ceiling limit is exceeded, a full point is deducted from the contestant’s average for that round. We strongly advise against pushing to the time limit - it’s just not worth the risk!

We don’t leave timing or make-up enforcement up to the judges. They’re there to focus on performance, not stop-watching or deciding if a contestant is wearing mascara. And yes, we’ve had situations where people assumed someone was wearing makeup, but it turns out she just had naturally beautiful lashes and great skin! That’s why our team checks up close during lineup. As an example, for our Princess and Jr. Pre-Teen Interview, if we spot makeup, we’ll give the contestant's parent a moment to remove it. We want every girl to feel confident, but also to follow the rules. And our Princesses and Jr. Pre-Teens? They’re absolutely beautiful just as they are.

A Note on "Age Appropriate"

We recognize that in a global competition, standards of “age appropriateness” can vary widely across cultures. That’s why we are continuing to provide and develop clear guidance and respectful boundaries taking into feedback from our parents, contestants, judges, and staff year over year.

Here’s what we stand by:

• No midriffs in any division Pre-Teen and under for Overall Competitions (Fun Fashion, Evening Gown, and/or Interview)

• No false lashes in Junior Divisions during any Overall Competition or Optional Contest

• No makeup in Princess or Jr. Pre-Teen for interviews; only light makeup for Pre-Teen interviews (powder and gloss is plenty!)

• No swimsuits in any division, at any time, for any event

  
  

In the past few years, we've noticed that “Ice skater”-style costumes or leotard-inspired designs may be popular in some countries, but beginning with our '25-'26 competition, we are going to formally recommend full coverage (e.g., attached shorts or fringe skirts that are either thick or lined in order to not expose the leotard underneath), especially for our Princess, Jr. Pre-Teen, and Pre-Teen contestants. While some contestants have placed highly wearing bodysuit-like styles, others have not, depending on how conservative the panel of judges is. If you're questioning the look, there’s a good chance judges might, too. The guidance above isn’t about limiting creativity - it’s about protecting the integrity of the system and ensuring all contestants feel comfortable, confident, and respected.

Built-In Fairness

To ensure no one score outweighs the rest and that no single judge can sway the panel, IJM drops the highest and lowest score a contestant receives in each round. We are able to do this thanks to our 7-member judging panel. This eliminates extremes and allows to evaluate each performance in a fair, consistent way.

After the event, we publish to each contestant:

• Her average judges' score in each numerically scored category

• Her division's average and high score in each numerically scored category

• Her overall pageant ranking

• Selected judge's comments (and we're always happy to review these more in depth over the phone after reports have gone out)

  
  

  

Our goal is to offer a full-circle approach to competition, supporting our delegates with feedback, encouragement, and a clear sense of how they did.

Curious how we select judges? That’s a great question, and one we’ll be covering in a future blog post! Interested in becoming a judge? Let us know here.