Judging Criteria
The following categories are guidelines for judging the presentations of each competitor. The weighting of each category is to be determined by the host university. The decision of the judging panel is final.
Communication
- Did the graduate student use non-verbal communication (i.e. voice modulation, body language) effectively?
- Did the graduate student use language that was jargon-free, or if jargon was used, was it accompanied with an explanation to make terms understandable to a non-expert audience?
- Did the presentation follow a logical sequence?
- Did the graduate student use their three minutes effectively? Did they elaborate too long on a particular aspect? Did the presentation feel rushed or incomplete?
Comprehension
- Did the presentation help you to understand the methodology behind the scholarly research being undertaken?
- Did the graduate student clearly outline the nature and purpose of their research?
- Did the graduate student clearly indicate the fascinating or compelling aspects of their research?
- Did the graduate student provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed?
- Did the graduate student clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including any conclusions and outcomes, or further steps to be taken?
Engagement
- Was the presentation engaging? Did the graduate student use creative language and storytelling to capture and maintain the audience's attention?
- Did the graduate student convey enthusiasm for their work?
- Was the graduate student careful not to trivialise or generalise their research?
- Did the PowerPoint slide create intrigue without dividing your attention – was it clear, legible, and concise?
- Did the presentation inspire you to want to know more?
Note: The above judging criteria is provided in the 3MT® Three Minute Thesis Competition – Handbook for Participating Universities (2026) by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS).
