Yu-Gi-Oh! Organized Play is fortunate in that there are a number of duelists who are willing to forego tournament spots and playing in leagues in order to judge and run tournaments. It’s about time these stalwart few got some attention here at Metagame.com, so we’re going to start off a new series of articles geared towards judges and Tournament Organizers. There were a lot of places to begin, but I think the time is right for a look at the Judge Test program.

Ah, the Judge Test . . . be it Level 1, 2, or 3, everyone who has come up against it has wondered how best to prepare, what to expect, whether or not to feel stupid if they fail, and how long it will be until they can either retake it or take the next one. Here are the answers to all of those questions and more! I’ve passed all the tests up through Level 3, and also been a test administrator. I can give you some insight on how to prepare and what to expect from both sides of the table.

Before you get into the facts of the program, stop and think. If you aren’t a judge yet, why do you want to become one? If you’ve passed certain levels, why do you want to move up? Some want to climb the ranks of the judge program as a way to earn prestige or recognition, some just want to have a card to flash when arguing about rulings when playing in a tournament, and some actually want to help further the game. There are nearly as many reasons for becoming a judge as there are judges, but it’s important to remember that judging is often a difficult and seemingly unrewarding pastime.

Duelists get mad at you, you see all your friends win trips to compete at Nationals, and sometimes the judge shirts just don’t come in your size. Often, you’ll be paying your own way to events, eating junk food lunches in game stores, and have very sore feet. It’s not without its rewards, though. High-level judges often get sponsored at large events, and judges who judge frequently and in different areas get to know a large portion of the Yu-Gi-Oh! community. Duelists who don’t know what they’re doing drive you crazy? If you’re a judge, you can educate newer duelists, bring the tournament or league scene in your area up to scratch, and become the envy of other areas. Many also find the process itself rewarding, knowing that they make a lot of the OP program possible. Others find interacting with the dueling community more enjoyable than fighting their way through the rounds of a tournament. It’s important to examine your motives for becoming a judge so you’ll be realistic about what to expect. No one likes a cranky, disaffected judge.

I’ll give you a few minutes to get a snack and to think about your role in the judge program.

Ready to read on? I’m going to cover some basic information on each level of the test to begin with, then look at the program as a whole. I’ll also give some pointers on preparing for the tests and what to expect when you take them.

The first level of the test, Level 1, was originally available online. It was a test that most duelists could pass with some experience of dueling and basic gameplay, with a few of the more obscure rulings thrown in to spice it up. This was a pretty popular test, judging by the number of members in the judge mailing list and the amount of “Level 1 Judge” lines appearing in online signatures. This version of the test has since been taken offline, and there aren’t concrete plans as to when it will go back up. If you are attending an event at a large convention, you may have the chance to take the Level 1 test there. It will now be offered on paper just like the tests for the next two levels. Don’t expect it to be advertised beforehand, so if you are attending a convention, be prepared! If you do decide to take the Level 1 test in person, expect a short interview beforehand. This is to get a sense of how ready you are and of your overall motive for taking the test. If you don’t pass the test, you’ll have to wait one month before you take it again.

The Level 2 test might come as a shock to people who breezed through the Level 1 test. It’s quite a bit harder, and tests your knowledge of how the game works as well as whether or not you know basic game concepts and specific rulings. The Level 2 test is only offered on paper, not online, and usually at larger events. Check with your TO to see if it will be available at any Regionals or other high visibility tournaments in your area. One nice thing about the Level 2 test is that, at the test administrator’s discretion, you can take it immediately after passing the Level 1 test. This kills two Sonic Ducks with one Giant Soldier Of Stone. It’s a real benefit to duelists who don’t get frequent opportunities to attend events that offer judge testing. You should also be prepared to actually judge a round or two, either in the main event or in a side event. This is not always a requirement, but it often is, so be aware you may need to do it in order to pass the test. Should you take the Level 2 test and fail, you’ll need to wait three months before you can take it again.

Level 3 is currently the highest level attainable outside of Upper Deck Entertainment. Currently, there are only fifteen Level 3 judges, and it’s not for a want of Level 2 judges taking the test. Level 3 is intended to be very, very difficult. If you have a Level 3 judge in your area, consider yourself fortunate! If you already are a Level 3 judge, give yourself a pat on the back! If you want to pass the Level 3 test, keep reading. You’d better understand chaining, priority, timing inside and out, and have excellent reading comprehension. There is also a waiting period between Level 2 and Level 3. You’ll need to wait at least six months before you can move from Level 2 to Level 3.

If you really want to make it to Level 3 and don’t want to wait six months, there is another option. Some test administrators will have a Level 2/3 test. This is a combined version of the Level 2 and Level 3 test. Passing it will earn you the rank of Level 3—not Level 2/3, because that would be silly—but it’s significantly harder than the Level 2 test, so be prepared. If you fail it, you’ll need to wait six months before testing for either Level 2 or retaking the Level 2/3 test. Ask yourself, are you feeling lucky, smart, or both? You’re not likely to find a test administrator who’ll let you take this one directly after passing your Level 1 test, but it never hurts to ask nicely.

How do you prepare for the different levels of the judge test? The same sort of test-taking strategies that work for scholastic tests work here.

Make sure you’re well rested and have at least most of your wits about you. If you were up all the night before, building and rebuilding and rebuilding and testing your deck, then you drank a liter of Mountain Dew, ate two chocolate donuts, and got in a compact car with seven of your friends to drive four hours to the event, you might not be in the ideal shape to take a test. Some people do thrive on that sort of thing, but if you aren’t one of them, make the proper preparations.

You shouldn’t rush through the test. No one gets a prize for being the first to finish. Lots of the questions are tricky, and a lot of people taking the tests fail because they didn’t read the questions correctly. That’s a lot more frustrating than not knowing a specific ruling—the “D’oh!” factor can really get you. If you are attending an event to compete, then realize you might not have enough time to really put enough focus on the test, so if you really, really want to pass it, you might want to stick to side events and make the test your priority for that event. The Level 2 and 3 tests are actually quite long—don’t think you’ll blast through it in fifteen minutes. On average, people spend between an hour and 90 minutes on the upper level tests.

Be prepared. This seems like an obvious rule, but bear in mind that most of the people who take the tests aren’t prepared enough. Few people taking the Level 2 test and very few people taking the Level 3 test pass on their first attempt. Many people who did well on the Level 1 test or who play and judge a lot think that they’re over-prepared and the test will be a breeze, but the average test score is usually in the 50-60 percent range. Take heed and be warned! Before you take the test, swing by the Upper Deck Entertainment website and read through the FAQ. Do this even if you already think you know what’s in it. Understand the basic gameplay and also make sure you truly understand chains, priority, and timing. Knowing the card base and specific rulings will help too. The tests do get updated and changed. Know the latest expansion and any tricky rulings that have come up, and don’t expect to see the same questions if you retake the test.

When you get the test, make sure to read it carefully. Pay attention to the questions, and take note of what the test does not tell you. Information you aren’t given is irrelevant to the question, so make sure you know what you’re trying to answer. Many of the questions are very long scenarios, so if your attention wanders while you’re reading it, you’re probably going to miss something and get the answer wrong.

Go back and check your answers, but try not to stress out too much. There isn’t a Secret List of Terrible Scores that we sit and read and laugh about. The time delay between retakes and the difficulty in getting access to the tests can put a lot of pressure on a person to pass, but the more paranoid you get about the test, the less you’ll get from it. If you prepared for the test, took your time, and read through it carefully, then you’ve done what you can do. If you don’t pass, then apply the experience towards doing better next time.

With the increasing amount of Regional tournaments and upcoming conventions, there should be several test-taking opportunities out there. If you are interested in moving up the judge ranks, get prepared so you’ll be ready for the test when it’s available to you. The OP program will always need qualified, dedicated judges. If you’re a Level 1 or 2 judge and you want to move up a level, then check at events near you to find out if the tests will be offered. You’ve got all the basic information here, so with a lot of studying and careful preparation, you should be ready. Remember that levels don’t automatically define a judge’s skill. There are plenty of very competent Level 1 judges out there. In the end, how a judge performs is the real measure of his or her skill. If you’ve got the knowledge and get the opportunity to test, go for it!