Are teams allowed to substitute team members for the preliminary or final round?

Yes. For the preliminary round, you can change any team member, provided that the new team member is a student in Canada and that the team has no more than five team members in total. For the final round, you are able to substitute team members, as long as at least two of the original team members are on the final team.

Do all members of the team have to be attending a Canadian college or university?

Yes. All participating students must be studying full- or part-time at a Canadian post-secondary institution at the time of the preliminary round.

Do all team members have to come from the same institution?

No. Students from across multiple universities are welcome to form a team.

Can students participate in the competition more than once?

Absolutely! If you are a current student (full- or part-time), you are eligible to participate! In efforts to share knowledge and expertise, coaches are encouraged to create teams with a mix of experienced and new participants when possible.

How many teams can come from a given institution?

There is no limit on the number of teams from a given institution.

How can we find a coach for our team?

Coaches are usually professors or members of a CES chapter who are practicing evaluators. If you are struggling to find a coach on your campus, reach out to your CES chapter to see if they can help you connect with a practicing evaluator in the community.

Can coaches communicate with their team once the case has been distributed?

No, coaches are not permitted to communicate with their teams once the team has received the case. 

How many teams can each coach support?

Coaches are asked to ensure they provide the time and attention teams need to excel in the competition. To this end, we encourage each coach to submit a maximum of two teams to ensure teams have the support they need to prepare for the competition and learn about evaluation.

Are final round participants expected to pay their way to the conference?

On years where CES is hosting an in-person conference, the three finalist teams are given free conference registration and up to 80% of their costs for travel, accommodations, meals, and CES membership. Coaches are encouraged to seek sponsorship from their department/faculty or other sources for the remaining 20%. In virtual years, these costs do not exist and the format is changed slightly.