Judging Disclaimer
This Judging Disclaimer explains how judging decisions for VET Sector Awards are made and the basis on which entrants participate. VET Sector Awards recognises excellence, contribution and innovation across Australia’s vocational education and training sector, and the credibility of that recognition depends on a judging process that is independent, consistent and clearly understood. By entering the awards you accept the approach described on this page.
How judging works
Entries are assessed by a judging panel drawn from across the VET sector against the published criteria for each category. Judges score entries independently, moderate results as a panel and select shortlists, finalists and winners. Information about the panel is published on the judges section of our About page. Judges may seek clarification from entrants, may take into account only the material properly before them, and may decline to make an award in a category where entries do not reach the expected standard.
Decisions are discretionary and final
All judging decisions — including eligibility determinations, category placement, shortlisting, finalist selection and winner selection — are discretionary and final unless a procedural error is identified. No correspondence will be entered into about the merits of an entry or the relative merits of competing entries. Scores, judge deliberations and individual feedback remain confidential to the panel, and the organiser is under no obligation to provide feedback on unsuccessful entries.
Procedural review
If you believe a material procedural error occurred — for example, an entry was not put before the panel, an undeclared conflict of interest affected scoring, or the published process was not followed — you may raise it in writing with the awards team at info@caqa.com.au within 14 days of the relevant announcement. The organiser will review the concern, correct any error it identifies and advise you of the outcome. A procedural review considers whether the process was followed; it is not a re-judging of merit.
Criteria and scoring
Each category is judged against its published criteria, and only against those criteria. Judges assess what is written in the entry and any clarification properly obtained through the awards team; reputation, personal familiarity or material outside the entry does not form part of the assessment. Where two entries are closely matched, the panel’s moderated view prevails, and the panel chair holds a casting position where required. Scores are relative to the field in a given year, so results in one year are no indication of how a similar entry will fare in another.
Changes to the judging process
The organiser may refine the judging process between award rounds — for example, adjusting criteria, panel composition or the number of finalists per category — and will publish the current process on this website before nominations close. A change of this kind applies to future judging and is not a procedural error in respect of decisions already made.
Independence and conflicts of interest
Judges must declare conflicts of interest and do not score entries where a material conflict exists. Sponsorship of the awards, advertising with any CAQA Groups brand or any other commercial relationship with the organiser has no bearing on judging outcomes and confers no advantage on any entry.
What an award does and does not mean
An award, finalist place or nomination reflects the judging panel’s assessment of the entry submitted, at the time it was judged. It is not a regulatory endorsement, an audit outcome, a statement of compliance with the Standards for RTOs, a professional qualification or advice of any kind, and it must not be represented as any of these. Recipients may promote their recognition accurately and in context, identifying the category and year.
No fees, no purchased outcomes
Entry to the awards is free and no payments are taken through this website. Recognition cannot be bought: no fee, sponsorship or commercial arrangement will improve an entry’s prospects, and any suggestion to the contrary should be reported to the awards team.
Contact
If you have any questions about this page, contact the awards team by email at info@caqa.com.au, by phone on 1800 266 160, or through our contact page. We aim to respond within one business day (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm AEST).