Judging, Categories & Experience levels

The ScaleACT competition uses a form of the International Open judging & assessment system which awards Gold, Silver or Bronze awards for deserving entries rather than attempting to find the single "best" model for each category. Each entry is assessed individually against a set of judging criteria and is not compared to others in the competition. The highest quality, best presented models receive an award while those that don't make the grade are not awarded.

Experience / Skill levels

At ScaleACT, senior modellers are asked to place themselves in a group that describes how experienced a modeller they believe themselves to be, these experience levels are; Rookie, Standard & Master. 

How should you select the appropriate experience level for your entries? The experience level you believe best characterises your current capabilities is the one you should select. If you've been building tanks for ages and routinely produce good work, you'd likely enter your Panzer in the Military Vehicles & Equipment - Standard category. At the same time, if you have also branched out and tried a figurine for the first time, you might enter that in the Figures and Busts - Rookie group. 

The following descriptions will help you self-assess which experience group you belong to (currently!) :-)

Rookie:

• A Rookie probably hasn't been building models for very long and is still learning the basics, or they might be returning to the hobby after an extended break, or,

• A Rookie may be a younger modeller, or, 

• A Rookie probably hasn't entered a competition previously.

Standard:

• A Standard level entrant has been building for a while and routinely produces work they are happy with. 

• Most modellers will select a Standard level category!

Master:

• A Master entrant is a very experienced builder and is comfortable working with fiddly subjects, complicated techniques and often uses aftermarket conversions or upgrades to produce outstanding work.

• A Master entrant may routinely enter competitions and consistently places. 

PS: While you will be asked to self-assess initial skill levels, the ScaleACT team reserve the right to overrule if required! No Masters trying to slip into the Rookies please! :-)

Moving between Experience levels

The decision of when to 'move up' an experience level is entirely up to you - if you've done well at previous ScaleACT competitions and received  awards, you may be ready for the challenge of moving up an experience level - but we'll leave that up to you! If you are comfortable where you are, by all means stay at your previous level until you feel you are ready :-)

ScaleACT Competition Categories

In the International Open judging system there are only a handful of categories to pick from, but each has 'levels' to reflect your experience as a modeller - from those just starting out (Rookie) , Standard level (most of us) and then the few Masters among us!

Please see below for help determining if you are a Rookie, Standard or Master entrant.

Junior Entrants (for entrants 12 years and younger).

• Junior (All subjects, all scales)

Senior Entrants (for entrants 13 years and older).

• Aircraft - Rookie

• Aircraft - Standard

• Aircraft - Master
  
  

• Military Vehicles & Equipment - Rookie

• Military Vehicles & Equipment - Standard

• Military Vehicles & Equipment - Master
  
  

• Civilian Vehicles & Equipment - Rookie

• Civilian Vehicles & Equipment - Standard

• Civilian Vehicles & Equipment - Master
  
  

• Figures & Busts - Rookie

• Figures & Busts - Standard

• Figures & Busts - Master
  
  

• Dioramas - Rookie

• Dioramas - Standard

• Dioramas - Master
  
  

• Vignettes - Rookie

• Vignettes - Standard

• Vignettes - Master
  
  

• SciFi, Mecha, Real Space - Rookie

• SciFi, Mecha, Real Space - Standard

• SciFi, Mecha, Real Space - Master
  
  

• Ships & Subs - Rookie

• Ships & Subs - Standard

• Ships & Subs - Master
  
  

• Gundam - Standard Build

• Gundam - Repaint

• Gundam - Custom
  
  

• Maschinen Krieger (Ma.K) - Rookie

• Maschinen Krieger (Ma.K) - Standard

• Maschinen Krieger (Ma.K) - Master
  
  

• Open - Other - Rookie

• Open - Other - Standard

• Open - Other - Master
  
  

• Special: The Kittyhawk Cup

• Special: The Sentinel Shield

• Special: The Grail - Sink the Bismarck!

Special Sub-Categories

In addition to the above regular competition categories, there are also special awards presented for;

• Best model of a RAAF Subject 

• The Commonwealth Cup: a model of any subject which is/was operated by any of the Commonwealth countries of Australia, the UK, Canada or New Zealand!

• Best Roadster or Convertable (Cars special award for 2026) - remember no Die-Cast please.

To enter these special sub-categories, look for the checkboxes at the bottom of the entry form - enter your model in it's natural primary category (A RAAF Spitfire would be in the Aircraft category), then check the 'RAAF Subject' AND 'Commonwealth Cup' for double prizes! :-)

Competition Judging at ScaleACT

Our judging is based on the popular International / Open system. If you want the gory details, this document ScaleACT Judging provides the details that our assessments are based on. 

Awards

Our judges may award the best entries with a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal. Naturally, not all entries receive an award - winning a medal says that an entry is one of the very best (in it's experience class) - and that it exhibits few if any flaws, has been finished very well indeed and really stands out.

In addition to the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, a special award will be made to the very best Aircraft and Armour model in the show, these will be selected by our Chief Judge and President. 

Reference Material

Reference material is not required or permitted at ScaleACT. Any such material placed on display tables will be removed by event officials.

Builder’s Notes

Builder’s notes are entirely optional and are not considered as part of the judging criteria. Entrants will not be disadvantaged if they choose not to provide them. If you believe additional information will assist the judges in understanding your entry, you may include one (1) A5 page maximum, of text only (no photographs). This may choose to outline details such as:

• the kit used,

• any aftermarket or conversion components, and

• the finish or effect you aimed to achieve with your completed model.

Juniors

Younger modellers (12 and younger) are encouraged to join in and enter the Junior category so their great work can be displayed. Junior entries are not assessed, but all junior entrants will receive a special encouragement award! 

Feedback

Model feedback at a competition is a vexing issue. We understand that as an entrant you'd like to understand how your model was received and why you received the outcome you did. Unfortunately our assessment team is normally simply too busy to provide feedback on individual models during the competition. We have discussed this many many times over the years and feel that the best way for a builder to learn and build skills is to join a local modelling club and talk to your fellow members! Providing objective, thoughtful feedback takes time and unfortunately time is in short supply during the competition for our hard-working team.

Model Handling

Models will not be handled during the assessment process. All models should be placed on the paper 'entry placemats' provided - these placemats are then used to rotate the model for inspection if required. If a model must be moved, we will endeavour to contact you to seek your approval or to get  you to move the model yourself (hence requiring a mobile phone number for all registrations!) 

Diorama / Vignette

It can sometimes be difficult to describe the difference between a Diorama and a Vignette, at ScaleACT these definitions revolve around the essential element of Story...

• A diorama should tell a story and portray activity and the elements of a diorama should interact. You can think of a diorama as a scene from a movie.

• A vignette is more like a snapshot in time and it is often intended to be viewed from a fixed point. You can think of a vignette as a photograph.

Gundam builders.

The world of Gundam does things a little different, so we've adapted the Gundam international labels this year to simplify things for all. As a Gundam entrant, you will select;

• Gundam - Standard Build: which uses kit provided parts and stickers only.

• Gundam - Repaint: where the builder uses only the kit provided parts, but repaints the kit parts to customise it's look. No aftermarket or 'kit bashing' is allowed.

• Gundam - Custom: A Custom Gundam entrant uses the skeletal frame of the Bandai kit, and may extensively modify the kit with aftermarket parts or kit bashed parts from other kits and will paint their kit to customise their model.

There is a little more detail on Gundam entries here.

Die-Cast

Die-Cast models are not permitted in the ScaleACT competition.