So you want to become a certified DCI judge. Good for you! Now here are few pointers on how and what to do:

Know your motivation

Usually the first thing we ask to a prospective candidate is “Why do you want to be a DCI Judge?” Reasons vary from different people and oftentimes the motivation in becoming a judge usually exhibits itself early on so that those who are not in it wholeheartedly are easily weeded out. When being asked for the reason why you want to become a judge, be honest. Some people are really in it for the rules. Some believe they will become better players. Still some just want it for the authority it projects to other players. And others just like the financial rewards. Whatever your reason maybe, you must be committed to it so that it will be your motivation and at the end you’ll be able to reach your goal.

When I first volunteered, my initial goal was to improve my playing skills to be a better player. That goal was my motivation. And so, I read the rules and policies which eventually, as a result, helped me passed every exams and interviews.

Ambition without knowledge is like boat on dry land

Know the rules! Devout yourself in understanding how the rules work not just how certain cards interact. I have seen many failures just because a player thinks he knows how everything works and because he knows how one card interacts with another. Learning the rules does not mean knowing every card interaction in Magic but rather understanding the philosophy behind that particular rule. This knowledge will give you a better understanding on how to apply it in every instances you might encounter.

Here are some of the documents you need to read. Don’t treat them as homework. Treat them as really, really, really long and interesting blogs.

• Magic Comprehensive Rules
• DCI Penalty Guidelines
• Magic the Gathering Floor Rules
• DCI Universal Tournament Rules

Be known in the community. Volunteer!

If you are just contented with being savvy with the rules then that would be perfectly fine. But if you really want to become a judge, know that there are a lot more things involved than just answering rules questions. Most of the time judges spent their day setting up the tournament area, arranging chairs and tables, making sure that the pairings get properly posted in each rounds, diligently do deck checks to avoid cheating and basically make sure the tournament is running as smooth as possible.

You may volunteer as a judge by asking any certified DCI judge (like DJ Paculio) or your local tournament organizer (like Neutral Grounds) if you could volunteer during tournaments. Do not take it so lightly as you will be expected to work your butt off. It would be nice too if you could be seen during tournaments as a player as well so that the community will recognize you and it wouldn’t hurt your credibility also when you give a ruling. Don’t worry about performing badly or making wrong rulings. It’s all part of the process of becoming a judge.

Obi-Wan has taught you well! - Find your mentor

The judge process has always been a mentor-apprentice relationship in which higher-level judges guide their students as their protégés. Of course this is the ideal scenario but sometimes due to the lack of higher-level judges and a growing interest in the local judging community it will not always be applicable. That is why it is a good idea to volunteer yourself during tournaments so that you can have the opportunity to work with experienced judges who are willing to help you achieve your dreams of becoming a judge. After all they will eventually be the ones that will give recommendations and eventually give you a certification exam. So the next time you see a judge in a tournament, express your interest in becoming a judge and ask if he/she is willing to mentor you. Note that not everyone will be willing to mentor you. Don’t be disappointed. If you’re lucky that a judge agrees to do so, make sure that you volunteer for tournaments in which your mentor would be judging as well. Experience is the key, and there is no better way of getting experience than by learning from those who have experience as well.

Interact with judges

Before you take your exam, the judge whose going to give you the test will try to find out as much as he could about your motivation, your understanding of rules and policies and also your character and how you would deal with certain situations. He would do this by talking to you and also talking to the judge who mentors you. A DCI-certified judge represents a professional image for the game so the one giving the exam must discern whether you can in fact represent the DCI.

The interview is casual, more of a chat. Be yourself and don’t try to sell yourself too much. Be honest when he asks you questions. Tell him if you don’t know the answer. This will help him better understand what you are capable of.

Take the exam

You may practice online using the Rules Advisor training questions in the DCI website. There are also many judge forums containing rules and tournament questions that you can try to answer to help you prepare. Then if you are confident that you know your Magic and DCI tournament rules then you are ready to take the Level 1 exam. All you have to do is contact a Level 3 Judge (or a Level 2 by 2009) in your region and ask for an exam. He’ll probably have some questions for you gauging whether you are ready to take the examination. He would also take some recommendation from your mentor judge whether you are ready to take an exam.

The exam itself is not very hard. There's no time limit so you can really read the questions thoroughly, but of course you are still required to complete it in a timely manner. The Level 1 exams consists of 50 multiple choice questions 35 of which involves rules knowledge while the other 15 are about DCI Penalty Guidelines and Tournament Rules and Procedures. I advice those who want to become judges to read the DCI Penalty Guidelines and Tournament Rules and Procedures thoroughly because they are the easiest to get correct since the answers are straightforward.

Once you are finished answering, you and the examiner will go through the questions and see whether you answered them correctly. This is also part of the interview process. This will help him finalize his decision whether he certifies you or not.

GOODLUCK TO EVERYONE! HOPE TO SEE YOU AS A JUDGE IN THE NEXT TOURNAMENT!

Joel Bantiles
DCI Judge – Level 2