A researched, written history paper of 1,500 to 2,500 words, entered individually and judged on the quality of its historical argument and the clarity of its writing.
Paper is the written-research entry in a history contest. A student chooses a topic that fits the year’s theme, researches it in primary and secondary sources, and presents an argument in a single essay. It is not a book report and it is not a summary of events: the paper has to say why something mattered and prove it with evidence the student has found.
On the eTalenter template built from a United States history contest’s published rule book, Paper is the only item that is individual only. Every other category in that contest, whether exhibit, documentary, performance or website, can be entered by a group of two to five students, but a paper is written by one person. It is run in two divisions, Junior (roughly ages 11 to 14) and Senior (roughly ages 15 to 18), and it is an Off Stage item, scored as Marks out of 100 on the template.
The length limit is part of the discipline. The rule book allows 1,500 to 2,500 words of student writing, and every entry in every category also carries a process paper of up to 500 words and an annotated bibliography. The process paper tells the judges how the student chose the topic, did the research and reached the conclusion, so the panel can see the work behind the essay.
Judges read each paper against the written standard and rank the entries; the rule book states that judges do not assign numerical scores. Organisers on eTalenter still need a number to tabulate, so the template stores a mark out of 100 and the placement ranks are contest-level configuration, not a figure the rule book defines. Coordinators should follow their own affiliate’s rules for how many papers may advance to the next round.
Where Paper is run
On eTalenter the Paper item appears in one template, the history-contest template for the United States, where it sits beside Exhibit, Documentary, Performance and Website. Written-research categories like this are common in school history and academic fairs elsewhere, but word limits, source requirements and the number of entries that may advance differ by event, so a coordinator should copy the rules of the contest they are actually running.
- United States
Key facts
- Individual entry only: one student, one paper
- Two divisions on the template: Junior (about ages 11 to 14) and Senior (about ages 15 to 18)
- Student-written paper of 1,500 to 2,500 words
- A process paper of up to 500 words and an annotated bibliography are required with the entry
- Off Stage item, scored as Marks out of 100 on the template; the rule book itself ranks entries without numeric scores
- Entered in English on the template; no performance time limit applies
On eTalenter, Paper is filed under Off Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Paper is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means. The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed. Others in this category: Essay, Story Writing, Poetry, Painting, Drawing, Calligraphy, Design, Craft, Photography eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed. No criteria match this name, so none are created automatically — judges score it on the event’s own criteria instead.How it is scored
Where it sits
Judging criteria installed for it
What judges look at in Paper
What a Paper panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Historical quality carries the weight: the source rule book gives it 80% against 20% for clarity of presentation, so a well-written paper with a thin argument still ranks low.
- A clear thesis that is argued, not announced: papers that state a claim in the opening and test it against evidence rank above those that retell the story in date order.
- Use of primary sources: quotations, letters, records and data the student has actually read are rewarded; a paper built only from an encyclopaedia and one textbook loses marks.
- Significance and context: judges look for why the event changed things, what came before and after it, and how it fits the year’s theme rather than merely touching it.
- Clarity of presentation: structure, paragraphing, correct citation and staying inside the 1,500 to 2,500 word limit; papers over the limit or missing the process paper and bibliography risk penalties.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Paper under Scoring Setup, or start from the full essay & story writing judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Paper
How entrants and their teachers usually get Paper right on the day:
- Pick a narrow topic early. A question such as why one local decision mattered is easier to prove in 2,000 words than a whole war or movement.
- Gather primary sources before drafting: archives, newspapers of the time, letters and interviews. Note each one as you find it so the annotated bibliography is built as you go.
- Write the thesis in one sentence and test every paragraph against it. If a paragraph does not support the claim, cut it.
- Draft the process paper alongside the essay, not the night before. It is quickest to write while you still remember why each source mattered.
- Count words on the final draft and keep the paper within 1,500 to 2,500. Cut descriptive detail first and keep the analysis.
- Ask a teacher or classmate to read it cold and say, in one line, what the paper argues. If they cannot, the thesis is not clear enough yet.
- After a loss at a regional round, read the judges’ comments for the gap between a good topic and a proven argument, then add sources and sharpen the claim before the next contest.
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paper judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Can two students write a Paper together?
Not on this template. Paper is individual only, while Exhibit, Documentary, Performance and Website allow groups of two to five.
How long should the paper be?
The source rule book allows 1,500 to 2,500 words of student writing, plus a separate process paper of up to 500 words and an annotated bibliography.
Is a Paper scored out of 100?
On eTalenter the template stores a mark out of 100 so results can be tabulated. The original contest ranks entries without numeric scores, so placements are organiser configuration.
Which age groups can enter?
The template has a Junior division (about ages 11 to 14) and a Senior division (about ages 15 to 18). Check the age or grade cut-offs your own contest uses.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full essay & story writing judging criteria guide, or browse every off stage competition item.
Try Paper in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Paper, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
