Team size: individual

Recognition: I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay? — No. Only contestants who registered before the registration deadline, or who purchased the late registration option, will be able to submit an essay. Are footnotes, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit? — No. Only the body of the essay is counted. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? — If using an in-text referencing format (e.g., APA), in-text citations are included in the word limit. Is it necessary to include footnotes or endnotes in an essay? — Footnotes are not allowed; you may include in-text citations or endnotes. You should cite factual claims and acknowledge relied-upon authors. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it? — You may interpret it as you deem appropriate (clarify if necessary), then answer it as directly as possible. How strict are the age eligibility criteria? — You must be under 19 as of 31 May 2026. If you turn 19 on 1 June 2026 or later, you are eligible. There are no minimum age requirements under 19. May I submit more than one essay? — Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories. May I team up with someone else to write an essay? — No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual. May I use AI software (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) in writing my essay? — Yes, but overreliance may make writing less original; any permitted AI use can only negatively affect assessment relative to essays done without AI; judgments are case-by-case and final. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay? — You may discuss and receive general advice, but no part may be written by anyone else; you must do your own editing and corrections. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? — No. You can win without travelling; invitations to London are for shortlisted contenders. Is there an entry fee? — No charge to enter unless you submit after the normal deadline; then the fee is 25.00 GBP (7-day extension) or 75.00 GBP (21-day extension). Can I receive a certificate for participation if I wasn’t shortlisted? — No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays (paper certificate if attending; otherwise downloadable eCertificate). Can I receive feedback on my essay? — No individual feedback due to the volume of entries. The shortlist notification deadline has passed but I didn’t receive an email—what should I do? — Log in and check “Shortlist Status” for each essay. Am I too young to participate? — No. The competition is open to students of any age under 19 as of 31 May 2026. Can I win a prize in multiple categories? — It’s possible but extremely rare; you may submit up to one essay per category and each is considered independently. If I purchase the late submission option, will my essay be penalised? — No, it will not affect grading. Should my essay be in American or Commonwealth (British) English? — Either is acceptable; be consistent. May I write my essay in a language other than English? — No. Only essays written in English will be considered. I do not have a teacher to list as my referee. What should I do? — List another responsible adult familiar with your academic work (e.g., tutor, summer programme teacher, academic mentor) who is not related to you. If I’m submitting more than one essay, do I pay the late fee multiple times? — No. The late submission fee applies per contestant, not per essay (pay once). Can I submit an essay on a question from last year? — No. You must respond to current year officially listed questions. I uploaded the wrong draft—what should I do? — Delete and re-upload before the deadline (referee must approve each time). Does my essay need to align with the John Locke Institute’s views? — No; judges recognise the best essays regardless of whether they agree with conclusions. How can I enter the Junior or Senior Category? — Category is determined solely by age on the submission deadline: under 15 (as of 31 May) is Junior; all other eligible students are Senior. The system will not accept my essay though my filename is correct—what should I do? — Check for a leading or trailing space in one of your names in your profile; edit and try again. My profile birth date shows wrong by a day even after editing—what should I do? — Ignore it. The date you typed is stored correctly, even if the display shows one day earlier or later. How can I be sure my registration was successful—will I receive a confirmation email? — You will not receive an automatic confirmation email. To confirm your registration, log in to your account and check your entry details to ensure it is listed.