Usually Standard Contests are judged or rated in REGULAR CONTEST MODE.

• REGULAR CONTEST MODE is the default for Standard Contest Albums.
• In REGULAR CONTEST MODE all valid Entries in a Contest will be judged or rated.
• However, a Standard Contest can, instead, be judged or rated in QUALIFIED CONTEST MODE.
• QUALIFIED CONTEST MODE puts an added level of restriction on which entries are valid (which entries can be judged or rated.)
• In Qualified Contest Mode, only those entries that have become "qualified" (that have previously earned a required placement), will be judged or rated.
• Non-qualified entries will be temporarily hidden.

WHAT ARE QUALIFIED ENTRIES?

• Qualified Entries are those entries which have earned certain, host-specified, award placements in your Standard Contest.
• The Host will specify which earned placements will entitle an entry to be considered "qualified."
  
  An entry might become qualified if it earns a First place or a Second place or a Third place award in your Contest, as an example.
• Getting qualified will give those entries, that achieve one of those placements, a perk (one might call it a ticket) to be able to compete in a special, "championship" or "End of the Year" version of your contest.
• You could run your Standard Contest several times to allow entries to become "qualified," then you could run a "championship" or "end of the Year" version of your Contest in Qualified Contest Mode, in which only the "qualified" entries will be judged or rated.
• All non-qualified entries would be temporarily hidden.
• The ultimate goal of getting qualified would be to determine the best of the "qualified" entries.

WHAT ARE NON-QUALIFIED ENTRIES?

• Non-qualified entries are the opposite of Qualified Entries.
• Any entries in the Contest that did not earn one of the Host-specified placements are considered to be Non-Qualified entries.
• Non-Qualified entries will not be judged or rated while a Contest is in Qualified Contest Mode.
• Non-qualified entries will be temporarily hidden while a Contest is in Qualified Contest Mode.

WHY USE QUALIFIED CONTEST MODE?

• Qualified Contest Mode is useful for creating Tournaments.
• A tournament might be held by running a Standard Contest several times in Regular Contest Mode, then run it a final time in Qualified Contest Mode.
• The tournament will culminate with the ultimate winners from among the "qualified" entries.

WHEN TO CHANGE TO QUALIFIED CONTEST MODE:

• SnapBraggin highly recommends that you run your Standard Contest in Regular Contest Mode several times before you use Qualified Contest Mode....
• that will give a variety of different entries the chance to earn the required placements (to become qualified.)
• For example, you might run your Standard Contest three or four times during the year, followed by a final time in Qualified Contest Mode.
• NOTE: It is also advised to allow the entries to stay in the Contest to be judged or rated multiple times.
• AND, if you'd like to give your Members access to their entries, you might want to do so (in Open state), while the Contest is still in Regular Contest Mode, prior to changing the Contest to Qualified Contest Mode.
• In other words, wait to change to Qualified Contest Mode until JUST BEFORE you plan to change the Contest to the Judging state.
• NOTE: Your Contest must be in Open or Closed state to be able to change to Qualified Contest Mode via the Manage This Album - Album Contest Settings page.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR STANDARD CONTEST TO QUALIFIED CONTEST MODE:

• NOTE: Champion and Grand Champion Contest Albums cannot be changed to Qualified Contest Mode.
• Standard Contest Albums are changed to/from Qualified Contest Mode, individually, in Album Management.
• NOTE: Your Standard Contest Album must be in Closed or Open state to make this change.
• How to:

1. When viewing your Standard Contest Album's Home page, access Manage This Album (via the Host Tools button or menu link.)
2. Then select Album Contest Settings.
3. Change the option for Run in Qualified Contest Mode? YES or NO?
• Select YES, to put the Contest into Qualified Contest Mode.
• Select NO, to put the Contest into Regular Contest Mode.
4. Then indicate the Qualified Placement Level. Enter a number into the box.
   • The number you indicate will identify which placements must be achieved in order for an entry to be considered qualified.
   • Some examples:
   • If you want an entry to become "qualified" when it earns a First place, or a Second place, or a Third place, you would enter 3 into the box.
   • If you want an entry to become "qualified" when it earns a First place, or a Second place, or a Third place, or a Four Place, or a Filth Place, you would enter 5 into the box.

   NOTE: You can enter a number up to 10, for Tenth Place.

5. Then indicate the Start of Qualified Timeframe.
   • Select a start Date.
   • This is how far back in time SnapBraggin should go when gathering information about which entries have become qualified in this Standard Contest Album.
   • Use the indicators to set the year, month, and day.
6. When the desired Mode and date have been selected, click on Save.
   • Your Standard Contest Album will transition to Qualified Contest Mode.

• NOTE: When your Standard Contest Album is in Qualified Contest Mode, only "qualified" entries will be displayed in your Album.
• Non-qualified entries will be temporarily hidden. This will happen immediately and will remain in effect during all states (closed, open, judging, etc.)
• NOTE: To help keep track of which Contest Albums are in Qualified Contest Mode, you may visit your Contest Management List. A checkmark in the Qualified column means that the Contest is in Qualified Contest Mode.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR STANDARD CONTEST BACK TO REGULAR CONTEST MODE:

• To turn Qualified Contest Mode off, you will need to do so individually, per Album in Album management, as explained above.
• NOTE: Your Standard Contest Album must be in Closed or Open state to make this change.
• Access your Album's Manage This Album - Album Contest Settings page.
• Change the option for Run in Qualified Contest Mode? YES or NO?
• Select NO, to put the Contest into Regular Contest Mode.
• NOTE: In Regular Contest Mode all of the entries will once again be displayed in the Contest, and may be judged or rated.