Contest entry form template

Take entries for a judged art, photo or writing competition: the work itself, its category and age group, and the promises judges rely on.

Use this template

Preview · answers aren’t saved

Age on the closing date (required)

About you

Full name, as it should appear on a certificate (required)

Email (required)

Phone

School and year

Your entry

Title of your entry (required)

Upload your entry (required)

A photo or scan of the work. JPG, PNG or PDF, up to 10 MB.

Click or drop a file here

images, PDF · up to 10 MB

Medium or materials

Size, if it is a physical piece

Tell us about your work

Up to 100 words.

Did you use AI or other software to make this entry? (required)

Agreements

Original work (required)

This entry is my own original work.

Display and publication (required)

I keep the copyright. The organizers may display, reproduce and publish my entry to promote the contest.

Contest rules (required)

I have read and agree to the contest rules.

If you win, may we use your name and photo in publicity? (required)

Signature (required)

Draw your signature, or choose Type instead to type your name.

Teacher or sponsor’s name and email

22 questions · about 5 min · logic · file upload · signature

No sign-up to start
Unlimited responses on Free

Print it as a PDF Word version

Change the questions in Word, then print.

What you get back

Every response lands in your results the moment it is sent. Turn on email notifications and each one arrives like this, and the same answers become a row in your spreadsheet.

From PulseFormCreator

Subject New response to Contest entry

Category: Photography
Age on the closing date: 13 to 17
Full name, as it should appear on a certificate: Aiyana Brooks
Email: aiyana.brooks@example.com
School and year: Glenmore High School, grade 9
Title of your entry: Low Tide, Late Light

and 9 more answers

A sample email with made-up answers.

submitted_at	Category	Age on the closing date	Full name, as it should appear on a certificate	Email	Phone
22 Sep 2026 09:41	Photography	13 to 17	Aiyana Brooks	aiyana.brooks@example.com

Export to CSV or Excel, or send responses to Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Slack or a webhook. All free.

What happens after someone submits

Entries arrive ready to judge, and winners hear back in the same conversation.

Submitted
An entry arrives

You get an email with the entry’s answers and a PDF of them attached.
Judging day

Export to CSV or Excel and sort by category and age group for each judge’s list.
You pick the winners

Reply from each winning entry, and their answer comes back to the same thread.

Set this up when you use the template

What this form asks, and why

A contest entry form needs the entrant’s name and contact details, the category and age group, the entry itself with its title, a statement that it is their own work, a license to show it, and agreement to your rules. A child’s entry also needs a parent’s details and signature.

Question	Why it is there
Category Required	Judges score within a category, so it comes first.
Age on the closing date Required	Eligibility and division in one answer.
Full name, as it should appear on a certificate Required	Spelled as it should appear on a certificate.
Email Required	Results and prize contact.
Phone	Optional, for reaching a winner quickly.
School and year	School contests group and notify by school.
Title of your entry Required	For the judges’ sheet and the exhibition label.
Upload your entry Required	The online version of taping the work to the form.
Medium or materials	Judges compare technique within a medium.
Size, if it is a physical piece	Optional, for hanging and for returning physical work.
Tell us about your work	A short artist’s statement, capped at a hundred words.
Did you use AI or other software to make this entry? Required	Contests now set AI rules, so the answer is on record before judging.
Describe what the software did Required Only when “Did you use AI or other software to make this entry?” is “Yes, to generate part of it”	Shown only when software generated part of the work.
Original work Required	The one statement judges rely on.
Display and publication Required	A license to show and publish the work. The entrant keeps the copyright.
Contest rules Required	Deadlines, one entry each, and the judges’ decision is final. Link yours.
If you win, may we use your name and photo in publicity? Required	Separate from the entry license, so a winner can say no to having their photo used.
Signature Required	Confirms the statements above.
Parent or guardian’s name Required Only when “Age on the closing date” is “5 to 8”, “9 to 12” or “13 to 17”	For contacting a child entrant and for consent.
Parent or guardian’s email Required Only when “Age on the closing date” is “5 to 8”, “9 to 12” or “13 to 17”	Where results for a child entrant go.
Parent or guardian signature Required Only when “Age on the closing date” is “5 to 8”, “9 to 12” or “13 to 17”	A child’s entry and license need an adult’s agreement.
Teacher or sponsor’s name and email	Optional here. Some contests send certificates through the teacher.

What we left out

Postal address. Paper entries went by post. Ask winners for an address after judging.
Tax or Social Security numbers. Winners of larger prizes may need one for tax. Collect it from them, never on the entry.
Date of birth. Age on your cut-off date answers the eligibility question with less data. Ask winners for proof if your rules need it.

How the form changes as people answer

Most people see a shorter form. These questions and screens only appear when an answer calls for them.

When “Did you use AI or other software to make this entry?” is “Yes, to generate part of it”

shows “Describe what the software did”
When “Age on the closing date” is “5 to 8”, “9 to 12” or “13 to 17”

shows “Parent or guardian”, “Parent or guardian’s name”, “Parent or guardian’s email” and “Parent or guardian signature”

Make it yours

One link per school or club

Add ?group=Riverside Primary to each school’s or club’s link. The name is saved with each entry, ready to sort before judging.
One entry per person, closed on time

Prevent duplicates checks the email question, and a repeat is asked to email you, since siblings may share an address. Set your deadline under Settings → Schedule.
Turn away generated work

If your rules ban generative AI, add a rule that ends the form when someone picks “Yes, to generate part of it”, on a thank-you screen that explains why.

Good practice and the law

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and state, so check anything important where you operate.

US
A transfer of copyright is valid only in a signed writing. Word the rights box as a license to show and publish, as this one is. 17 U.S.C. § 204
UK
Paid entry plus prizes decided by chance is a lottery, so a paid-entry contest needs real judging. Gambling Act 2005, s 14

Questions about this template

Can I use it for a giveaway or a prize draw?

Yes. Pick “Giveaway or prize draw”: name, email, an 18-or-over checkbox, where they live, your official rules and an unchecked newsletter signup box, one entry per email. Draw rules differ by country and state; the UK note below is one example.

How big can an uploaded entry be?

Up to 10 MB per file on the free plan, which suits a phone photo or a scanned page. Ask for a link for video.

Do adult entrants see the parent questions?

No. They appear only for the under-18 age groups. The school preset shows them to everyone.

Can I run a writing competition with it?

Pick “Writing” above the preview: poem, short story or essay, a word count, and uploads as PDF or Word.

Which form do you need?

Not quite the job? One of these may fit, or browse all registration and event forms.

musical audition form
When people perform live for a panel instead of sending finished work.
need-based scholarship application
When you judge the applicant’s record and need, not one piece of work.
photography model release
When a winning photo shows people and you will use it in advertising.

Start with the contest entry form template

Open it in the editor, set your categories and age groups, and link your rules.