The Terms and Conditions for the Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition
Please ensure you read this prior to submitting your entry
Meaning of abbreviations and terms used:
RCS: Royal Commonwealth Society
QCWC or Competition: The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition
AI generated content: content that is either partially or entirely produced using Artificial Intelligence/AI
Entry Form: the official entry form of the Royal Commonwealth Society, accessible at this link: Entry Form
Plagiarism: the act of taking or copying another individual's work or ideas and presenting them as your own.
Submission: Your written work, which may be typed on a tablet, phone, or computer.
Terms and Conditions
1. The Competition is available to nationals or residents of all Commonwealth nations and territories.
2. Entries must be composed in English.
3. Participants in the Competition must be 18 years of age or younger by the deadline of 30 April 2026.
4. Submitted entries must not contain the entrant’s personal information (e.g., name, age, school, etc.). This information should only be provided on the official online form, and NOT included in your written submission.
5. Unless you are submitting a written piece where illustrations are a fundamental component, such as a comic, do not incorporate illustrations in your entry. Additionally, since this is a writing competition, please note that the written content will be the primary focus of our judges. Images will not be considered in the evaluation criteria.
6. Submissions must comply with the maximum word limit of 1,000 words. Exceeding this limit will lead to automatic disqualification. There is no minimum word count, and entries will be evaluated based on quality rather than quantity. Longer submissions will not necessarily receive higher scores than shorter ones. All references, bibliographies, and footnotes will be counted towards your total word count.
7. Each participant is allowed only one submission. It is essential to thoroughly check, proofread, and edit your work before submitting the final version. Ensure that all supplementary information on the Entry Form is accurately completed (including name, contact information, etc.). Once submitted, we will not be able to modify the entry.
8. You must secure the consent of your parent or guardian prior to entering the Competition. Please tick the appropriate box on the entry form to confirm that you have obtained the necessary consent. Additionally, ensure that your parent or guardian’s contact information is provided in the designated area on the Entry Form. Parental consent will be verified before prizes are awarded.
9. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. If it is determined that you have plagiarized another individual's work or included AI-generated content, you may face disqualification. Each year, several students are disqualified for this reason. The final version submitted for the Competition must be the original work of the entrant and should not be excessively edited or improved by another person or AI.
10. Completely or partially AI-generated submissions are not permitted in the Competition, and the Royal Commonwealth Society reserves the right to determine the use of AI in disqualifying an entry or suggesting that an entry be marked down.
11. By participating in the Competition, you consent to the retention of your personal information (such as full name, contact details, school, entry, etc.) by the Royal Commonwealth Society in accordance with its Privacy Policy. This information may be shared with Royal Commonwealth Society partners for the purpose of administering the competition and for other charitable objectives.
12. Submissions can solely be uploaded via the internet in the form of a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx) or a PDF file (.pdf). The online system does not support Google Docs (.gdoc), Pages (.pages), or any other word processing formats. If we cannot locate or access your entry file (due to an incorrect format, encryption requiring a password, or an upload error), your submission may be excluded from the Competition or could be disqualified.
13. Every entry must address one of the specified questions.
14. All online submissions must be completed by 30 April at 11:59 British Summer Time (BST).
15. All participants maintain the copyright for their submitted entries; however, by participating in The Queen's Commonwealth Writing Competition, each contestant agrees to allow the use of their name and/or their works, or portions thereof, in any advertisements, educational resources, research, media, promotional materials, or fundraising efforts conducted or produced by the Royal Commonwealth Society and its authorized partners, without further notification or compensation. The RCS reserves the right to publish or refrain from publishing, utilize or decline to utilize, any submitted works at its sole discretion.
16. The RCS holds the authority to modify the Competition prizes in any manner it considers necessary, without prior notice. The RCS also reserves the right to withdraw or withhold prizes for any reason, including but not limited to failure to meet eligibility criteria, AI-generated content, plagiarism, entering without necessary permissions or consents, or an inability to verify identity.
17. The RCS is committed to publishing only content that is suitable for a broad and diverse audience (in accordance with our policies). Participants are encouraged to keep this in mind regarding their language choices when entering the competition.
18. The RCS retains the right to modify, amend, and/or update these terms and conditions at any time.
Important Reminder
All certificates are generated online.
Hello, my name is Abubakar Bah. I'm a 29 year old and a self-employe from the Republic of Guinea.
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