Oceanic Judge Association

Become an L1 Judge

If you are already an L1+ Judge and would like to join OJA, please Click Here

1 Create Your Judge Apps Account

2 Learn Rules and Policy

Begin studying the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, Magic Tournament Rules (MTR), and Judging at Regular (JAR) documents. While you can study independently using the resources at the bottom of the page, working with an L2+ Judge mentor is highly recommended. A mentor can guide you through complex rules interactions, share practical judging experience, help you prepare for certification, and answer questions as they arise. Many aspiring judges find that having someone to discuss scenarios and review practice questions with significantly accelerates their learning and confidence. If you have difficulty finding a mentor, you can reach out to OJA for a recommendation.

Gaining Experience

3 Judge Your First Events

Once you feel ready, ask to judge an event at your Local Game Store (LGS). Great starting points include:

Friday Night Magic (FNM)

Standard Showdown

Commander Night

Draft events

Prerelease tournaments

Official Certification Process

4 Join the Oceanic Judge Association (OJA)

Fill out the OJA Application Form, and pay the annual membership dues of $25 AUD.

5 Take the L1 Rules and Policy Test

When you and your mentor feel you're ready, ask your mentor to create the L1 Rules and Policy test for you on Judge Apps.

                            If you don't pass: Don't worry! You can debrief with your mentor to understand areas for improvement, and retake the test after a cooldown period when you're ready.
                        

6 Complete the Event Management Competency (EM1)

Ask your mentor or another local Judge to observe you judging an event. They will endorse you for your EM1 Competency via an Advancement Review on Judge Apps.

You must have judged at least one limited event (Prerelease, Drafts) AND one constructed event (FNM, Standard Showdown)

The review must include:

Evaluation of your abilities to run the event

Evaluation of your abilities to use event software (EventLink)

Evaluation of your ability to distribute product

Evaluation of your abilities to take judge calls

Confirmation that your values and maturity meet OJA standards

With your L1 test completed, EM1 endorsement, and paid OJA dues, you are now an L1 Judge!

Welcome to the fold!

Essential Study Resources

Use these official resources to prepare for your L1 certification:

Level 1 Rules and Policy Exam Study Guide Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules Magic Tournament Rules (MTR) Judging at Regular (JAR) Document