Science Fair Display Board: Layout, Rules and What Judges Score

Last updated: November 11, 2026

A strong science fair projects display board tells your whole project in the order a judge reads it: title, question, method, results, conclusion and next steps, in about 300 to 800 words with clear graphs. At the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the display can be at most 76 cm deep, 122 cm wide and 240 cm tall, every photo and graph needs a credit line, and liquids, plants, food, QR codes and handouts are not allowed. The poster is worth 10 of the 100 judging points; the interview is worth 25. This guide shows what to put on each panel, the official rules from Society for Science, and how to make the board work for you when a judge walks up.

Ten points go to the board. The other ninety go to the thinking behind it. Picture a project so clearly yours that every question feels easy. Send me the research starter guide →

What should be included on a science fair display board?

Every board answers the same five questions a judge has: what did you ask, how did you test it, what did you find, what does it mean, and what would you do next. Society for Science's judging criteria for science projects use the same order: research question, design and methodology, data collection and analysis, creativity and impact, then presentation.

For a science project, include these sections:

• Title. Short, specific and readable from a distance. "Does Salt Concentration Slow Radish Germination?" beats "Plants."
• Question or problem. One clear, focused, testable question. The judging criteria ask for exactly that.
• Background. Two or three short paragraphs. Why the question matters and what is already known.
• Hypothesis. Your prediction, and the reason for it.
• Method. Materials, numbered steps, and your variables: what you changed, what you measured, and what you kept the same. Judges look for "variables and controls defined, appropriate and complete."
• Results. Graphs and tables first, words second. Label every axis and give every graph a caption.
• Conclusion. Did the data support the hypothesis? Say it plainly.
• Limitations and next steps. What could have affected the result, and what you would test next. The interview criteria score "quality of ideas for further research," so show you already have some.
• References and credits. Sources for your background, and a credit line for every image.
• Acknowledgments. If a teacher, mentor or lab helped you, this is the only place on the board to name them.

Engineering projects use a different order. The engineering criteria start with the practical need, the criteria a solution must meet, and the constraints. Then they look for alternatives you explored, the prototype, and testing "in multiple conditions/trials." So an engineering board swaps the hypothesis for design criteria, and the results panel shows test data from each version of your prototype.

The best boards answer a judge's first three questions before they are asked. That clarity starts with a question you truly care about. Help me choose my field →

How to lay out a tri-fold display board

The classic format is a three-panel, or tri-fold, board. A judge reads it like a page: left to right, top to bottom.

A few layout rules make a big difference:

• Put your best graph in the center. If a judge reads one thing, make it the result.
• Use one font family in three sizes: title, headings, body. For ISEF's virtual display, Society for Science sets 14 pt as the smallest body text; a physical board read from a step away needs larger text.
• Keep the background light and the text dark.
• Leave white space. Society for Science's display guidelines suggest about 300 to 800 words in total.
• Use bullets and numbered steps instead of long paragraphs.

Still choosing a project? See science fair projects for high school or, for younger students, science fair project ideas for middle school.

What size can a science fair board be?

Check your own fair's rules first. Your school or regional fair sets the limit you must meet. If it is an ISEF-affiliated fair, Society for Science says it may add its own restrictions on top of the ISEF rules. Here are the ISEF limits:

Everything counts toward these limits: the board, any stand, the table cover and anything you demonstrate. At ISEF, if you use the fair's table, it becomes part of your project, and those tables are no more than 91 cm (36 inches) high. Nothing may lean on or attach to the back curtain.

A board that is too big can be a real problem on fair day, so measure before you print or glue anything.

What is not allowed on a science fair display board?

These are the ISEF Display & Safety rules for 2026-27. Your local fair may differ, but if you hope to advance toward ISEF, build to these rules from the start.

Not allowed at your display:

• Living organisms, including plants, and any human or animal food
• Any liquid, including water, and all chemicals
• Soil, sand, rocks, powders, glass and sharp items such as needles or pipettes
• Taxidermy, preserved animals, and human or animal parts or body fluids
• Distracting sounds, lights or odors
• Awards or medals (except past or present ISEF medals that you wear)
• Web addresses, email or social media handles, phone numbers and QR codes
• Brand logos, institutional crests and flags, unless they are part of the project and approved
• Anything to hand out: brochures, business cards, flash drives, food or printed sheets

If an item matters to your project but is banned, Society for Science suggests showing it in photos or video instead.

Personal information. You may show only your name, school, city, state, country, age and grade.

Mentors and institutions. You may not name a mentor or the lab or institution that supported your work anywhere on the board, except in an acknowledgment section. Plans for future work also may not mention a mentor, institution, conference or pending publication.

Electricity. Your exhibit must be visible "without reliance on electricity or internet connections." Screens are allowed if you show inspectors the full content, and decorative lights are discouraged.

How to credit photos, graphs and AI images

Every graphic on an ISEF board needs its own credit line. It takes a few minutes and is easy to get right.

• Your own graphics: credit each one with what it is, the tool and the year. Society for Science gives the format: "Photo taken by Finalist, Year," "Graph created by Finalist using . . ., Year."
• Graphics from someone else: cite each one individually, APA format preferred, with a URL or DOI if it came from the internet. This applies even when the license does not require credit.
• AI-generated images: allowed, but each one must be cited as AI-created, with the date and the AI tool used.
• Photos of other people: you need a signed photo release from each person in your notebook. The release forms stay in the notebook; they are not displayed.

Our guide on how to write a research paper in high school covers citations in more depth.

Where does the abstract go on the board?

At ISEF, the only abstract you may display is the official one, stamped or embossed after the Scientific Review Committee approves it. The word "abstract" may not be used as a title for anything else on your board. The Display & Safety Committee recommends that you leave the abstract off your board and keep a blank 8½ by 11 inch space for the official copy, or stand it in an acrylic frame on the table.

Your local fair may ask you to glue your abstract on the board; follow its rules. To write the abstract itself, see our guide to the science fair abstract.

Judges at ISEF hold doctoral degrees or years of field experience. Imagine walking them through a result you found yourself, with a PhD mentor's help behind it. Show me how to start one →

Should you print a poster or build a tri-fold?

Both are allowed, as long as the whole display, stand included, fits the size limit.

• A printed poster looks clean and is easy to carry. Export your design as a PDF and print it at a local print shop, a public library or a college with a large-format printer. Matte paper avoids glare under exhibit-hall lights.
• A tri-fold with printed sections costs less and stands on its own. Mount each printed section on colored card and glue it with straight edges. Office supply and craft stores sell blank boards.

Neither choice wins points by itself. The poster is worth 10 of the 100 ISEF points, for "logical organization of material," "clarity of graphics and legends" and "supporting documentation displayed." A handmade board with a clear story can beat an expensive print with a weak result.

How do judges use your board?

Judges often see your board before they meet you. ISEF's criteria encourage students to design posters "in a clear and informative manner to allow pre-interview evaluation and to enable the interview to become an in-depth discussion." At ISEF 2027, judges can review boards without finalists present the evening before judging day.

So your board has two jobs: make sense with nobody next to it, and set up the conversation you want. The interview, worth 25 points, scores your grasp of the basic science, the limits of your results, how independently you worked, and your ideas for further research. A short "Limitations" and "Next steps" box gives the judge a natural place to start. Bring your project notebook, too; judges are asked to examine it.

Continuing last year's project?

Your board must show only the current year's work, though the title may say "Year Two of an Ongoing Study." You may compare this year's data with past conclusions, but not display raw data from earlier years.

ISEF's virtual display

For ISEF 2026, every finalist also built a virtual display: a presentation of up to 12 pages, a one-page visual summary called a quad chart, and a video of up to 2 minutes. If you reach ISEF, reuse the same graphs and text in both.

A board is only as strong as the project behind it

The board is the last 10 points. The other 90 come from the question, the method, the data and how well you understand them. A confident interview comes from knowing your work inside out, and that is easiest when you chose a question you love and carried it all the way through.

Our guides on how to choose a research topic and how to qualify for ISEF explain that path. At learnSTEM, you work one-on-one with a PhD mentor from a top-20 university, on your own schedule, and take a question you care about from first idea to a finished research paper. Then every line of your board is something you can explain.

Judges score your "ideas for further research." Picture answering "What would you test next?" with a plan you built beside a PhD mentor. Show me project ideas →

Frequently asked questions

What should be included on a science fair display board?

A title, your question, background, hypothesis, method with variables, results graphs, conclusion, limitations and next steps, references, credits for every image, and an acknowledgment section if anyone helped. Engineering boards replace the hypothesis with design criteria and constraints.

How do you make a science fair display board?

Write the text first, then make your graphs. Sketch the layout: question on the left, method and results in the center, conclusion on the right. Print, mount and glue each section straight. Check the size limit and banned items before fair day.

What are some ideas for a science fair display board?

Lead with one large central graph, one accent color tied to your topic, a credited photo of your setup and a small "Next steps" box. Clear beats decorated.

Where can I buy science fair project boards?

Office supply stores, craft stores and many large retailers sell blank tri-fold boards. For a printed poster, try a local print shop, your public library or a nearby college.

Can I use AI to make my board?

Only for images, and each one must be cited as AI-created, with the date and tool. Society for Science's rules say you may not use generative AI to write your poster text.

Sources

• Society for Science, ISEF Display & Safety Rules
• Society for Science, International Rules and Guidelines 2027 (PDF)
• Society for Science, Regeneron ISEF 2026 Project Material Guidelines (PDF)
• Society for Science, Grand Award Judging Criteria
• Society for Science, Grand Award Judging at ISEF 2027
• Society for Science, ISEF FAQ
• Society for Science, Use of Generative AI to Support a Research Project (PDF)

About learnSTEM

All bright students reach a point where school stops challenging them. learnSTEM provides that challenge: the space to explore a field of their choice, guided by a world-class PhD mentor from a top-20 university, completely one-on-one and on your own schedule. Students finish with a passion for a new subject, a research project they are proud of, and a clear sense of what they want to pursue next.

See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program → · Questions about eligibility? Contact us →

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