7 Common Award Entry Form Mistakes and How to Fix Them
A practical guide to designing entry forms that are clearer, fairer, and easier for applicants to complete
TL;DR
Many award application problems aren't caused by applicants—they're caused by forms that are unclear, unnecessarily complicated, or difficult to use.
Before launching your next awards cycle, make sure eligibility requirements are easy to understand, questions are clearly written, the application is divided into manageable sections, file requirements are explained, applicants can save their progress, the form is accessible, and every submission receives a clear confirmation.
A better entry form creates a better applicant experience while reducing administrative work and giving reviewers more complete, consistent information to evaluate.
What Are the Most Common Award Entry Form Mistakes?
Seven common award entry form mistakes are:
Unclear eligibility requirements
Forms that feel too long or overwhelming
Confusing or vague questions
Poorly designed file upload requirements
No ability to save and return
Accessibility problems
No clear confirmation after submission
Most of these issues can be identified and corrected before your program opens.
Why Does Award Entry Form Design Matter?
Your entry form is one of the most important parts of the applicant experience.
Even a highly motivated applicant can become frustrated if instructions are unclear, required documents aren't explained in advance, questions are difficult to understand, or progress is lost.
A poorly designed application can lead to:
Abandoned applications
Incomplete submissions
Ineligible applications
Incorrect file uploads
Inconsistent responses
More applicant support requests
Additional administrative work
Difficulty for reviewers
The form also affects what happens later in the process.
Reviewers can only evaluate the information you collect. If questions are ambiguous or applicants interpret them differently, reviewers may receive inconsistent information that is harder to compare fairly.
That's why a strong award entry form should be designed with both the applicant and reviewer experience in mind.
Mistake #1: Eligibility Requirements Aren't Clear
What Goes Wrong
Applicants begin or complete an application without realizing they don't meet the program's eligibility requirements.
Why It Happens
Eligibility information may be buried in program guidelines, spread across multiple pages, written in complicated language, or presented only after someone has already started an application.
How to Fix It
Make eligibility easy to understand before applicants invest significant time.
Consider:
Publishing eligibility requirements on the program landing page
Repeating important requirements at the beginning of the application
Using straightforward language
Creating an eligibility checklist
Asking qualifying questions early in the application
Using conditional logic where appropriate to guide applicants based on their answers
If your program has strict eligibility rules, consider whether the system should prevent clearly ineligible applicants from continuing.
However, be thoughtful about automated disqualification. Eligibility rules should translate cleanly into objective questions before you use them to automatically stop an application.
Why It Matters
Clear eligibility requirements save applicants time and reduce the number of ineligible submissions your administrators and reviewers need to process.
Mistake #2: The Form Feels Too Long or Overwhelming
What Goes Wrong
Applicants open the form, see a large number of questions and requirements, and decide they'll come back later—or don't return at all.
Why It Happens
Forms are sometimes built around what administrators could collect rather than what they actually need to make a decision.
Long applications can also feel more difficult when every question appears on one page without a clear structure.
How to Fix It
Organize the application into logical sections such as:
Applicant information
Eligibility
Award category
Experience or achievements
Essay questions
Supporting documents
References
Review and submission
Provide clear headings and, where appropriate, a progress indicator so applicants understand where they are in the process.
Most importantly, review every question before launch and ask:
Do we actually need this information to determine eligibility, evaluate the application, administer the program, or communicate with the applicant?
If not, consider removing it.
Why It Matters
A detailed application doesn't necessarily need to feel difficult. Good structure can make even a complex process easier to navigate.
Mistake #3: Questions Are Confusing or Vague
What Goes Wrong
Applicants interpret the same question differently and provide responses that are difficult for reviewers to compare.
Why It Happens
Administrators know their program extremely well, which can make it easy to assume applicants understand terminology, acronyms, expectations, or context that hasn't actually been explained.
How to Fix It
Write questions from the applicant's perspective.
Use:
Plain language
Consistent terminology
Short instructions
Relevant examples where needed
Clearly stated word or character limits
Help text for complicated questions
Also compare the application questions with your review criteria.
If reviewers are being asked to score something, make sure applicants have been given an appropriate opportunity to provide the information needed to evaluate it.
For example, if community impact represents 25% of the review score, the application should clearly ask candidates to describe their community impact.
Why It Matters
Application design and review design should work together.
Clear questions give applicants a better opportunity to present their qualifications and give reviewers more relevant and consistent information to evaluate.
Mistake #4: File Upload Requirements Create Problems
What Goes Wrong
Applicants upload the wrong document, use an unsupported file format, exceed a file-size limit, or discover late in the process that they're missing required materials.
Why It Happens
Upload requirements aren't clearly communicated or aren't enforced by the application system.
How to Fix It
For every required upload, clearly explain:
What document is required
Accepted file types
Maximum file size
Number of files allowed
Naming requirements, if any
Whether the document is required or optional
Where possible, configure the application to enforce these requirements rather than relying solely on written instructions.
Applicants should also be able to see which files they've uploaded before submitting.
If multiple supporting documents are required, list them on your program landing page or application guide so applicants can prepare them in advance.
Why It Matters
Clear upload requirements reduce last-minute problems for applicants and administrative cleanup after submission.
Mistake #5: Applicants Can't Save and Return
What Goes Wrong
Applicants believe they need to complete a detailed application in one sitting or risk losing their work.
Why It Happens
Some forms are designed like simple contact forms even though an award application may require essays, supporting documents, references, and information that applicants need time to gather.
How to Fix It
For applications that require significant time or preparation:
Allow applicants to save their progress
Make it clear that they can return later
Clearly distinguish between Save and Submit
Show whether an application is incomplete or submitted
Warn applicants when required information is missing
Explain whether submitted applications can still be edited
Consider using reminders as the deadline approaches for applicants who have started but haven't submitted, where appropriate.
Why It Matters
Save-and-return functionality gives applicants the flexibility to gather information, refine their responses, and complete a stronger application.
Mistake #6: Accessibility Is Treated as an Afterthought
What Goes Wrong
Some applicants encounter unnecessary barriers when navigating, understanding, or completing the application.
Why It Happens
Accessibility may not be considered until after the form has already been designed.
How to Fix It
Accessibility should be considered throughout the application experience.
Among other things, review:
Form labels
Heading structure
Keyboard navigation
Screen reader compatibility
Color contrast
Error messages
Required-field indicators
Instructions
Link and button labels
Focus states
Document accessibility
Unnecessary time limits
Avoid relying solely on color to communicate meaning, and make validation errors easy to identify and correct.
Remember that accessibility extends beyond the application form itself. Your landing page, instructions, downloadable documents, emails, and other applicant communications are part of the same experience.
Why It Matters
Accessible design helps create a more usable application experience for everyone and reduces barriers to participation.
Mistake #7: Applicants Don't Receive Clear Submission Confirmation
What Goes Wrong
An applicant clicks Submit and isn't completely sure whether the application was successfully received.
They may submit again or contact your team for confirmation.
Why It Happens
There may be no confirmation page, no confirmation email, or the message may not clearly explain the application's status.
How to Fix It
Immediately after a successful submission:
Display an on-screen confirmation
Send a confirmation email
Clearly state that the application was received
Include relevant program or application information
Explain what happens next
Provide expected notification dates where appropriate
Include contact information for questions
If applicants can log back into the system, their account should also clearly indicate that the application has been submitted.
Why It Matters
Submission confirmation provides reassurance to applicants while reducing unnecessary follow-up inquiries for administrators.
Bonus Mistake: Not Testing the Form as an Applicant
One of the easiest mistakes to prevent is also one of the most common: launching an application without thoroughly testing the entire experience.
Don't review the form only from the administrator's perspective.
Create a test applicant account and complete the entire process.
Test:
Registration
Login
Eligibility questions
Required fields
Conditional questions
Save and return
File uploads
References, if applicable
Validation messages
Mobile experience
Submission
Confirmation emails
Applicant status after submission
Have someone who wasn't involved in building the form test it too.
They're more likely to notice instructions or terminology that seem obvious to the program team but aren't obvious to an applicant.
How Award Entry Form Mistakes Affect Reviewers
Entry form design doesn't just affect applicants and administrators.
It affects reviewers too.
Imagine asking reviewers to evaluate 200 applications when:
Some applicants interpreted questions differently
Important responses are buried in unrelated fields
Supporting documents aren't standardized
Required information is missing
Questions don't align with scoring criteria
Reviewers may spend more time searching for information and interpreting responses instead of evaluating applicants.
A well-designed entry form creates a more consistent set of submissions, which can make the review process easier to manage.
Connect Your Application Form to Your Review Criteria
Before launching your next awards cycle, compare your application and review forms side by side.
For every scored criterion, ask:
Where does the reviewer get the information needed to evaluate this?
Then work in the other direction.
For every significant question on the application, ask:
Why are we collecting this information?
This simple exercise can reveal unnecessary questions, missing information, and misalignment between the application and review process.
Your application and review forms shouldn't be designed independently.
They're two parts of the same selection process.
Quick Checklist: Award Entry Form Best Practices
Before opening your next awards cycle, confirm that:
Eligibility requirements are clearly explained
Applicants understand what they'll need before starting
The form is divided into logical sections
Questions use clear, consistent language
Questions align with review criteria
Required and optional fields are obvious
File requirements are clearly explained and enforced
Applicants can save their progress and return
Accessibility has been considered throughout the experience
Validation messages explain how to correct errors
The complete application has been tested
Applicants receive immediate confirmation after submitting
Applicants understand what happens next
If you can't confidently check every item, make the necessary improvements before applications open.
How RQ Platform Supports a Better Application Experience
Technology can't fix unclear eligibility criteria or poorly written application questions. Those require thoughtful program design.
But the right application and review management system can make it much easier to put good practices into action.
RQ Platform gives program administrators tools to create structured application workflows, manage applicant information and supporting materials, configure program requirements, communicate with participants, and manage the review and selection process in one place.
Instead of treating the entry form as an isolated step, administrators can manage the application as part of the complete program journey—from registration and submission through review and selection.
Conclusion
A successful award entry form should make it easy for qualified applicants to understand what you're asking, provide the information you need, and confidently submit their application.
Start with the fundamentals.
Explain eligibility. Ask only necessary questions. Organize the form logically. Clearly communicate file requirements. Allow applicants to save their work. Design for accessibility. Test everything before launch. And always confirm successful submission.
Most importantly, design the application and review process together.
The goal isn't simply to collect more applications.
It's to collect the right information in a clear, consistent format so applicants can put forward their strongest submission and reviewers can make informed, fair evaluations.
SEE IT IN ACTION
Build a Better Application and Review Experience
RQ Platform helps you create structured application workflows, manage submissions and supporting materials, communicate with applicants, and move qualified entries into review—all in one place.