Level Three Policy Exam Study Guide

Intro

The Level Three Policy Exam is a very challenging test to determine the candidate’s knowledge of tournament policy as it applies to Competitive and Professional REL events. The exam is comprised of twenty questions, requires at a score of at least 80% to pass, and has a cooldown of ninety days.

On questions involving the IPG, candidates are encouraged to especially focus on remedies, upgrades and downgrades, exceptions to rules, and the distinction between two potential infractions. While there are no questions directly testing candidates’ knowledge of policy philosophy (this is tested during the interview), candidates with extensive understanding of policy philosophy will excel as they’re likely to understand the reasoning behind questions and answers.

On questions involving the MTR, questions will revolve around situations that come up while running Competitive REL events, including questions that a Head Judge for a 1k might be asked by a tournament organizer and questions to help players resolve situations in-game. Every exam will include one or more questions about communication policy, so studying MTR section 4 is an absolute must. 

Many questions on this exam are “select all that apply.” For these questions, at least one answer will always be correct; in some cases, all answers may be correct. These questions require candidates to have excellent policy knowledge, as they can’t be easily defeated by test-taking strategies, and there will generally be about five to seven multi-select questions per test, enough that you cannot pass without completing at least some of them correctly. Candidates are strongly encouraged, when they first sit for the test, to identify these questions on the exam and notate them on the answer sheet so they fully answer them.

Policy

  • Infraction Procedure Guide (IPG)
    • 1. General Philosophy
      • 1.0 Overview
      • 1.1 Definition of Penalties
      • 1.2 Applying Penalties
      • 1.3 Randomizing a Library
      • 1.4 Backing Up
      • 1.5 Sets
    • 2. Game Play Errors
      • 2.0 Overview
      • 2.1 Game Play Error – Missed Trigger
      • 2.2 Game Play Error – Looking at Extra Cards
      • 2.3 Game Play Error – Hidden Card Error
      • 2.4 Game Play Error – Mulligan Procedure Error
      • 2.5 Game Play Error – Game Rule Violation
      • 2.6 Game Play Error – Failure to Maintain Game State
    • 3. Tournament Errors
      • 3.0 Overview
      • 3.1 Tournament Error – Tardiness
      • 3.2 Tournament Error – Outside Assistance
      • 3.3 Tournament Error – Slow Play
      • 3.4 Tournament Error – Decklist Problem
      • 3.5 Tournament Error – Deck Problem
      • 3.6 Tournament Error – Limited Procedure Violation
      • 3.7 Tournament Error – Communication Policy Violation
      • 3.8 Tournament Error – Marked Cards
      • 3.9 Tournament Error – Insufficient Shuffling
    • 4. Unsporting Conduct
      • 4.0 Overview
      • 4.1 Unsporting Conduct – Minor
      • 4.2 Unsporting Conduct – Major
      • 4.3 Unsporting Conduct – Improperly Determining a Winner
      • 4.4 Unsporting Conduct – Bribery and Wagering
      • 4.5 Unsporting Conduct – Aggressive Behavior
      • 4.6 Unsporting Conduct – Theft of Tournament Materials
      • 4.7 Unsporting Conduct – Stalling
      • 4.8 Unsporting Conduct – Cheating
  • Magic: the Gathering Tournament Rules (MTR)
    • 1. Tournament Fundamentals
      • 1.7 Head Judge
      • 1.8 Floor Judge
      • 1.12 Rules Enforcement Levels
    • 2. Tournament Mechanics
      • 2.1 Match Structure
      • 2.2 Play/Draw Rule
      • 2.3 Pregame Procedures
      • 2.4 End of Match Procedures
      • 2.5 Conceding or Intentionally Drawing Games or Matches
      • 2.6 Time Extensions
      • 2.7 Deck Registration
      • 2.8 Deck Checks
      • 2.9 Appeals to the Head Judge
      • 2.10 Dropping from a Tournament
      • 2.11 Taking Notes
      • 2.12 Electronic Devices
    • 3. Tournament Rules
      • 3.3 Authorized Cards
      • 3.4 Proxy Cards
      • 3.5 Substitute Cards
      • 3.6 Card Identification and Interpretation
      • 3.8 Game Markers
      • 3.10 Card Shuffling
      • 3.11 Sleeves
      • 3.12 Marked Cards
      • 3.13 Hidden Information
      • 3.14 Tapped/Flipped Cards
      • 3.16 Sideboard
    • 4. Communication
      • 4.1 Player Communication
      • 4.2 Tournament Shortcuts
      • 4.3 Out of Order Sequencing
      • 4.4 Loops
      • 4.5 Triggered Abilities
      • 4.6 Team/Two-Headed Giant Communication
      • 4.8 Reversing Decisions
      • 4.9 Day/Night
    • 5. Tournament Violations
    • 7. Limited Tournament Rules
      • 7.1 Deck Construction Restrictions
      • 7.2 Card Use in Limited Tournaments
      • 7.3 Continuous Construction
      • 7.4 Abnormal Product
      • 7.5 Sealed Deck Pool Registration
      • 7.6 Draft Pod Assembly
      • 7.7 Booster Draft Procedures
    • 8. Team Tournament Rules
      • 8.3 Team Communication Rules
    • 9. Two-Headed Giant Rules
      • 9.2 Communication Rules
    • 10. Sanctioning Rules
      • 10.4 Pairing Algorithm

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