The usual reasons
Hours from before registration. Only activity after the registration date counts, once the Advisor has approved the goals.
Months that fall short. From the Gold Certificate up, each main area needs activity across a minimum number of months, and intense bursts do not make up for missing months.
Too much indirect service. Planning, meetings, training, research and fundraising together can be no more than a quarter of service hours.
More than eight hours in a day. Only eight hours per goal per day count, and anything above is removed.
The same activity in two areas. An activity, and its hours, can count in one program area only.
Club meetings logged as activity. Regular business meetings do not count; the club's activities do.
Service that does not qualify. Paid service, service for class credit, service that only benefits a small group such as one congregation, and activity that involves proselytizing do not count as voluntary public service.
A pre-planned expedition. Band trips, sports camps, conferences, cruises, leadership workshops and competitions do not qualify.
A thin expedition write-up. Reviewers look for how the student planned, how the trip was new to them, and how they were self-reliant.
Answers that are not the student's own. The program does not allow AI tools to generate, draft, proofread or revise record book answers, or extensive outside help with them, and heavy parental assistance must be cleared with the regional program manager first.
What happens if a revision is requested
The participant receives an email from the program listing the points to address. The student answers every point in the record book on Submittable, has any added activities approved by a Validator or the Advisor, and resubmits. Initial reviews take about six to eight weeks, and revised record books can take up to two more weeks, with Gold Medal record books reviewed by a committee.
A practical point about Submittable
Record book forms on Submittable expire at the end of each calendar year, and a new form opens on 1 January. A student who plans to submit next year should keep logging in a separate workbook and start the online form in the year they submit, or transfer their work into the new year's form.
How Tallyhurst helps
We plan goals and activities against these rules from the first day, keep one activity log that records the date, hours and area of every entry, and check the finished record book against every rule before submission. The words are always the student's own, as the program requires.
Sources
Questions
Can my teenager use ChatGPT or another AI tool to write the record book?
No. The Congressional Award does not allow AI tools to generate, draft, proofread or revise record book answers. They may be used for research only, and answers must be in the student's own words.
How long does a Congressional Award record book review take?
About six to eight weeks for an initial review, with up to two more weeks for a revised record book. Gold Medal record books are reviewed by a committee and can take a little longer.
What happens to my teenager's draft on Submittable at the end of the year?
Record book forms expire at the end of each calendar year. Work must be moved into the new year's form, which opens on 1 January.
Can a parent help write the record book?
The answers must be the student's own. If a student needs heavy parental assistance, the family should contact the regional program manager before submitting.