Prelims

Prelims, short for preliminary examinations or rounds, are the initial stage of an assessment or competition. They are intended to screen, filter, or seed participants for the next stage. The scope and format vary across fields and regions, but the core idea is to identify a subset of entrants who qualify for the main event.

In education and testing, prelims can refer to the first phase of a two-stage examination or an entrance test. Candidates respond to questions that assess general knowledge, aptitude, or subject mastery. Scores determine eligibility for the higher-stakes main exam or for admission to a program. Examples include national or professional entrance systems where success in the prelims qualifies candidates for the mains or for admission.

In legal contexts, prelims include preliminary hearings or examinations conducted to determine whether a case has enough evidence to proceed to trial. These proceedings address issues such as probable cause, charges, or admissibility of evidence and can result in dismissal or scheduling of the full trial.

In sports and other competitions, prelims are rounds at the start of a tournament in which teams or individuals compete for a place in the main draw. They may be organized as round-robin groups or knockout qualifiers, producing a subset of qualifiers who move on.

The use of prelims invites regard for fairness, accessibility, and stress, and the specifics—format, stakes, and consequences—vary by jurisdiction and context.