The competition opens for registration in January and closes in July. Applicants apply through the website and if they fulfil the entry requirements, they are invited for an interview.
In the interview candidates are tested on their memorisation and they are asked to read from three different places. Candidates who pass the interview are then invited to take part in the competition itself.
The competition takes place in September in a different location every year. Candidates are again asked to read from three different places but are marked with more scrutiny and recite in front of an audience.
Winners of the competition are rewarded with generous cash prizes and certificates of achievement presented in the prize giving ceremony which immediately follows the competition.