Wikipedia:Advice for RfA candidates

MOST PEOPLE ONLY NEED 20-25 MINUTES TO READ THIS PAGE. Unfortunately, a large number of RfAs fail simply because candidates did not read the instructions and advice pages.

For a well prepared candidate who fulfills the general criteria and has no skeletons in the cupboard, becoming an admin is easy. If you would like to be an admin someday, you should preferably begin preparations some time before making your application. You should thoroughly read the instructions and advice listed above, and on the RfA pages. Review as many old successful and unsuccessful RfAs as possible, and be absolutely sure to generally meet the criteria required by regular !voters (See the list of essays at the end of this page). Users who are not likely to pass may be considered by the community to be immature, or time wasters who are just seeking feedback on their editing. Some candidates whose first RfA failed, pass a second run with flying colours, but previous attempts will be closely looked at again by the community.

When you have done all that, and read this page and followed the links, if you are reasonably sure that you stand a good chance now, consider listing yourself at Optional RfA candidate poll for a final check if you have not already done so. Be aware though, that the regular, experienced commentators there do not like having their time wasted - it's not a substitute for reading this advice page.

If after reading the advice above you are still not sure, you could consider obtaining some feedback at the optional RfA candidate poll. The page is useful for getting a good sense of your chances.

See also: Category:User essays about adminship. (78 pages)

RfA !voters' brief comments on standards. The pages A–Z are classed as 'inactive'. The comments have mostly petered out since around 2006–2007, but may be helpful for research.

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