> What the skill question in a UK prize competition is for, what the law asks of it, and why getting it right matters on every entry, paid or free. Source page: https://granddraws.co.uk/guides/what-is-a-skill-question [All guides](https://granddraws.co.uk/guides) # What is a skill question, and why does it matter? Last updated 25 September 2026 · 4 min read Short answer A skill question is a question you must answer correctly for your entry to count. Under the Gambling Act 2005, a skill or knowledge test keeps a prize competition out of the lottery definition only if it can reasonably be expected to stop a significant proportion of people from entering or winning. The Gambling Commission says multiple-choice questions rarely meet that on their own, which is why Grand Draws pairs its question with a free postal entry route. Either way the question has to be real: a wrong answer disqualifies the entry, paid or free. ## Why the question exists at all It is not a gimmick. Section 14 of the Gambling Act 2005 defines a lottery as paid entry with prizes allocated wholly by chance. A test of skill, knowledge or judgement stops that being true, but only if it can reasonably be expected to prevent a significant proportion of people from entering, or of entrants from winning (section 14(5)). A test that falls short of that is treated as if it were chance. The other way out of the lottery definition is a free entry route of equal standing. Remove both and what is left is a lottery, which cannot be run for private or commercial gain. ## What makes a question "genuine" The law cares whether skill, knowledge or judgement is actually involved, and whether a wrong answer really disqualifies the entry. A question nobody could fail does not count. The Gambling Commission goes further: it says multiple-choice questions, or questions that give you another go after a wrong answer, rarely meet the test on their own. That is why we don't rely on the question alone. Every paid Grand Draws competition has a multiple-choice skill question, checked on every entry, and a free postal route of equal standing. ## It applies to free entries too The skill question is not just for paying entrants. A free postal entry has to answer it correctly as well, exactly like a paid ticket. That equal treatment is deliberate: the free route has to carry the same requirements and the same odds, or it would not do its job of keeping the competition lawful. ## The one mistake to avoid The commonest way people lose an entry is rushing the question. It usually takes a second, and getting it wrong throws the entry away, win or not. So slow down for the one question. It is the cheapest insurance on the site. **Please note.** General information about the Gambling Act 2005, which applies in England, Wales and Scotland (Northern Ireland has separate legislation). It is not legal advice. ## Sources - [Gambling Act 2005, section 14: meaning of "lottery" (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/19/section/14) - [Gambling Commission: Free draws and prize competitions](https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/page/free-draws-and-prize-competitions) - [Gambling Act 2005, Schedule 2, paragraph 8: choice of free entry (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/19/schedule/2/paragraph/8) Checked against these sources on 25 September 2026. ## Common questions **Does the skill question have to be difficult?** It has to be a real filter: a wrong answer must genuinely disqualify the entry. The legal test is whether it can reasonably be expected to stop a significant proportion of people from entering or winning, not how hard it feels. **What happens if I get the skill question wrong?** Your entry is void and does not go into the draw, whether it was a paid ticket or a free postal entry. It is worth double-checking before you submit. **Do free postal entries have to answer the skill question?** Yes. The skill question applies to every entrant equally. A free entry must answer it correctly, just like a paid one. ## Related guides [Are prize competitions gambling?When is a UK prize competition outside gambling law? The Gambling Act 2005 tests that decide it, what they mean in practice, and how to check a site.](https://granddraws.co.uk/guides/are-prize-competitions-gambling) [Free postal entry, explainedHow to enter a UK prize competition free by post, why the odds are identical to a paid entry, and what the law asks of a free entry route.](https://granddraws.co.uk/guides/free-postal-entry-explained) [Prize competition glossary: the terms explainedPlain-English definitions of the terms on UK prize competition sites: entering, tickets and odds, the draw, prizes and winners, and staying in control.](https://granddraws.co.uk/guides/prize-competition-glossary) [How UK prize draws workWhat a prize draw is, how entries, odds and the draw itself work in the UK, and the different legal footings a draw can sit on.](https://granddraws.co.uk/guides/how-uk-prize-draws-work) ## Be first when we open Paid competitions open 30 October 2026, and our free £500 launch draw runs 1 to 30 October. Create a free account for first pick of tickets, free welcome rewards and launch-day alerts. 18+. [Create a free account](https://granddraws.co.uk/account?next=early-access) ## Your ticket could be next Every competition has published odds, a draw anyone can verify and a free postal route. 18+. [Browse competitions](https://granddraws.co.uk/competitions) --- Grand Draws is a UK skill-based prize competition operator. It is not a casino, not a lottery and not gambling. Every competition requires a correct answer to a genuine skill question and offers a free postal entry route on the same odds. 18+, UK residents only. Please enter within your means.