Assessment of participating towns is carried out by an independent panel of adjudicators appointed by the Department of Rural and Community Development and takes place during the months of June, July and August each year, on a date which is not specified. As a result, this assessment is conducted in secret.Each entrant is assessed under eight criteria with a total of 450 marks available as follows :

Community Involvement & Planning (60 marks)
Built Environment & Streetscape (50 marks)
Landscaping & Open Spaces (50 marks)
Wildlife, Habitats & Natural Amenities (50 marks)
Tidiness & Litter Control (90 marks)
Sustainable Waste & Resource Management (50 marks)
Residential Streets & Housing Areas (50 marks)
Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes (50 marks).These criteria are applied to the physical environment of the area having regard to materials furnished by the entrant, which can, among other things, include a map, plans and photographs etc.