Contestants must have been born a biological male and be at least 21 years old by the start of the National Pageant. Contestants may qualify for the National Pageant by competing in an officially sanctioned preliminary pageant during the pageant year in which they intend to compete. To qualify, a contestant must either win their division or place in the top two finalists at a sanctioned preliminary held in the United States or internationally. (See Rules & Regulations)

At the National Pageant, contestants first compete in the Preliminary (Qualifying) night of competition to earn a place in the final night of the pageant. Success depends on presenting a strong, complete package across both nights and maintaining consistently high scores in every category. Preliminary competition is judged by five judges, and final night competition is judged by seven judges. In each category, the highest and lowest scores are dropped, and the remaining scores are totaled. Finalists and winners are determined by cumulative scores, so no single category decides the outcome on its own.

Preliminary scores determine the top ten or twelve finalists who advance to final night competition. Contestants are scored in Interview, Swimwear, Talent, and Evening Gown to determine who will advance to the final night of competition.On final night, contestants appear in the following order: Presentation of Contestants (not judged), Swimwear, Talent, and Evening Gown.After these categories, the top five contestants advance to Final Question and Answer. Their Final Question and Answer scores are then added to their previous totals to determine the new titleholder. (Rules & Regulations)