Wikipedia:RfA cheatsheet

On every request for adminship, there are three standard questions. Although the page says they are optional, not answering them will bring lots of opposition to your candidacy. Additionally, there is a trend to add "stock" optional questions. Unlike the three "real" questions, these are generally questions which have a right answer, and if you answer it wrongly, your RfA will probably fail. Here is a list of some of the most commonly asked questions:

What is the difference between a ban and a block?

The answer to this is found in the banning and blocking policies. Basically, a ban is something that is given to a very small number of users. It means that they cannot edit Wikipedia, ever, under any circumstances. Bans are given by ArbCom, the community, or Jimbo. A user is de facto banned if no admin will unblock. A block is something that occurs on Wikipedia pretty much all the time. It basically "blocks" the user from editing. It is designed to be preventative, such as against a vandal. It normally does not last long, and an indef-blocked user can return productively under another account if they choose. Blocks and bans can be of varying lengths, but bans are normally longer, and cannot be revoked without a discussion of some sort. Unlike blocks, bans are placed as a consensus of users, instead of just one admin.

When should cool down blocks be used and why?

They should never be used. See the policy concerning this.

If another administrator removes material from an article and cites a BLP concern as the reason - but you believe the material does not violate BLP policy and should be included- what do you do?

This is more of a personal answer, but nonetheless, there are things that you should and shouldn't say in response to this. Whatever the case, discussion is key. Do not revert it. The user in question may be removing based on an OTRS ticket from the subject themselves. They may have more information on it than you do, and it is therefore a very very bad idea to revert. What is probably best is to just accept it in practice. In your answer, you should explain that you would engage in discussion with the admin, or on the talk page. You could additionally explain the importance of the BLP policy in your answer.

What is your opinion on WP:IAR?

The first thing to realise is, that WP:IAR does not mean "Do whatever you like." Actually read the policy. It means, that if a rule is preventing you from doing something to improve the encyclopedia, break it. It is not a "get out of jail" card for breaking rules though. You must have some justification to break them, and be prepared to explain yourself. A very useful essay on ignoring rules is here. You can only really give your opinion on IAR when you fully understand what it is - when you do understand, you will be able to give an opinion that won't get you opposed.

What is your opinion of WP:AOR and would add yourself to it?

Be familiar with the past controversies of WP:AOR. It may sound like a good idea, but it has caused many problems in the past. As with IAR, you should only really be able to give an opinion when you know what it is. The question of adding yourself to it is a personal choice - if you say no, be prepared to give a good reason why not, and if you say yes, be prepared to explain what your conditions would be, and why you would add yourself.

Please choose a question from User:Filll/AGF Challenge and give an answer, including your reasoning, below. Thanks, and good luck. :-)

These are actual hard questions. Do not be mislead by the multiple choice options, for RFA you need to provide an actual essay answer. There is no one correct answer, there are several approaches that might work. Some approaches might show that you are in a hurry to resolve issues, other approaches might reveal that you are a kind-hearted person, or conversely, you might reveal yourself to be a cold-hearted bureaucrat. So think carefully how you want to approach the situation.

"Project space" will almost always refer to the Wikipedia: namespace. Don't ever assume it means WikiProject. If you don't know this vital part of RfA jargon, you will almost surely fail.