Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: Items in folders, *IF* I recall correctly, work differently from entries in book items. If a folder is set to private and you want all of the items within it set to private, you need to set each item private individually. Basically: an item's access restrictions are independent of the access restrictions of its folder. A folder set to private only removes that folder from view when someone looks at your portfolio.*

For those who are submitting as entries in *Book* items, it works a little differently. The highest restriction overrides there. So if your book is private, it matters not what each individual entry access restriction is; everything in the book is private. On the other hand, if the book is public, then each entry can have its own access restrictions. So for anyone submitting book entries, keep that in mind.

As always, don't completely trust me. If you're unsure, I can help you test if I can view your item or not. IM me, email, or post here.

One final thing: Everyone signed up for Prep is at least group level 9, which means that one option when setting access is to restrict it to Prep group only (I think anyone level 6 and above has this awesome power). Which reminds me, I need to make sure that all the Contest Round judges have appropriate levels within the group. I'd best get on that right now.

*ETA: okay, not "only." Someone looking at your port won't be able to see any of the items contained within the folder, because they can't see the folder to open it. But the items within a private folder that are not set to private *will* come up on searches and public listings, based upon their individual access settings, and you can still feature them as "highlighted items" and they'll be visible there. Or link them elsewhere and people who meet the access restriction requirements can still view them. For our purposes, if your contest round entry *static item* is set to public, group access only, or Registered+, then all the judges should be able to view the items when they get the links which I will collate. For book entries that are contest round entries, make sure your book AND the contest entry are both set to be viewable.

Once judging is over and the winners are announced, feel free to set the access restrictions to whatever you like.