diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index bdedc0ffc..b6220c6e3 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ If so add the "waiting for other repos" label and list the upstream PRs
 - waiting on noaa-emc/nems/pull/<pr_number>
 - waiting on noaa-emc/fv3atm/pull/<pr_number>
 
-# Requirements
-- [ ] Any and all new code in this PR is tested by at least one unit test
-- [ ] Any and all new code in this PR includes Doxygen documentation
-- [ ] Any and all new code in this PR does not add new compilation warnings (check CI output)
+# Requirements before merging
+- [ ] All new code in this PR is tested by at least one unit test
+- [ ] All new code in this PR includes Doxygen documentation
+- [ ] All new code in this PR does not add new compilation warnings (check CI output)