First things first, picking a good quality pumpkin is a must regardless of whether you are going to use it for cooking or carving. Make sure to avoid a pumpkin with a rotting stem, bruises, or soft spots.
If you’re cleaning your pumpkin for cooking, you can cut it in half so you can easily scrape out the seeds. But of course, if you will be using it as a jack-o-lantern, you have to make a hole on top or at the bottom of the pumpkin so you can dig out the seeds.