Free Judging Rubric Builder
Create a clear, weighted scoring rubric for your hackathon, innovation challenge, or demo day in minutes.
- No signup required
- Works fully in your browser
- Nothing stored
Choose a template or build from scratch, set your judging criteria and weights, and export a practical scoring sheet for judges.
Event setup
Pick the type of event you are judging. Names are optional and only used in the rubric header.
Start with a template
Start with a template to save time, or build your rubric from scratch.
Hackathon: Innovation, Feasibility, Impact, Technical Execution, Presentation.
Clear all criteria and build your own set from the library or custom entries.
Criteria
Use weights to reflect what matters most for your event. Tip: most judging panels work best with 4 to 6 criteria.
Keep criteria focused. Too many scoring dimensions can slow judges down.
Scoring settings
A shorter scale keeps judges aligned. Use a wider scale when you need finer separation.
Gives judges space to justify each score.
One summary box at the end of the sheet.
Used only when two submissions score the same.
Hackathon judging rubric
Hackathon · Scale: 1 to 5
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
Innovation How original or differentiated is the idea? | 25% | __ / 5 | |
Feasibility Can this realistically be implemented with available resources? | 20% | __ / 5 | |
Impact How meaningful is the expected value or outcome? | 20% | __ / 5 | |
Technical Execution How well built and technically sound is the solution? | 20% | __ / 5 | |
Presentation How clearly and convincingly was the idea presented? | 15% | __ / 5 | |
| Total | 100% | ____ |
Export your rubric
Take the rubric into whatever your judges already use: a printed sheet, a spreadsheet, or a shared doc.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is stored.
Want more than the rubric?
A good rubric is one part of a well-run judging process. These two next steps cover the rest: how to brief judges, structure rounds, and keep scoring consistent across a panel.
Get the Hackathon Organiser Playbook
The full playbook on planning, judging and running hackathons that produce real outcomes.
Download the organiser playbookTalk through your judging setup
Book a short call and we will review your criteria, panel structure and scoring flow with you.
Book a meeting with HackTribeJudging rubric questions, answered
What criteria should be used for hackathon judging?
Most hackathons work well with innovation, feasibility, impact, technical execution and presentation. Adjust the mix so it reflects what the event is actually trying to produce: a prototype-focused hackathon should weight execution higher, an ideation sprint should weight originality and impact.
How many judging criteria should I use?
Four to six. Fewer than four rarely separates strong from average submissions, and more than six slows judges down and pushes them toward gut-feel scoring under time pressure.
Should all judging criteria have equal weight?
Not necessarily. Weights are how you tell judges what matters most. If the goal is a working prototype, execution should carry more weight than delivery. Keep the total at 100% so weighted scores stay comparable across judges.
Can I export this rubric to Google Sheets or PDF?
Yes. Copy as table pastes cleanly into Google Sheets or Excel, Download CSV gives you a spreadsheet file, and Print opens your browser print dialog where you can save the rubric as a PDF or print judging sheets.
What is the best score scale for a judging panel?
A 1 to 5 scale is fastest and reduces disagreement between judges. Use 1 to 10 when you expect many similar submissions and need finer separation. Yes / No with comments suits screening rounds where you only need to filter submissions through to the next stage.