Step 1 of 5
Set up the rubric
Fix the criteria and standards before seeing any project.
Set up my judging rubric. I will paste the competition's criteria below. Produce: each criterion with its weight and a 1-10 scale anchored with concrete descriptions (what a 3, 6, and 9 look like - observable behaviors, not adjectives); the functionality-verification checklist applied to every project (core action works, data persists, no dead buttons on the main path); and the report template (scores, evidence, strengths, issues, potential). Lock it before judging starts. CRITERIA: [paste here]
Expected after this step
An anchored, weighted rubric plus a universal verification checklist and template.
Should not happen
- ✕Scoring from the demo video alone
- ✕Halo effects from polished pitches masking dead apps
- ✕Vague feedback ('great job, needs polish')
- ✕Inconsistent standards between the first and last project judged
Verify before continuing
Do not move on until every check is true. The complete button stays locked until then.
Do not continue if…
- !Scoring from the demo video alone
- !Halo effects from polished pitches masking dead apps
- !Vague feedback ('great job, needs polish')
- !Inconsistent standards between the first and last project judged
If the AI messes this up
Use this when the AI fakes progress or breaks the feature. It forces a real fix.
The scale points are adjectives ('good', 'excellent'). Rewrite anchors as observable behaviors so two judges would score alike.