Huru
EN
Try it, It’s Free!
Interview Skills

Interview Scorecard and Rubric Template (Free PDF): How to Score Candidates Fairly

A free interview scorecard and rubric template (PDF) for hiring managers, and how to use it: choosing competencies, writing questions, a 1–5 rating scale with behavioral anchors, taking interview notes, running a fair debrief, and the research behind structured interviews.

By Amine Boukioud Updated 5 min read
The Huru mascot at a desk marking a scorecard on a clipboard with rows of rating circles, next to a stack of candidate folders

The short answer: an interview scorecard lists the competencies the job needs, the questions that test each one, a shared rating scale, and space for evidence and a recommendation. A rubric adds examples of what a weak, solid and strong answer looks like for each question, so every interviewer scores the same way. Used together, they turn an interview into a structured interview, which research shows is one of the best predictors of job performance. Download the free interview scorecard (PDF): two pages, with a 1–5 scale, an evidence column, a notes page and an example rubric. Below is how to fill it in and use it.

Why use a scorecard

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) defines a structured interview as one that measures “job-related competencies” by asking about past behavior or hypothetical situations, where “all candidates are asked the same predetermined questions in the same order” and “all responses are evaluated using the same rating scale.”

It’s worth the effort. A 2022 re-analysis of decades of hiring research by Sackett and colleagues, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, found that structured interviews had the highest average validity (.42) of the selection methods studied, above cognitive ability tests (.31).

A scorecard also:

  • Makes decisions fairer, because every candidate is judged on the same criteria.
  • Makes debriefs faster, because interviewers bring evidence, not impressions.
  • Documents your decision in case it’s questioned later.

What goes on an interview scorecard

  1. Candidate, role, date, interviewer and interview stage.
  2. Four to six competencies the job needs, taken from the job description: for example, problem solving, collaboration, communication, customer focus, or a technical skill.
  3. The question for each competency, written before the interview.
  4. A rating scale, the same for every interviewer.
  5. Evidence notes: what the candidate said and did.
  6. An overall recommendation, with the strongest evidence and the main concerns.

The rating scale

Our template uses a five-point scale with a short description at each level:

ScoreLabelWhat it means
1Not shownNo relevant example, or the example contradicts the competency
2LimitedA vague or partial example; key actions or results missing
3MeetsA clear, relevant example with their own actions and a result
4StrongSpecific, well-judged actions and a measurable result
5ExceptionalStrong evidence across examples, at or above the level of the role

OPM notes that giving all competencies equal weight is “generally the most effective and defensible course of action” unless you have a clear, documented reason to weight them differently.

How to write a rubric (behavioral anchors)

A rubric describes what an answer looks like at different levels for a specific question. Write anchors for at least 1, 3 and 5. For example:

Competency: Collaboration. Question: “Tell me about a time you worked with others to reach a shared goal.”

  • 1: Describes working alone, or blames others for problems; no clear shared goal.
  • 3: Clear shared goal; explains their own role, how they kept others informed, and the result.
  • 5: Brings people with different views together, resolves a disagreement constructively, and credits others while showing a measurable result.

Write anchors with the people who know the job best, and test them on a few practice answers before using them. OPM’s guidance notes that custom rating scales take “extensive subject matter expert involvement.”

Taking interview notes

  • Write down what the candidate says and did, in their words where you can: “Cut onboarding from six weeks to three,” not “impressive.”
  • Note the situation, their actions and the result for each example. That’s the STAR method, from the interviewer’s side.
  • Ask one follow-up when an answer is vague: “What did you do, specifically?” or “What was the result?”
  • Note when a competency wasn’t assessed rather than guessing a score.
  • Avoid notes about personal characteristics unrelated to the job.

The second page of the template is a notes page with the example rubric and rules for the debrief.

Running a fair debrief

  1. Score independently right after the interview, before talking to anyone.
  2. Share scores and evidence competency by competency, not an overall “I liked them.”
  3. Discuss big differences in scores; they usually mean interviewers heard different evidence or interpreted the scale differently.
  4. Watch for common biases: similarity to yourself, first impressions, and one strong answer coloring the rest (the halo effect).
  5. Decide against the criteria you set, and record why.

Common mistakes

  • Adding competencies after the interview to justify a gut feeling.
  • Different questions for different candidates for the same role.
  • Scores with no evidence in the notes.
  • Too many competencies. Four to six per interview is plenty.
  • Using the scorecard only for rejected candidates. Use it for everyone.

Running structured interviews at volume? Our guide to the best AI recruiting software compares tools that score answers against your criteria for a recruiter to review.

For candidates: what this means for you

Structured interviews reward answers with specific evidence: the situation, what you did and a measurable result. If you’re preparing for one, practice answering behavioral questions out loud with the STAR method. See our guides to common interview questions and running a mock interview, which has a free scorecard for practice.

Frequently asked questions

What is an interview scorecard?
A form each interviewer fills in that lists the competencies the job needs, the question for each, a shared rating scale, evidence notes and an overall recommendation, so every candidate is judged on the same criteria.
What's the difference between an interview scorecard and a rubric?
The scorecard is the form you fill in. The rubric describes what weak, solid and strong answers look like for each question, so interviewers apply the rating scale the same way.
What rating scale should I use in interviews?
A 1 to 5 scale with a short description at each level works well: not shown, limited, meets, strong and exceptional. Use the same scale for every interviewer and every candidate.
Are structured interviews better than unstructured ones?
Research supports them. A 2022 re-analysis by Sackett and colleagues found structured interviews had the highest average validity for predicting job performance (.42) of the methods studied.
What should interview notes include?
What the candidate said and did in each example, in their words where possible, including the situation, their own actions and the result, plus any competency you didn't get evidence for.

Sources

Practice this with Huru AI

Turn what you just read into a rehearsal. Unlimited AI mock interviews with instant, specific feedback.

Try it, It’s Free! Browse the interview library

Amine Boukioud

Amine Boukioud is a co-founder of Beatview, Inc., the company behind Huru, and Head of Growth at Huru. He writes and reviews Huru’s interview guides; each one starts from primary sources such as employers’ own careers pages, official data and research, and follows Huru’s editorial policy.

Published · Updated

How this article was made: researched and drafted with AI assistance, then written, fact-checked and signed by Amine Boukioud on September 30, 2026. Sources are linked where they are used. How we work: editorial policy.

The Huru mascot walking confidently along a path toward a door with a glowing check mark, stepping around a banana peel, a ringing phone, a spilled coffee and a crumpled paper

Interview Skills

Common Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (2026): Before, During and After

The most common job interview mistakes and how to avoid them: before the interview (not researching, not reading the job description, no prepared stories, video setup failures), during (vague or rambling answers, not answering the question, "we" instead of "I", criticizing past employers, stretching the truth, no questions to ask, raising salary too early), AI-era mistakes, and after (no thank-you, poor follow-up), with a fix for each.

5 min read