How to use the judging score calculator
- Name up to three criteria and give each a weight. Use a weight of 0 to leave one out.
- Choose whether to drop the highest and lowest score for each criterion or keep every score.
- Add each entry and type the judges' scores for each criterion, separated by commas.
- Read the ranking with the final score of every entry, and the average for each criterion.
Formula
Criterion average = mean of the judge scores, after dropping one highest and one lowest if chosen
Final score = sum of (weight x criterion average) / sum of the weights
Rank = 1 + the number of entries with a higher final score
Entries with equal final scores share a rank, and the next rank is skipped
Dropping the highest and lowest score limits the effect of one unusually high or low judge. It needs at least 3 scores for each criterion.
Three entries and five judges
With weights of 50, 30 and 20 for technique, creativity and presentation, and the highest and lowest score dropped, Entry B averages 9.000, 9.200 and 8.600 and finishes first with 8.980. Entry C averages 9.400, 8.200 and 9.033 for 8.967, and Entry A averages 9.133, 8.633 and 9.033 for 8.963. The scores of the first criterion for Entry A, 9.1, 9.3, 8.7, 9.5 and 9.0, become the mean of 9.1, 9.3 and 9.0.
If every score is kept, Entry B stays on 8.980, Entry A rises to 8.954 and Entry C falls to 8.848, because its 8.0 judge score now counts. Two entries with the same final score share first place and the next entry is ranked third.
Why trim the scores
A single judge who scores far above or below the others can change a close result. Dropping one highest and one lowest score for each criterion is a common way to reduce that effect, and the example shows that it can change the order of the entries. Whether to trim is a rule of the contest, so use the setting that your rules call for.
For scoring rounds of a game use the score keeper, and for other ways to compare options see the decision matrix calculator. The drop lowest score grade calculator applies a similar idea to grades.
Ties and rounding
Final scores are shown to three decimals, and entries within a billionth of each other count as tied. Contests have their own tie breaking rules, such as a higher score in the first criterion or a judge's vote, and the page does not apply them. It shows the tie so that you can handle it under your rules.
Assumptions and limits
- Scores are non-negative numbers on any scale, and all judges use the same scale.
- Weights are shared out as proportions, so only their ratio matters.
- Each criterion with a weight above zero needs scores for every entry. Entries can have different numbers of scores.
- Dropping scores removes one highest and one lowest value from each criterion.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a final score with weights?
Multiply each criterion average by its weight, add the results and divide by the total weight. Weights of 50, 30 and 20 with averages of 9.0, 9.2 and 8.6 give 8.98.
What is a trimmed mean in judging?
It is the average after removing the highest and lowest score. Scores of 9.1, 9.3, 8.7, 9.5 and 9.0 give (9.1 + 9.3 + 9.0) / 3 = 9.133.
How are ties ranked?
Entries with the same final score share a rank and the next rank is skipped, so two entries tied for first are followed by third place.
Can I use fewer than three criteria?
Yes. Set the weight of any criterion you do not need to 0 and leave its score cells empty.