Most disputes after a judged competition trace back to the same root cause: nobody wrote the rubric down before the event started. A rubric is just a fixed list of criteria with a weightage against each one — decide it in advance, print it (or load it into the scoring system), and every judge marks against the same yardstick. Below are six ready, 100-mark rubric templates for the competition types organisers set up most often — copy the weightage, adjust it if your event needs to, and use it either on paper or directly inside eTalenter’s Scoring Setup.
Each template below is a working summary; the full article for that item has the complete deduction table, a step-by-step judging method, and a printable score sheet with a judge’s signature line — link given under each table.
1. Elocution / Speech
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content & matter (relevance, depth, structure, originality) | 30 |
| Delivery & presentation (projection, clarity, pace, eye contact) | 25 |
| Language & pronunciation (grammar, vocabulary, fluency) | 20 |
| Voice modulation & expression (tone, emphasis, emotion) | 15 |
| Confidence & time management (composure, within time) | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Full version with the extempore variant, time-limit deductions and a printable sheet: speech & elocution judging criteria.
2. Solo Song
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Sruthi & pitch accuracy | 25 |
| Laya, tala & rhythm | 20 |
| Voice quality & modulation | 20 |
| Expression & bhavam (incl. diction) | 15 |
| Song selection & difficulty | 10 |
| Stage presence & overall impression | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Full version with the group-song variant, a dual-column solo/group sheet and a deduction table: solo song judging criteria.
3. Classical Dance
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Technique & adavus (nritta) | 25 |
| Abhinaya & expression | 20 |
| Thalam & laya | 20 |
| Mudra accuracy | 15 |
| Overall presentation | 10 |
| Costume & make-up (aharya) | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Full version plus the dedicated group-dance rubric (synchronisation, formation, theme, energy): classical dance judging criteria and group dance judging criteria.
4. Drawing / Painting
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Technique & skill (line, shading, proportion, control) | 25 |
| Theme relevance & interpretation | 20 |
| Composition & use of space | 15 |
| Colour sense & harmony (tonal range for pencil items) | 15 |
| Creativity & originality | 15 |
| Neatness & finish (completed within time) | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Full version with the colouring-contest variant, deduction table and a printable sheet: drawing & painting judging criteria.
5. Essay / Story Writing
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content, ideas & depth of thought | 25 |
| Relevance to the topic | 20 |
| Structure, coherence & flow | 20 |
| Language, grammar & vocabulary | 20 |
| Originality of expression | 10 |
| Presentation & handwriting | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Full version with the story-writing variant, the script-coding section for anonymous written judging, and a dual-column sheet: essay & story writing judging criteria.
6. Folk Dance / Group Items
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Authenticity (steps, costume, music to the tradition) | 25 |
| Rhythm & synchronisation | 20 |
| Group coordination | 20 |
| Costume | 15 |
| Expression | 10 |
| Overall presentation | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Full version with sample age groups and a judging method: folk dance judging criteria.
What about quiz and sports?
Not every competition runs on a weighted rubric. A quiz is scored by correct answers per round (plus any negative marking), not by criteria and marks — see our quiz scoring rules. A Sports item is scored on finishing position or a measured result (time, distance, height), not a judge’s marks — see athletics results rules. Both still need the same discipline the rubrics above do: the exact rule decided and published before the event, not improvised afterwards.
How to set a rubric up in eTalenter
These templates are meant to be copied straight in, not just printed. In eTalenter, open Assign Competitions to Groups for the item, then its Scoring Setup, and enter each criterion with its maximum marks — the total should always foot to 100 (or whatever ceiling your event uses). Once it’s set, every judge sees the identical criteria list on their own phone or tablet during Judging & Scoring, enters marks per criterion, and the system totals, ranks and (if you use one) converts to a grade automatically — no retyping totals from paper sheets, and no judge quietly using a different weightage than the others. For the reasoning behind picking weightage in the first place, see how to design a fair scoring rubric; for how multiple judges’ marks are combined into one result, see how judges score fairly.
FAQ
Can I change the weightage in these templates?
Yes — these are starting points, not a fixed standard. Adjust the numbers to match your event’s own rules, but settle them before registration opens and print or publish the final version so every participant and judge is working from the same sheet.
What if my competition item isn’t listed here?
Start from the template closest in shape — a performance item behaves like the song/dance templates, a judged craft item like the drawing template, a written item like the essay template — and adjust the criteria names. Our judging & tabulation hub links every item-specific criteria article we’ve published.
Do all criteria need to be scored out of the same maximum?
No. What has to be fixed in advance is each criterion’s own maximum (its weightage) and the total they add up to — usually 100. Individual criteria commonly range from 5 to 30 marks depending on how much that aspect should influence the result.
Want to see a rubric scored live before setting one up yourself? Open a live eTalenter demo and log in as a demo coordinator or judge — no sign-up, nothing you click can change the event. Running your school’s, church’s or club’s competition on eTalenter? Message us on WhatsApp or email support@etalenter.com for help with the software. We can’t help with individual entries or submissions to an official fair — for those, please contact your school or the fair’s organisers.
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