Decision Matrix Template with Scores and Weights
A decision matrix lists the options in rows and the things you care about, the criteria, in columns. You give each option a score for each criterion, so a choice among three or more options becomes a table you can compare.
In a weighted matrix each criterion also gets a weight: the more it matters, the bigger the number. The total of an option is its scores times the weights, added up. The example is choosing a trip, with the weights Budget 3, Getting there 2, Food 2 and Sights 3. Kyoto adds up to 3×3 + 5×2 + 4×2 + 5×3 = 42.
Sketio does not calculate. The totals on this board are numbers written in boxes. When you change a score or a weight, work out the new total yourself and write it in.
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What each part does
- Option
- The left column. One candidate per row.
- Weight
- How much each criterion matters. A small range such as 1 to 3 is easier to decide on.
- Budget
- One criterion. Keep to three to five, and make a higher score always mean better.
- Total
- Each score times its weight, added up. The highest total is green.
- Kyoto
- One of the options. The scores in this row are made up for the example, not a rating of the real place.
How to fill it in
- List your options down the left.
- Choose three to five criteria and put them across the top. Fewer criteria are easier to compare.
- Give each criterion a weight. The more it matters, the bigger the number.
- Score every option from 1 to 5 on each criterion, with a higher score always meaning better. A lower price gets the higher score.
- Multiply each score by its weight, add them up and write the total.
- If the winner feels wrong, check whether your weights match what you really care about.
When to use it
- Choosing a trip, a home appliance or an app to use.
- Deciding which improvement idea to start with.
- Making the criteria visible when a family or a group cannot agree.
Common variations
Add options or criteria
When you add a row or a column, redo the totals. With many options, add them up in a spreadsheet and copy the results here.
Try other weights
If the winner stays the same when you change a weight a little, the choice is stable. If it changes, the options are close.
Only two options
For a plain yes or no, a pros and cons list is quicker.
Make it yours
Replace the options, criteria and weights with your own, then work out the totals last.
Opens this diagram as a board you can edit.
By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, including sending images of your strokes, diagram labels and similar data to providers in the United States (Cloudflare, Inc. and TypeSafe AI, Inc.) for AI conversion.