Decoder. plain-English AI glossary

Rubric

● Core

A predefined scoring guide that lists criteria and how to evaluate outputs—the reference for consistent grading.

Think of it like

Like a restaurant inspection checklist: here's what we measure, here's how we score it.

Example

Rubric for code quality: (1) Does it run without error? (2) Is it readable? (3) Is it efficient? Each gets a score.

How it actually works

Good rubrics are detailed enough to guide raters but not so complex they cause disagreement. They should be piloted with multiple raters to check agreement. Rubrics bake in values—what you score is what you optimize for.

For product teams

Design rubrics collaboratively with stakeholders to reflect what quality means.

For engineers

Test rubric clarity before deploying; track inter-rater agreement; iterate based on disagreement patterns.

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