Unsure what to choose? Score your options against multiple criteria to pick the best choice based on what matters to you.
1. Set up your choices
Example: Job A, Job B, Job C
2. Set up your criteria
Example: Salary, Commute Time, Work-Life Balance
3. Adjust weights between 1 and 5
W3 is average - lower means less important, higher means more important.
4. Enter scores
For each cell, enter a score from 0 (worst) to 10 (best) based on how well the criterion is met.
5. Press Calculate Results
The tool multiplies each score by its weight, adds everything up, and shows your best choice.
Shrink Table | W3 Criteria 1 | W3 Criteria 2 |
|---|---|---|
Choice A | ||
Choice B |
Some decisions are too important to leave to gut feeling alone. Choosing between job offers, selecting a college, picking where to live, or deciding on major purchases - these choices benefit from systematic evaluation. A decision matrix forces you to break down complex decisions into measurable components.
Rather than getting overwhelmed by trying to juggle multiple factors in your head, the matrix lets you score each option against specific criteria. The result is a data-driven recommendation that accounts for both your priorities and objective performance.
Each criterion gets a weight from 1 to 5, representing its importance in your decision. Each option gets scored 0 to 10 on how well it meets that criterion. The magic happens when these numbers combine: Score × Weight = Weighted Points. Add up all weighted points for each option and the highest total wins.
This methodology mirrors how professional consultants and analysts evaluate complex business decisions. By forcing explicit scoring, you avoid the cognitive bias of letting one standout factor overshadow everything else. The final percentage shows not just the winner, but how decisively one option beats the others.
Often the most valuable part isn't the final score - it's the process of defining what actually matters to you. When you're forced to assign weights and scores, you discover which factors you truly prioritize versus what you think you should care about.
Whether you're evaluating two simple options or comparing ten choices across multiple criteria, the matrix scales to match your decision's complexity, with compact mode making large matrices manageable even on mobile devices.
Start with W3 (normal importance) for everything, then adjust. Ask yourself: 'If two options were identical except for this one factor, how much would it matter?' W5 factors are deal-breakers, W1 factors are nice-to-haves.
Scoring is partly subjective - there's no way around it. Try to use a consistent scale: 10 = exceeds expectations, 7-9 = good or even great, 4-6 = acceptable, 0-3 = disappointing. Your personal standards matter more than absolute objectivity.
A strong contradiction might reveal that you haven't captured all the criteria that matter to you, or that your weightings don't reflect your true priorities. Refine the matrix or consider what emotional factors you might have missed. Also consider the possibility that your gut feeling may simply be wrong.
Start with 3-5 major factors. Too few criteria and you miss important nuances; too many and the process becomes overwhelming. You can always add more criteria if the initial results don't feel comprehensive.
Use a decision matrix when you have multiple options and multiple factors to consider, especially if the stakes are high. For simple either/or choices or when you're just stuck in analysis paralysis, some of our simpler tools might be better.