FREE 14+ Debate Evaluation Forms in PDF | MS Word

Cross-question, rebuttal, and two-men debate are some of the common forms of debates which are known globally. However, regardless of the debate type, a debate session feedback will not be complete without the presence of professional judges. These people are expected to assess the abilities and knowledge of the participants. A ballot and a debate evaluation form are two of the main documents that the judges will need prior to the debate. Additionally, these forms or documents are provided by the debate organizers and will serve as the basis of the judges as they will determine the winner of the argument.

Parliamentary Debate Evaluation Form

Peer Debate Evaluation Form

Quick Peer Debate Evaluation Form

Situation Debate Evaluation Form

Team Debate Evaluation Form

What Is a Debate Evaluation Form?

A debate evaluation form is similar to a scorecard that the judges will use at any competition, however, it will indicate an in-depth description of the evaluator’s thoughts about the presentation evaluation of the participant’s ideas. It will serve as the rubrics of the judges with regards to indicating whether their standards have been met by the participants on stage.

Although it is common that debate evaluation forms will state the scores of the participants, this document can also be used for other purposes such as being an event form that will highlight the ratings that the debate event-goers have given for assessing the location, duration, and the subject of the debates. The importance of having this evaluation form is evidently due to the need for the judges to construct a decision as well as to allow the debate organizers in distinguishing what needs to be improved for their incoming debate events.

Debate Judge Evaluation Sheet Form

Debate Speech Evaluation Form

Education Debate Evaluation Form

General Debate Evaluation Form

Group Debate Evaluation Form

What’s in a Debate Evaluation Form?

Debate evaluation forms can come in varying formats and layout depending on the organization who is handling the event. Nonetheless, it must have the essential areas and sections specified below:

Debate Details

This should serve as the first section of a debate evaluation form. It will contain the title of the debate event registration, the subject of the debate, as well as the date when the debate is held. The subject of the debate can either be presented in a form of a question or a bullet for separate topics per competing pair. The location and the educational institution who hosted the event should also have their logos and names after the event’s title to acknowledge their sponsorship application and partnership. Additionally, a set of instructions for the judges or the user of the evaluation form is also provided along with the rating scale for the debate to allow the users be informed of how they must indicate their ratings on the document.

Team Information

The name of the team and the player who will be competing for the particular round should be stated in this section along with the description of the team’s appearance as they present themselves to the judge. Other debate evaluation forms will include a specific student information section for those competitors who are competing as a single player in the debate. The details can include the grade level of the competing participant, his age, and his field of specialities such as politics or scientific studies.

Opening Statement Rating

Just like in an opening statement from a cover letter, a debate opening statement must be brief and should support the claims of the speaker. The judges will rate the opening statement of the competitor by determining if it is clearly spoken and if it directly addresses the issue presented for the debate.

Presentation Evaluation

Debates do not merely deal with speech evaluations and ideas but also how the competitor was able to present his thoughts concisely with supporting descriptions to his audience. The competitor or the participant’s eye contact, body language, hand gestures, and even vocal impact to the debate will be the subjects which are included in the evaluation of the judges. Although most debate evaluations will have a single line for a presentation evaluation, there are other institutions that value the importance of in-depth detailing about the competitor’s presentation rather than a summary.

Rebuttal Statement Rating

Rebuttals are the statements of the competitor in the debate which indicates his contradiction to the ideas fought by his opponent. The representation of legal forms for supporting the claims of the rebuttal statements can be considered for rating this section, however, it will depend on the judges and the event organizers if they will permit the competitors to present props or documents during the debate. The way the opposing party handled the rebuttal such as being calm or showing a heated persona will also be included in the opposing party’s evaluation.

Final Statement Rating

The closing statements and words of the competitors are the subjects of this rating to indicate if the statements were effective and can be considered for hailing the winner of the debate. It is also essential that the final statement of information have closed the debate formally without any inquiries left unanswered for the audience and judge.

Winning Team Choice

The judge will state his choice of the winner based on the ratings that he wrote on the form. The scores should be summed up along with the observation feedback of the judge regarding the behavior of the competitor which adheres to the rules of the debate. Score deductions often accompany the competitors who have shown an unlikely attitude in the duration of the debate towards the argument of his opponents. To assure that deductions are properly catered, the judges should associate each deduction to the particular area wherein the competitor failed to comply.

Additional Comments

Ways and suggestions on how the debate competitor can improve his skill and himself will be in this section. The judge’s event feedback is also catered in this area to assess the debate’s location and all other aspects which may have caused an issue to the debate such as the poorness of the sound system or the microphones used by each competitor.

Classroom Debate Evaluation Form

Debate Assessment Evaluation Form

Debate Candidate Evaluation Form

Debate Evaluation Form Sample

Debate Evaluation Scorecard Form

Tips for Debate Evaluations

To be chosen as a judge for a debate is an interesting yet tough task to accomplish since debates can come on varying topics. However, with these tips in mind, you will ease your way to judging the debate effectively:

• Demand for the appropriate documents prior to the debate. Before the debate will start, you should acquire all the forms that you need such as the ballots and evaluation documents. These forms serve as your tools in the debate’s duration wherein you will be able to take down notes and general information. Without these documents, you will not be able to support your judgments and verdicts.

• Know the rules. Different types of debates will call for varying timing rules and regulations. You should be aware of each category and level as well as the topic of the debate. When it comes to delivering the results, inquire whether you need to submit your evaluation form once it is completed after the debate or if you will have to conversate with the other judges to end up with a choice. Additionally, other rules that you should be reminded of must include the behavior assessment and the limitations of the competitors during the debate and presentations of their ideas.

• Emotions and opinions away. As you head your way to the doors of the debate location, you must erase your personal beliefs and emotions towards the topic in order for you to equally judge the competitors based on their presentations. Being swayed by personal beliefs can be an issue when it comes to determining who your choice of winner will be at the end of the event. An effective way to avoid involving your emotions for every debate that you will be judging is to repeat a mantra in your mind that will keep you focused and centered on the topic such as the phrase “Emotions away!”.

• Assess the participants. When you are chosen to be a judge, it means that the event planner and organizers see you as an observant and knowledgeable person for the event. As you assess the participants, observe them as a team, individually, and how they were able to convince the crowd with their ideas. If the debate is done per team, you should look out for the team members who are speaking on behalf of the others as well as those who are obviously being dependent to their colleagues.

• Write evaluations as a coaching strategy. Your statement forms on the form will serve as an instrument for the debate competitors to know their glitches and their positive areas. With this, you must construct your evaluation and feedback in a formal manner which will include ways and strategies that you can share for them to fully improve for their next debates.

Lastly, you must submit the evaluation and ballots on time whenever the event order organizers will demand you to do so. This is to assure that your scores and ratings will be catered in determining the winner of the debate. Nonetheless, if you have any complaints and questions about the results, you must inform the organizers prior to the awarding to allow your event inquiries be considered before anyone will be awarded.