Understanding Scored and Dropdown Questions
How your answers are used.
- Scored questions — rated from 1 to 5 and weighted, these combine into the applicant's weighted score. Each one displays its weight, for example 25.00%, alongside guidance on what to look for.
- Dropdown questions — a single-select judgement captured for context only; these do not affect the weighted score.
Criteria vary by program. One rubric might use Founder-Market Fit, Problem Clarity, Solution & Differentiation, and Traction & Validation at 25% each; another might weight idea, team, financials, market, and runway differently.
A typical dropdown asks whether you would advance the founder to an interview, with answers such as Strongly recommend, Recommend, Neutral, or Do not recommend.
Please note: The dropdown is deliberately separate from the scores. Use it for your overall read, even when it disagrees with the arithmetic.