Judging That's
Fair and Fast
Stop wrestling with spreadsheet formulas during live results. HackHQ gives you structured scoring, flexible competition types, and transparent results everyone trusts.
Choose Your Scoring Method
Different events need different approaches. HackHQ supports both detailed rubric scoring and fast top picks voting, so you pick the method that fits your format.
Rubric Scoring
Depth and detail
Define weighted criteria like Innovation, Technical Execution, and Presentation. Judges score each criterion on a customizable scale, and you set each weight as a percentage so every dimension contributes fairly.
Weighted criteria
Different criteria per track
Optional written feedback from judges
Top Picks Voting
Speed and scale
Judges pick and rank their top N submissions. Points are assigned by rank position and tallied automatically. Great for large events or science fairs where detailed rubric scoring per submission would take too long.
Pick and rank in minutes, not hours
Supports audience and community voting
Automatic point calculation from rankings
Submissions Organize Themselves
During submission, teams pick their track and opt into bonus challenges. You get pre-organized brackets with no manual sorting.
Grand Prizes
Everyone competes
Main awards that all submissions automatically compete for. No extra setup needed.
Examples
Best Overall, Most Innovative, People's Choice
Tracks
Pick one
Teams choose their track during submission. Each track gets its own rankings and awards.
Examples
AI/ML, Mobile App, Web Platform, Hardware
Bonus Challenges
Opt into any
Sponsor prizes for teams using specific technologies. Teams check all that apply during submission.
Examples
Best Use of AWS, Google Cloud Prize, Twilio Integration
Flexible Judge Assignment
Control exactly which judges review which submissions, from simple setups where everyone reviews everything to parallel rooms at large physical events.
All Submissions
Every judge reviews every submission. The simplest setup, ideal for smaller events where you want comprehensive feedback on every project.
By Track or Challenge
Assign judges to specific tracks or challenges. AI experts review the AI track, design mentors review the UX track.
Parallel Rooms
Organize judges and submissions into separate rooms for in-person events. Track progress per room from one dashboard.
Results That Work Under Pressure
Scores update live as judges submit. Rankings calculate automatically across all competition types. When it's time to announce winners, everything is ready.
Real-time calculation
No manual tallying. Weighted averages and rank-based points compute automatically as judges submit.
Private until you announce
Results stay visible only to organizers. You control when to reveal them, during a live ceremony or after the event.
One-click winner assignment
Assign winners to ranked awards or named prizes directly from the results page. Monetary and non-monetary prizes supported.
CSV export
Export complete results with scores, rankings, and judge assignments. Share with stakeholders and sponsors.
Why organizers trust HackHQ results
Most hackathon organizers cobble together spreadsheets and Google Forms for judging. It works until it doesn't - formulas break during the live ceremony, judges submit scores in the wrong format, and someone spends an hour reconciling data while everyone waits.
HackHQ replaces all of that. Judges score on their own device, results calculate in real time, and you just pick winners.
Ready for Judging That Just Works?
Set up your criteria, invite judges, and let HackHQ handle the scoring. Focus on mentorship and innovation, not spreadsheet formulas.
Start free - 14-day money-back guarantee on paid plans