Free template
Interview question and evidence matrix
This is the bridge between the scorecard and the interviews. Each must-have gets a row: where it is tested, what is asked, and what a convincing answer contains. Written before the interviews, it stops the panel from grading personality by accident.
Who fills it in
Whoever owns the technical bar for the role.
How long it takes
Thirty to forty minutes, reused across every candidate for the role.
Reviewed
15 August 2026 by Joseph Edney, Managing Director, Humand Talent Solutions.
When to use it
Use it when
- The scorecard is written and you now need questions that actually test it.
- Panel debriefs keep producing impressions rather than evidence.
- Several interviewers are involved and you need them to assess the same things.
What good looks like
- Every must-have from the scorecard appears exactly once as a row, and every row names the stage that owns it.
- Questions ask about work the candidate has actually done, not hypotheticals they can rehearse.
- The evidence column describes what a strong answer contains, so two interviewers reach the same conclusion.
- Anything not on the matrix is explicitly a conversation, not an assessment.
Common mistakes
- Writing questions with one correct answer. You learn more from how someone reasons than from whether they recall a definition.
- Testing the same capability three times because it is the easiest one to ask about.
- Leaving the evidence column blank and deciding after the fact what would have counted.
- Confusing enthusiasm with evidence, particularly in the final stage.
The template
Anything you type stays in this browser tab. It is not saved, sent to us or added to the link, so it is safe to put real salary numbers and colleagues’ names in. Closing the tab clears it — copy or print before you go.
Scope
If the scorecard changes, this matrix has to change with it.
Capability matrix
One row per must-have capability. Add rows for the teachable areas only if you intend to assess them.
| Row | Tested at which stage | Question asked | Evidence of a strong answer | Evidence of a weak answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Must-have 1 | ||||
| Must-have 2 | ||||
| Must-have 3 | ||||
| Must-have 4 | ||||
| Must-have 5 | ||||
| Must-have 6 (optional) |
Question quality check
Run down this list once the matrix is drafted.
The thinking behind it
- Building an evidence-based technical interview scorecardA practical way for small teams to score technical interviews: four to six dimensions, each mapped to a stage and to the evidence that proves it.
- How to hire for a role you cannot keyword-searchWhen no job title describes the role, search by problem instead: outcomes, evidence, adjacent fields and a transfer test agreed before the first CV arrives.