Rubrics Are A Cheat Code, Use Them

I have a confession. I love a good checklist. I love a rubric even more. Obviously, Nolan gets his personality from somewhere, and yes, I absolutely made the love of a rubric and/or checklist one of those places. Here is why. Teams will do the hardest part, building the ROV, testing, improving, fixing problems, showing up to practice, then lose points because they missed one tiny rubric item like a figure label, a required section, or a formatting requirement. That is like cooking a five course meal and forgetting the plates. Everyone is still hungry and now you are stressed.

A rubric is not the enemy. A rubric is the cheat code. It tells you exactly what is expected, how it is scored, and what excellence looks like. It even tells you how it wants things formatted, so do not lose points because you ignored instructions that were basically written in neon.

The Rubric Is Literally Telling You How To Excel

People overthink rubrics. A rubric is simply the project saying, “Here is exactly what we want. Here is exactly how we will score it.” It is not a guessing game. It is a roadmap.

If you want to do well, stop writing first and hoping it matches later. Build your report around the rubric from the beginning.

Keep The Rubric With You The Entire Time

I mean it. The entire time.

Print it. Save it. Screenshot it. Put it in a binder. Make it a tab on your laptop. Tape it to the wall. Or, do what I do: Do ALL of these things! Whatever you need to do, keep it right there while you work.

Most teams do not lose points because they are bad writers. Teams lose points because they forgot something that was clearly listed. Do not lose points simply because you missed something on the rubric.

Formatting Matters More Than Teams Want To Admit

This is the part that hurts, because it feels unfair, but it is real.

If the rubric says:

• label figures and tables

• reference graphs in the text

• include a specific section

• follow a page limit

• use a certain font, spacing, or margin

• keep the layout readable

Then you do it. Every time.

Engineering is not only about building. Engineering is also about communicating your work clearly. Formatting is part of that communication.

Write To The Rubric, Not To Your Feelings

Here is the method that works every season.

1. Turn rubric categories into your headings

2. Turn rubric bullet points into your checklist

3. Write one section at a time while checking the rubric

4. Confirm each point is clearly addressed before moving on

Helpful Hint: If you cannot find a rubric item in your report quickly, the judge will not find it either.

Collect The Data, Then Watch The Report Help Write Itself

This is my favorite part, because it makes the whole process easier.

If you collect the data, your report will help write itself.

Without data, teams end up writing vague sentences like:

“We improved performance.”

With data, teams can write:

“We improved average time from ___ to ___ across three trials after we changed ___.”

Now you are not guessing. You are proving. Data gives you your evidence. Evidence gives you your paragraphs. Paragraphs give you your report.

My Quick Rubric Check Method

Before you submit, do this:

• Put the rubric next to your report

• Read your report with a pen in hand

• Check off each rubric point when you see it clearly addressed

• If you cannot check it off, it is missing or unclear

• Fix it before you submit

This is the difference between “we hope it is enough” and “we know it hits every point.”

Final Pep Talk

SeaPerch is already hard. Do not make it harder by ignoring the one document that tells you exactly how to succeed. Use the rubric. Keep it with you. Match the formatting. Check every point.

Collect the data, then let the report help write itself.