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Self Evaluation Examples and Template

Most self evaluation examples are single sentences. Below are five complete self reviews, each for a different kind of year, with goals, evidence, what went wrong and a self-rating with its reason. Pick the one closest to your year, then use the self evaluation template to write your own.

Updated 2026-10-27

Copy and adapt

The template

Self evaluationTemplate

Self evaluation: [Your name], [review period]

Role: [title, team] Manager: [name] Written: {{date}}

Summary

[Three sentences: the most important result, the biggest challenge, what you want next.]

Goals and results

[Goal as it was set]: [result against the target]. Evidence: [number, link, date]. Self-rating: [1 to 5]
[Goal]: [result]. Evidence: [...]. Self-rating: [...]

Accomplishments

[Short name for the accomplishment]

Situation: [what was going on, with a number]
Action: [what you did, in the first person]
Result: [what changed, measured, and when]

What did not go well

[What happened]. What I learned: [...]. What I do differently now: [...]

Skills I built

[Skill]: [where it showed up]

Where I want to grow

[Area]: next step [concrete action, date]

Support I need

[Specific ask: a course, a project, a decision, time]

Goals for next period

[Goal with a measure] @due(YYYY-MM-DD)

Overall self-rating

[1 to 5] because [two sentences tied to the goals above].

5 examples

Examples for different situations

The same structure, filled in for the situations people actually bring to it. Copy the one closest to yours.

1.A strong year, written without underselling

When it fits: Use this when the results are good and the temptation is to write "I worked hard" and let the manager fill in the rest. They will not; they have eight of these to read.

A strong year, written without undersellingExample 1

Self evaluation: Imani Brooks, Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Role: Senior Product Designer, Checkout Manager: Paul Varga Written: 2026-11-20

Summary

The checkout redesign shipped in June and lifted completed purchases from 61 to 68 percent of started checkouts. The design system work took longer than I planned. Next year I want to lead design for a whole product area, not one flow.

Goals and results

Redesign checkout and ship by Q2: shipped June 9. Completion rate 61 to 68 percent over the following 12 weeks. Evidence: analytics dashboard, Sep 1 export. Self-rating: 5
Run six usability sessions a quarter: 26 sessions in the year (target 24). Self-rating: 3
Move checkout components into the design system: 14 of 22 components done. Self-rating: 2

Accomplishments

Removing the account wall

Situation: 38 percent of checkout drop-offs happened on the "create an account" step.
Action: I ran five sessions with first-time buyers, prototyped guest checkout with account creation after payment, and wrote the case for legal and fraud review.
Result: fraud and legal signed off in April; the step no longer exists, and most of the 7-point lift came from it.

What did not go well

The design system migration. I estimated it at six weeks and gave it leftover time. What I learned: shared work needs a slot on the roadmap, not my Fridays. What I do differently now: the remaining eight components are a Q1 roadmap item with an engineer assigned.

Skills I built

Presenting to non-designers: the fraud review in March was the first time I made a case to a risk team, and it passed on the first meeting.

Where I want to grow

Leading across teams: next step, take design ownership of post-purchase (order tracking and returns) in Q1.

Support I need

An engineer on the design system for six weeks in Q1.

Goals for next period

Remaining 8 checkout components in the design system @due(2027-03-31)
Post-purchase research plan agreed with product @due(2027-02-15)

Overall self-rating

4 Exceeds because the main goal beat its target by a margin we can measure, and I met the research goal. Not a 5, because I missed the design system goal I set myself.

2.A year when your main project slipped

When it fits: Use this when the goal everyone remembers was missed, it was partly your fault and partly not, and you need to own your part without writing a defense brief.

A year when your main project slippedExample 2

Self evaluation: Tomás Ferreira, Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Role: Backend Engineer II, Search Manager: Ruth Adeyemi Written: 2026-11-24

Summary

The search migration I led shipped ten weeks late, on Oct 6 instead of Jul 28. About half the delay was mine (I found the index rebuild problem late) and half was the vendor deprecation we could not control. Search latency is now 40 percent lower, and I want next year's projects to be planned the way this one should have been.

Goals and results

Migrate search to the new cluster by end of July: shipped Oct 6. p95 latency down from 820 ms to 490 ms. Self-rating: 2
Keep search incidents at one or fewer a quarter: one in Q1, zero since. Self-rating: 3
Mentor one junior engineer: paired weekly with Ana from March; she shipped the autocomplete fix alone in September. Self-rating: 3

Accomplishments

Finding the rebuild problem

Situation: in early July, a full index rebuild on the new cluster took 19 hours, too long for a zero-downtime switch.
Action: I proposed dual writes to both clusters and a gradual cutover, wrote the design doc, and got sign-off in eight days.
Result: the cutover ran over three weeks with no user-visible downtime.

What did not go well

I tested the rebuild at full size only in July. What I learned: the riskiest step should be tested first, even when it is the most annoying to set up. What I do differently now: every plan I write has a "riskiest assumption" line with a test date in the first two weeks.
I told stakeholders about the slip on Jul 14, two weeks after I suspected it. I should have said "at risk" when I first knew.

Where I want to grow

Planning and estimates: next step, write the Q1 relevance project plan with Ruth and review it at week two.

Support I need

A design review from a staff engineer before I commit to a date on the next large project.

Goals for next period

Relevance tuning project plan with a riskiest-assumption test in week one @due(2027-01-20)

Overall self-rating

2 Partially meets on the migration goal and 3 Meets overall, because the other two goals were met and the migration delivered what it promised, late. I would rather rate it honestly than defend the date.

3.First year as a people manager

When it fits: Use this when your job changed from doing the work to running a team, your old metrics no longer apply, and you are not sure what counts as a result.

First year as a people managerExample 3

Self evaluation: Marisol Vega, Feb 2 to Dec 31, 2026

Role: Accounts Payable Team Lead (4 reports, first year managing) Manager: Greg Holt Written: 2026-12-01

Summary

I moved from AP specialist to team lead in February. The team closed every month on time and invoice processing time dropped from 9 days to 5. My hardest lesson was that doing the difficult invoices myself was slowing the team down, not helping it.

Goals and results

Close AP by business day 3 every month: 11 of 11 closes on time. Self-rating: 3
Cut average invoice processing time to 6 days: 5.1 days in October, from 9.0 in January. Evidence: ERP aging report. Self-rating: 4
Hold monthly 1:1s with every report: 41 of 44 held; three missed during the audit in April. Self-rating: 3

Accomplishments

Splitting the vendor list

Situation: all four specialists worked from one shared queue, so the oldest invoices sat while everyone picked easy ones.
Action: I split vendors into four portfolios, one owner each, and set a weekly aging review.
Result: invoices over 30 days old fell from 212 in March to 38 in October.

What did not go well

For the first four months I kept the hardest vendor disputes for myself. My reports said in June they did not know how to handle disputes because I never let them. What I learned: keeping the hard work is a way of not training people. What I do differently now: each specialist owns their disputes, and I join only if they ask.

Skills I built

Giving direct feedback. I had my first difficult conversation in May, about repeated coding errors, and the errors stopped within a month.

Where I want to grow

Hiring: I have never run a hiring process. Next step, shadow Greg on the Q1 AP hire.

Support I need

The company's new-manager course, which I could not attend in 2026 because of the audit.

Goals for next period

Complete the new-manager course @due(2027-03-31)
Invoice processing time at 4.5 days @due(2027-06-30)

Overall self-rating

3 Meets because the team met every close and beat the processing goal, and I am still learning to manage rather than do. A good first year, not an exceptional one.

4.A part year after parental leave

When it fits: Use this when you were out for part of the period, the goals were set for a full year, and you want the review to judge the months you worked rather than the months you did not.

A part year after parental leaveExample 4

Self evaluation: Owen Gallagher, Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026 (on leave Mar 9 to Jul 3)

Role: Content Marketing Manager Manager: Leah Kim Written: 2026-11-18

Summary

I was on parental leave from March 9 to July 3, so this covers about eight working months. In that time I relaunched the newsletter and rebuilt the editorial calendar after it stalled during my leave. I am asking that annual goals be read pro rata, as we agreed before I left.

Goals and results (pro rata as agreed on 2026-02-26)

Grow newsletter subscribers 30 percent (pro rata 20 percent): up 24 percent, 18,400 to 22,800, nearly all after the relaunch on Aug 18. Self-rating: 4
Publish 48 articles (pro rata 32): 30 published, 9 of them by the freelancer who covered my leave. Self-rating: 3
Launch the customer story series: first three stories live in October; two more in review. Self-rating: 3

Accomplishments

Restarting the calendar

Situation: when I came back, the calendar had six weeks of nothing scheduled and two half-finished pieces.
Action: I triaged the backlog in my first week, cut 11 stale ideas, and booked the freelancer for two pieces a month through December.
Result: we have published every week since July 20.

What did not go well

My handover before leave listed tasks but not decisions in progress, so the newsletter redesign stalled for three months waiting for me. What I learned: a handover has to say who decides while you are away. What I do differently now: I wrote a decision owner into every open item on my project list.

Where I want to grow

Analytics: I want to own reporting on which content drives sign-ups. Next step, the analytics course in January.

Support I need

A standing two-hour block with the data team in Q1.

Goals for next period

Monthly content-to-sign-up report shared with marketing @due(2027-02-28)

Overall self-rating

3 Meets, rated on the eight months I worked, because I met two goals pro rata and beat one. The leave itself is not part of the rating.

5.Making the case for a promotion

When it fits: Use this when you are asking for a promotion in this cycle and the self evaluation is the document the committee reads first, so it has to map your work to the next level's criteria.

Making the case for a promotionExample 5

Self evaluation: Keisha Morgan, Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026

Role: Senior Data Analyst, Revenue Manager: Victor Chen Written: 2026-11-26

Summary

I am asking to be considered for Lead Analyst in the January cycle. This year I built the forecasting model finance now uses for board reporting, and I have been doing two of the three things the Lead criteria describe. The third, managing an analyst, starts with the intern I mentored in the summer.

Goals and results

Build a revenue forecast finance can use: live since April. Forecast error on quarterly revenue 3.1 percent across Q2 and Q3, versus 9 percent for the old spreadsheet. Evidence: finance close memos. Self-rating: 5
Retire the 14 legacy dashboards: 14 of 14 retired by August, replaced by 4. Self-rating: 3
Reduce ad hoc requests: down from 31 a month to 12 after the self-serve dashboards. Self-rating: 4

How this maps to Lead Analyst

Owns a model or system others depend on: the forecast. The CFO presented it to the board in July and October.
Sets technical direction for other analysts: I wrote the team's SQL review guide in May; all analysts now use it.
Develops other analysts: mentored the summer intern, who now works on the team full time. I have not managed anyone formally yet.

What did not go well

In Q1 I said yes to every request and missed the first forecast date by three weeks. What I learned: saying no is part of the job at the next level. What I do differently now: requests go through a weekly intake that Victor and I review.

Where I want to grow

Formal management: next step, be the named mentor for the new analyst starting in January.

Support I need

Victor's view, in writing, on which Lead criterion is weakest in my case, so I can address it before the committee.

Goals for next period

Forecast error under 3 percent for Q4 and Q1 @due(2027-04-30)

Overall self-rating

4 Exceeds because I beat two of three goals and the forecast is used above my level. I am asking for promotion now because the work already matches the Lead criteria on two of three counts.

How to write a self evaluation

Every self evaluation template asks roughly the same questions. What separates a useful self review from a forgettable one is the order you work in:

Collect before you write. Pull your goals, your 1:1 notes, shipped work, and any messages where someone thanked you or complained. Half an hour of collecting saves two hours of staring at a blank box.
Write the goals section first. Result, evidence, rating. It is the easiest section and it anchors everything else in numbers.
Pick two or three accomplishments, not ten. The ones with a measured result, or the ones your manager may not know about.
Write what did not go well, then what changed. One honest item with a concrete fix is worth more than a page of strengths.
Write the summary last, in three sentences, once you know what the rest says.

Rating yourself on a numeric scale

Most guides skip this, and it is where people get stuck. Use the scale's own definitions, not your mood. If your company defines 3 as meeting expectations, a good year is a 3 and that is not modest; it is accurate. Rate each goal separately, then give the overall rating a two-sentence reason that points back to the goals. Your manager is checking whether your judgment of your work matches the evidence. A calibrated 3 with a clear reason earns more trust than a defensive 5.

Writing about a hard year

A slipped project or a missed target does not need to be hidden, and it should not be the whole document either. Name it in the summary so it does not look like you are avoiding it. Separate what was in your control from what was not, and own your part plainly: "I tested the risky step last" is stronger than "challenges arose." Then show the change you made, as the second example does. Reviewers forgive a miss far faster than they forgive not noticing it.

If you were out for part of the year (parental leave, illness, a role change), state the dates and ask for goals to be read pro rata. You do not need to explain more than that, and the absence itself is not something to rate.

Collect evidence as you go

The self review is hard because most people write it from memory once a year. Keep a running note, sometimes called a brag document: one dated line whenever something worth mentioning happens, with the number if there is one. Five minutes a week becomes a complete record by November. A work log does the same job if you already keep one.

Common mistakes

Describing effort instead of results. "I worked hard on the migration" tells your manager nothing they can use.
Copying the job description. Your manager knows what your job is. They want to know what happened this year.
Underselling. If you led it, write "I led it." "We" is right only when it was a team effort.
Weaknesses with no fix. An improvement area without a next step reads as a confession, not a plan.
Surprising your manager in the meeting. If you disagree with something, put it in writing first.

What happens next

Your manager reads this alongside their own draft of the performance review. Whatever you agree on for next year belongs in a personal development plan, and the goals are easier to measure next November if you write them as SMART goals now.

Customization tips

Match your company's form, keep the structure
If HR gives you set questions, answer each one using the same building blocks: result, evidence, what you learned. Paste the questions into the template as headings and keep the Goals and results section as your working draft.
Self-rate the way your manager will
Use the same scale your manager uses, with the same definitions. Rating yourself a 5 everywhere or a 3 everywhere tells them nothing. A mix with reasons shows you can judge your own work, which is part of what they are assessing.
Shorten it for a mid-year check-in
Mid-year, keep Summary, Goals and results, and Support I need. The full structure is for the annual review.
Add a criteria section for promotion cases
If you are asking for a promotion, add a section that maps your work to the written criteria for the next level, one line per criterion, as the last example does. Committees read that section first.
Credit other people by name
Write "with Ana" or "Paul's research made this possible" where it is true. It costs you nothing, it is accurate, and managers notice who does it.

In the app

How to do this in Scribelet

Open Desk Settings, then Templates, tap Add Template and paste the self evaluation template. Next November it is one tap away instead of a search through old documents.
Keep a running brag document as you go: one dated line per win or lesson in your daily note, tagged #wins. When the self review is due, filter by that tag and the year is already written down.
Ask the AI chat "what did I ship between April and June, and what numbers did I record?" It answers from your own notes with citations, so every claim in your self evaluation has a source you can check.
Write next-period goals as checkboxes with @due(2027-03-31). They show up in the Tasks view, so the mid-year check-in starts from what you committed to.

Templates, template variables and AI generation are documented in Note templates.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write a year-end self evaluation?

Start from the goals you were given at the start of the year, write the result and the evidence for each, then add two or three accomplishments with numbers and one thing that did not go well. Finish with a self-rating and the reason. Write it from notes made during the year where you can; memory over-weights the last two months.

What is the STAR method for performance reviews?

STAR stands for situation, task, action, result. It turns "I improved the process" into a short story with a before, what you did and a measured after. The template folds task into situation, and every example above uses the format for its accomplishments.

Can you give me examples of positive areas of improvement at work?

Good improvement areas are specific and come with a next step: "saying yes to every request delayed my main project; requests now go through a weekly intake," or "I tested the riskiest step last; every plan now names it and tests it in week one." Avoid disguised strengths like "I care too much." Reviewers recognize them and trust the rest of the review less.

Why are self evaluations important?

Your manager does not see most of your work. The self evaluation is where the evidence they missed gets into the record, and where you show you can judge your own work honestly. It also sets the agenda for the review conversation; if you raise a weakness first, the conversation is about the fix, not the problem.

How long should a self evaluation be?

Usually 300 to 600 words, or a few short paragraphs per question if your company uses a form. Long enough to give evidence for each goal, short enough that your manager reads all of it. The examples above are in that range.

What if my manager's view of my year is different from mine?

Say so in your self evaluation with evidence, before the review, not in the meeting. If the rating still differs, write your view in the employee comments of the performance review calmly and specifically. A disagreement on the record with numbers is taken more seriously than one made only out loud.

Next year, write your self review in an hour

Log one dated line per win in Scribelet as it happens, then ask your notes what you shipped this year when the self evaluation is due. Encrypted, free to start.

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Work

Performance Review Template

A performance review template is only as fair as its rating scale and its evidence. This one defines each rating level in the template itself, ties every goal to a result and a source, and leaves room for the employee to disagree in writing. Copy it, or start from the example closest to the review you have to write.

Work

Work Log Template

A work log records what you did, what it produced, and what got in the way, written on the day while the details are still there. Copy the template, keep the hours line if you bill time, and pick the work log example closest to your job.

Meetings

One on One Meeting Template

A 1:1 belongs to the report, not the manager. This template gives the report the first word, carries last meeting's actions forward, and keeps a growth conversation on the calendar. Copy it, or start from the one on one notes example closest to your situation.

Work

Personal Development Plan Template

A personal development plan names where you are, where you want to be in a year or so, and no more than three things you will work on to get there. This template adds what most plans skip: a monthly check, a quarterly rewrite, and a rule for plans that stall. Copy it, or start from the example closest to your situation.

Planning

SMART Goals Examples

A SMART goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. The quickest way to write one is to see a vague goal rewritten next to it. Below are five, for very different lives, each with the baseline, checkpoints and a plan for when it slips. The worksheet walks you through your own.

Journals

Year in Review Template

A personal year in review is built from evidence, not memory: read the year back month by month, then write what went well, what did not, who mattered and what changes next year. Copy the template, or start from the example closest to the year you had.