--- title: "Rubric Template for Word and Google Docs (Free, Editable) | Formswrite Blog" description: "Copy a blank editable rubric table into Word or Google Docs, follow the build steps and see a filled example for a writing assignment you can adapt in minutes." canonical: https://formswrite.com/blog/rubric-template-word-google-docs last-updated: 2026-10-08 --- # Rubric Template for Word and Google Docs (Free, Editable) In short A rubric template is a table with your criteria down the left side, performance levels across the top, and a description in every cell. The blank layout below works in both Microsoft Word and Google Docs: select it, copy it, paste it into a new document, then replace the grey placeholders with your own criteria. ## Blank rubric template Copy this table. It has four criteria and four levels, which fits most classroom assignments. Add a row for each extra criterion. | Criterion | 4 Exceeds | 3 Meets | 2 Approaching | 1 Beginning | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Criterion 1 | Describe excellent work | Describe the expected standard | Describe work that is partly there | Describe work that is missing the basics | | Criterion 2 | | | | | | Criterion 3 | | | | | | Criterion 4 | | | | | | Total | | | | /16 | Replace "Criterion 1" with something observable, such as "Thesis" or "Use of sources", and write each description as a sentence a student could use to check their own work. ## How to build a rubric in Word 1. Open a blank document and go to **Insert**, then **Table**, and drag to select 5 columns and as many rows as you have criteria plus a header row. 2. Type the headers in the first row: Criterion, then the level names or numbers. 3. Select the header row and choose a shading color from **Table Design**, then **Shading**, so it stands out when printed. 4. Set the page to landscape in **Layout**, then **Orientation**, so the cells have room. 5. Turn on **Repeat Header Rows** in the Table Layout tab if the rubric will run onto a second page. 6. Save a copy as a template, for example by choosing **File**, then **Save As**, and picking the Word Template type, so you can reuse it. ## How to build a rubric in Google Docs 1. Open a new document and choose **Insert**, then **Table**, and pick the grid size. If you need more rows later, right click a row and choose **Insert row below**. 2. Type the headers and criteria. Use the first column for criteria and keep it narrow by dragging the column border. 3. To shade the header, select the row, right click, choose **Table properties**, and set a cell background color. 4. Go to **File**, then **Page setup**, and select landscape orientation. 5. To share the rubric with students without letting them edit it, use **Share** and set the link to Viewer. To reuse it, choose **File**, then **Make a copy** each time you start a new assignment. ## A filled example: paragraph writing, grade 6 | Criterion | 4 Exceeds | 3 Meets | 2 Approaching | 1 Beginning | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Topic sentence | States a clear main idea and previews the supporting points | States a clear main idea | Main idea is present but unclear | No topic sentence | | Supporting details | Three or more specific details that all fit the main idea | Two or three details that fit | One detail, or details that only partly fit | No relevant details | | Organization | Details follow a logical order with transition words | Details follow an order with some transitions | Order is unclear | Details are jumbled | | Conventions | No errors that distract | One or two errors | Several errors that distract | Errors make it hard to read | | Total | | | | /16 | ## Tips for writing the descriptions - **Start with the Meets column.** Write what you expect, then make the other levels better or worse by one clear difference. - **Avoid vague words** such as "good", "some" and "adequate" unless you define them. "Two or three details" is clearer than "some details". - **Describe the work, not the student.** Write "Details follow a logical order", not "Student is organized". - **Keep each cell to one or two lines.** Long cells will not be read. - **Use the same level names** across all your rubrics so students learn the system once. ## When a blank template is not enough A blank grid still leaves the hard part to you: writing sixteen or more cell descriptions that are specific and consistent. If you have a lot of assignments to cover, the [Formswrite rubric generator](/tools/rubric-generator) can generate a rubric with AI from an assignment description, and you can edit the result. See our guide to the [AI rubric generator](/blog/rubric-generator) for what to enter. If you only need one overall comment per student, a [single point rubric](/rubrics/one-point-rubric) uses a simpler three-column layout, and an [argumentative essay rubric](/rubrics/argumentative-essay-rubric) is already filled in for an essay task. Once the rubric is ready, the [rubric grader](/rubric-grader) can draft scores and feedback for a whole class set, and our [rubric library](/rubrics) has the AP, ACT and STAAR essay rubrics explained, plus [essay rubrics](/rubrics/essay-rubric) for narrative, informative and expository writing. [Generate a rubric instead of typing one](/tools/rubric-generator) ## FAQ Is there a rubric template built into Word or Google Docs? Neither program has a dedicated rubric template that you can rely on. The usual approach is to insert a table and format it yourself, or to copy a table like the one above. In many learning management systems, such as Canvas, you can also build rubrics inside an assignment. How many levels should a rubric have? Four is the most common because it avoids a neutral middle. Three levels are quicker to write and grade, and five levels give finer distinctions but are harder to describe clearly. Pick one and keep it for the whole course. Can I make a rubric in Google Sheets instead? Yes. A spreadsheet is useful if you want to add up the points automatically, since a total row can use a SUM formula. The layout is the same: criteria in the first column and levels across the top. Many teachers draft the text in a document and keep the scoring sheet in a spreadsheet. How do I turn a rubric into a grade? Add up the points from each row and divide by the maximum, then convert the percentage to your grading scale. For a 16-point rubric, 14 out of 16 is 87.5 percent. If some criteria matter more, give them a weight, as in the argumentative essay template linked above.