Hackathon feedback form for the people who built something
Fourteen questions for hackathon participants, sent right after the demos. About three minutes.
- 14questions
- about 3 minto answer
- 1 eventper response
- participantsanswer it
The 14 hackathon feedback form questions
A hackathon feedback form is a short survey the participants answer right after the demos: was the brief clear, did the team work, did the tools hold up, was there time to build, and how did the judging feel. These fourteen questions are ready to send, or make your own survey from them.
What you are answering about
The team and the experience level, so every later answer can be split.
- Which team or project did you work on?the team, never the person.
- How many hackathons had you taken part in before this one?first-timers and regulars get stuck at different points.
Getting started
The first two hours: the brief, the team and the kit.
- The brief was clear enough for us to start building without asking.
- I ended up on a team where I could contribute what I am good at.asks about room for this person, beyond whether a team formed.
- The tools, data and accounts we needed worked when we needed them.accounts, keys, datasets and hardware all count here.
The build time
Room to build, and help when the build stalled.
- There was enough uninterrupted time to actually build something.a day chopped up by talks scores low here.
- When we got stuck, somebody who could help was reachable.
Demos and judging
How the judging felt to the people being judged.
- I knew how projects would be judged before we started building.a low score means the criteria arrived late.
- Our project got a fair hearing when it was shown.
What you took away
One rating, then a count of where the projects stand.
- I learned something here that I will use in my own work.
- What is happening to your project now the event is over?report it as five counts, and ask again in a month.
In your words, then the score
Obstacles, one optional comment, then the headline.
- What got in the way of building?the first option makes a clean answer one tap.
- What would you change first about how this hackathon was run?
- Would you take part in this hackathon again?the headline is the share answering definitely or probably.
After the demos: sending it and reading it
Send it to everyone who built something, including the teams that never reached a demo, while they are still in the room. Question 1 names a team, so call the results confidential and keep them inside the organizing group.
Read question 14 first. Then score the agree items 5 down to 1 and average each block: questions 3 to 5 for the start, 6 and 7 for build time, 8 and 9 for the demos. The lowest block is the part of the weekend to redesign.
A conference with speakers and an agenda takes the event feedback survey. One facilitated session takes the workshop survey questions.
Hackathon feedback form FAQ
How do you collect feedback from hackathon participants?
Put the form link or a QR code on the closing slide and give people three minutes before the prizes are announced. Everyone is still in the room, the weekend is fresh, and the teams that did not place answer too.
Can judges use this form to score projects?
Judges need their own sheet for the projects. This form is answered by participants about the event, and questions 8 and 9 show how the judging felt to them. For teammates rating each other, use a peer evaluation form.
Can I change the questions for an online or internal hackathon?
Yes. Drop questions 8 and 9 for an event with no prizes, and keep each new item to one idea, as survey best practice asks.[1] Ahead of the next event, the pre-event survey finds out what people signing up want.
Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 2 October 2026 · How templates are reviewed
Sources (1)
- American Association for Public Opinion Research. "Best Practices for Survey Research." aapor.org
Ask before everybody goes home
Fourteen questions, about three minutes, answered from the closing slide.
Use this template