Hackathon Survey Template
Use this hackathon survey template to measure CSAT (satisfaction), CES (effort/friction), and NPS-style return/recommend intent, then pinpoint what helped or blocked teams (WiFi, APIs/SDKs, mentorship, judging, logistics, and comms). The template includes role-based paths for participants, mentors, judges, volunteers/staff, and sponsors, plus a simple reporting plan you can reuse for every event.
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When to Send Your Hackathon Survey (3 Moments)
Mid-event pulse (during build hours)
Goal: catch blockers fast. When: halfway through building, after the first support rush. Do this now: send a 60-90 second pulse on WiFi, APIs/SDKs, food, schedule, and one open text field for "What is blocking you right now?" Route urgent issues to ops in real time.
0-24 hours after demos/judging
Goal: capture the full experience while details are fresh. When: right after demo day, before people disengage. Do this now: field your main survey with CSAT/CES/return intent, then drill into judging clarity, mentor support, tooling, and logistics. Use post-event survey best practices to keep timing, reminders, and close dates tight.
1-2 weeks later (outcomes follow-up)
Goal: measure what stuck. When: after the post-hackathon dust settles. Do this now: ask if teams continued the project, what they learned, whether they joined the community, and what sponsors should change next time (APIs, docs, office hours, prize structure).
- Setup tip: Keep the mid-event pulse to 5 questions max, and add an "I need help now" option that triggers a staffed Slack/Discord channel or help desk table.
What to do next: Pick your three send times, then paste them into your event run-of-show so comms never slips.
Who Should Take This Survey (and How to Branch by Role)
Goal: get role-specific feedback without making anyone answer irrelevant items. When: you have multiple stakeholders (builders, mentors, judges, sponsors). Do this now: start with one role-routing question, then branch into short modules.
Role routing question (use as Q1): "Which role best describes you in this hackathon?"
- Participant/builder
- Team lead
- Mentor
- Judge
- Volunteer/staff
- Sponsor/partner
Invite every role so you do not overweight winners, finalists, or teams that stayed to the end. If you only have time for one fix, correct the biggest drop-off: builders who left early because WiFi, APIs/SDKs, or schedule broke down.
Anonymity decision rule: use anonymous mode when you ask about judging fairness, inclusion, organizer responsiveness, or mentor quality. Use identifiable mode only if you will follow up 1:1 within 7 days. AAPOR's best practices for survey research aligns with setting clear expectations and reducing pressure on people who are giving criticism.
- Setup tip: Add "N/A" to any item that does not apply (for example, judging clarity for mentors, sponsor booth for virtual-only participants).
What to do next: Write your role question first, then build one short module per role (4-8 questions each).
CSAT vs NPS vs CES for Hackathons (What Each Metric Tells You)
| Metric | Best use in a hackathon | Recommended question stem | How to interpret movement | Most actionable drill-downs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSAT = satisfaction | Headline read on the overall event (logistics, comms, venue, fun). | "Overall, how satisfied were you with the hackathon?" (5-point Likert scale questions) | Downward movement usually signals end-to-end breakdowns (schedule, food, WiFi) or disappointment vs expectations. | Operations ratings (WiFi, meals, check-in), comms clarity, venue/virtual platform reliability. |
| NPS-style = return/recommend | Simple advocacy signal for community growth and sponsor optics. | "How likely are you to recommend this hackathon to a friend or coworker?" (0-10) | Upward movement means you are creating fans. A flat score can still hide serious friction, so pair with CES. | "Why that score?" open text; "Would you return next time?"; track-by-track differences. |
| CES = effort/friction | Fast way to find where shipping was hard (APIs/SDKs, tools, support, process). | "How easy was it to participate and ship a demo?" (5-point: Very difficult - Very easy) | Downward movement usually means avoidable barriers: broken onboarding, unclear rules, mentor no-shows, or judging confusion. | Tooling (repos, CI, cloud credits), API keys and docs, mentor availability, judging rubric usability. |
Pair your headline scores with diagnostics and open text. ISO's ISO 10004 guidance on monitoring and measuring satisfaction stresses using multiple measures so you can act, not just score.
- Setup tip: Keep the same 3 headline questions across events, then rotate 3-6 diagnostic items based on what changed (new venue, new APIs/SDKs, new judging rubric).
What to do next: Pick one headline score to report (CSAT or CES), but always include the other two as supporting context.
Deployment Checklist (Channels, Anonymity, Reminders, Incentives)
- Keep a 3-5 minute core: CSAT + CES + return/recommend, plus 3-6 ops items (WiFi, food, schedule, APIs/SDKs, mentorship, judging).
- Make it mobile-first: short stems, no giant grids, and one open text box per module.
- Send on email plus Slack/Discord: post one pinned message during build time and one after judging.
- Schedule 1-2 reminders: send at +24 hours and +72 hours, each with a clear close date.
- Choose anonymity on purpose: go anonymous for candid critique; go identifiable only when you will follow up. Review privacy and anonymity options before you launch.
- Use incentives carefully: keep them small and universal (raffle or swag) so you do not attract speed-clickers or bias toward prize-seekers.
- Document fieldwork: log dates, channels, reminders, and who was invited so you can compare across events. If you share results publicly, consider an AAPOR Transparency Initiative-style disclosure of how the survey was fielded.
- Setup tip: Add a hidden field for track (AI, climate, fintech) and mode (in-person/virtual) so you can segment without asking extra questions.
What to do next: Draft your invite message, set your close date, then schedule both reminders before you send the first link.
Results Guide: Segment, Prioritize Fixes, and Close the Loop
- 1) Segment the results the same way you run the eventCompare scores by role (builders, mentors, judges, sponsors), track, experience level, team size, and attendance mode. If a segment is very small (for example, single-digit completes), treat the numbers as directional and follow up qualitatively (interviews, debrief notes) rather than making high-stakes decisions from the percentage alone -- see sample size guidance.
- 2) Find the top friction driversStart with CES (ease to participate and ship). Then line it up against your lowest-rated operational items: WiFi, API key access, repo setup, cloud credits, mentor availability, and judging clarity. Fix the items that are both low-rated and frequently mentioned.
- 3) Tag open text into themes you can assignCreate 8-12 tags (WiFi, food, schedule, comms, APIs/SDKs, mentorship, judging/rubric, venue, prizes, inclusion). Code every comment to 1-2 tags, then count frequency and paste the best verbatim examples into your post-mortem doc.
- 4) Prioritize with impact/effort and name ownersPick the top 5 fixes. For each: write the change, the owner, and the due date (example: "Publish judging rubric 7 days before" or "Create API quickstart + office hours schedule"). Do not ship a long list you cannot finish.
- 5) Close the loop with a short public summarySend a 1-page recap to participants and sponsors: headline scores, top themes, and the 3-5 changes you will make next time. Include one outcomes metric in your 1-2 week follow-up (continued work, demos shipped, learning) -- outcome follow-ups are common in hackathon evaluations, including in BMJ Innovations' survey assessment of hackathon outcomes.
- Setup tip: Lock a stable "core" (CSAT, CES, return intent, and 5 ops items) so you can trend across events. Only rotate the optional modules.
What to do next: Build your scorecard now (three headline metrics + top 5 themes) so reporting is plug-and-play after judging ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a hackathon feedback survey be?
Keep a 3-5 minute core: CSAT, CES, return/recommend, and a short ops section (WiFi, APIs/SDKs, mentorship, judging, logistics). Then add optional role-based modules so each person answers fewer questions while you still cover everything.
Should the survey be anonymous?
Use anonymous mode when you want candid critique about judging fairness, inclusion, organizer responsiveness, or mentor quality. Use identifiable mode only when you will follow up 1:1 within a week; a solid hybrid is anonymous ratings plus an optional contact field at the end.
When is the best time to send the survey for the highest response rate?
Send the main survey within 0-24 hours after demos/judging so the experience is fresh and people still care. Add a mid-event pulse for urgent blockers, and a 1-2 week follow-up if you need outcomes like project continuation or sponsor value.
How do I tailor questions for mentors, judges, and sponsors?
Start with one role-routing question, then show role-specific blocks. Mentors rate availability and matching, judges rate rubric clarity and fairness, and sponsors rate visibility and willingness to return; keep the shared CSAT/CES/return items identical for cross-role comparison.
What should I report to stakeholders after the hackathon?
Share a simple scorecard: CSAT, CES, and return/recommend intent, plus the top 5 themes from open text. Then publish a prioritized action list with owners and dates, and call out the biggest differences by role, track, and in-person vs virtual.
How do I avoid double-barreled or vague hackathon survey questions?
Write one topic per question (separate WiFi from food) and pin each item to a time window (during build hours vs demo day). Add "N/A" where needed, and pretest with 2-3 people from different roles to catch ambiguous wording.
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