Why use a trade review scorecard
Many journals capture notes but skip consistent grading. A scorecard gives you a simple way to compare trades across setups and market conditions. It also makes your weekly review process faster because weak process categories are already visible.
Scorecard categories
| Category | What to grade | Score range |
|---|---|---|
| Setup quality | Was the setup aligned with your written criteria? | 1-5 |
| Risk planning | Was max risk defined and size aligned to plan? | 1-5 |
| Entry execution | Did entry timing and pricing follow your process? | 1-5 |
| Management quality | Were adjustments and exits rule-based? | 1-5 |
| Review completeness | Did notes, tags, and takeaways get logged clearly? | 1-5 |
Copy/paste scorecard template
Use this format in your journal after each closed trade:
- Setup quality (1-5): Why this score?
- Risk planning (1-5): Was sizing aligned with plan?
- Entry execution (1-5): Did execution match intent?
- Management quality (1-5): Were rules followed mid-trade?
- Review completeness (1-5): Are notes and tags useful for future analysis?
- Total score: /25
- One process improvement before next trade: __________
How to use scores in weekly reviews
- Sort trades by total score and read only the lowest-scoring group first.
- Identify one recurring weak category (for example, risk planning).
- Write one rule change for next week and pair it with your risk plan checklist or entry checklist.
- Track whether category scores improve over the next four review cycles.
Important: A profitable trade can still get a low score if your process broke down. Score the process, not just the P&L.
Related guides
Pair this template with the options performance review guide, journal tags and notes guide, and trade mistake log template.
FAQ
Should I score every trade or only losing trades?
Score every trade so the data is comparable and you can see which good outcomes came from weak process.
What if my strategy types are very different?
Keep core categories the same, then add one optional strategy-specific category if needed.