Brand preference is loud. Blind ranks are quieter and more honest. Lock 4–6 scoring criteria with Copilot before you paste any outputs: accuracy, structure, actionability, tone, calibrated confidence, usefulness-as-is — whatever this job actually needs.
You will otherwise favor the option you already pay for.
Judge in a separate Copilot chat. Paste A and B only. Do not tell it which option wrote which. If you ran variants, paste them under each letter.
If solo logistics are hard: wait overnight so you forget which tab was which, or ask a colleague to paste the letters.
Core principles
- Criteria before outputs. Scoring after you have seen the winner is fan fiction.
- Score 1–5 per criterion with a one-line why. Rank overall.
- Note where rankings flip across variants of the same task type — that is the interesting result.
- Describe house style per letter: what that author seems built for, and what to watch.
- Reveal the mapping only after the verdict.
Check yourself
When should you write scoring criteria?
Criteria written after you have a favorite just ratify the favorite. Blind scoring needs the rubric locked first.
Do this in Copilot
Lock criteria, paste A and B into a fresh Copilot chat, score, then reveal your mapping on paper.
New Copilot chat. Lock criteria first. Paste letter-labeled outputs second. Do not reveal the mapping in this chat until after the rank.
Blind judging
I ran the same Copilot task on more than one option and want a fair blind score. Step 1: Interview me on the task type, who the output is for, and what “great” looks like. Propose 4–6 scoring criteria for THIS job. Lock them with me BEFORE I paste outputs. Step 2: I will paste outputs labeled A, B (and C if needed). Do not guess which Copilot option wrote which. Step 3: Score each 1–5 per criterion with a one-line justification. Rank overall. Note if rankings would flip across variants. Step 4: Describe the house style of each letter — what work it seems built for, and what I should watch. Step 5: Stop. I will reveal the mapping myself after your verdict.
Did you run this in Copilot? Mark complete when you have tried it.
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