The Advantages of Rating Scales

Standardization

• The largest advantage and purpose of rating scales is the standardization they create. They provide a method to compare different objects, people, or things in a structured fashion---ranging from a quantitative to qualitative analysis.

Broad

• Rating scales work as a general system; therefore, appraisals and assessments can be created for almost anything by altering a rating scale slightly.

  The downside to the ability to apply rating scales to many different things is the drawback of mis-perceiving information. As rating scales are fairly simple to understand, most people don't take the time to read into the criteria-basis which can lead to the mis-perception of any given scale.

Fairness

• In cases of work appraisals---rating scales provide an opportunity for employees to be graded fairly. By providing a system that is fair, equality can be reached in a more successful manner than other systems of comparisons that are more subjective in nature.

Simple

• The reason rating scales are so prevalent is that they are simple and easy to understand. They provide a significant amount of data and allow people to view it in a very clear and concise manner̵2;making decisions easier. This simplicity and logic has contributed to the popularity of rating scales.

Education

• Another common utilization of rating scales is in education. There are so many students and so many educational institutes̵2;ranging from elementary and high schools to colleges and universities̵2;that it becomes extremely useful to judge everyone over a standard scale. Although scales of this nature usually have the obvious drawback---the chosen criteria that must be the basis of the scale, it is still a useful time-saver in education.