What are performance criteria?

Performance criteria are the standards by which performance is evaluated. Performance criteria help assessors maintain objectivity and inform students and employees about expectations, giving them a target or goal for which to strive.

Performance criteria are applied by companies tracking the progress of new hires and by engineers testing the performance of a new prototype car. These criteria are used as the basis for gathering information on the performance of the subject, and they are often used to predict future performance and results. Performance criteria also lay down the standards to which an employee, student or product needs to perform.