Practical examples of performance review templates for internships

1. Quick-start examples of performance review templates for internships

Let’s start with the part everyone actually wants: concrete examples. Below are several examples of performance review templates for internships that you can adapt immediately. Think of these as starter kits you can tweak for your industry, whether you’re running a tech internship, a marketing internship, or a public sector placement.

Each example focuses on three things:

• Clear categories (what you’re rating)
• Simple rating scales (how you’re rating)
• Prompts for comments (why you’re rating that way)

Once you see a few patterns, you can mix features from different templates to build your own best-fit version.

2. Simple intern performance review template (general use)

This is the workhorse template for smaller companies or teams that don’t have a formal HR department. It’s a clean, one-page structure that works for almost any internship.

Sections you might include:

Intern Information

• Name
• Department / Team
• Supervisor
• Internship dates

Rating Scale (example)

• 5 – Exceeds expectations
• 4 – Above expectations
• 3 – Meets expectations
• 2 – Needs improvement
• 1 – Unsatisfactory

Core Categories
In this example of a simple performance review template for internships, you might rate:

• Quality of Work
  Prompt: “Delivers accurate, thorough work with minimal errors.”
  Rating: ___ *Comments:* ______________________

• Productivity & Time Management
  Prompt: “Meets deadlines and manages workload effectively.”
  Rating: ___ *Comments:* ______________________

• Professionalism & Reliability
  Prompt: “Arrives on time, follows instructions, and respects workplace norms.”
  Rating: ___ *Comments:* ______________________

• Communication Skills
  Prompt: “Communicates clearly in writing and in meetings; asks questions when unsure.”
  Rating: ___ *Comments:* ______________________

• Collaboration & Teamwork
  Prompt: “Works well with others, contributes to group efforts, and accepts feedback.”
  Rating: ___ *Comments:* ______________________

Overall Evaluation & Recommendation

• Overall rating (1–5): ___
• “Would you recommend this intern for a future role or extended internship?” (Yes / No / Maybe)
• Summary comments

This is one of the best examples of a template to use if you’re short on time and need something you can roll out across multiple departments with minimal training.

3. Skills-based examples of performance review templates for internships (2024–2025 trend)

A big 2024–2025 shift in performance reviews—interns included—is skills-based evaluation. Instead of only rating general traits like “professionalism,” you rate specific skills tied to job readiness. This aligns with guidance from organizations like the U.S. Department of Labor on competency-based training and apprenticeships (dol.gov).

Here’s an example of a skills-focused intern review template that works well for technical, business, or research internships.

Core Skills Section
Each skill gets a rating and a short comment:

• Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking
  Prompt: “Identifies issues, analyzes options, and recommends solutions.”

• Technical/Job-Specific Skills
  Customize this to the role, for example:

  Software Engineering: “Writes clean, testable code and uses version control correctly.”
  Marketing: “Uses analytics tools to interpret campaign performance and suggest improvements.”
  Research: “Follows research protocols and documents data accurately.”

• Adaptability & Learning Agility
  Prompt: “Learns new tools and processes quickly; adjusts to changes in priorities.”

• Initiative
  Prompt: “Proactively volunteers for tasks and looks for ways to add value.”

• Ethics & Integrity
  Prompt: “Handles confidential information appropriately; follows policies and guidelines.”

Development Focus
This style of template usually ends with:

• Top 3 strengths
• Top 3 areas for development
• Suggested learning resources or next steps

These skills-based examples of performance review templates for internships are especially effective when you want to compare interns fairly across different schools and backgrounds, using the same skill language for everyone.

4. Project-based intern review template (great for tech, design, and research)

Many 2024–2025 internships are project-heavy. Interns are judged less on “hours in the office” and more on what they actually shipped or completed. A project-based template makes that visible.

In this example of a performance review template for internships, the structure centers on projects instead of abstract traits.

Project Overview Section
For each major project:

• Project name
• Dates
• Role (lead, contributor, support)

Project Evaluation Categories
For each project, you rate:

• Goal Clarity & Alignment
  Did the intern understand the project goals and how they connected to the team or organization?

• Execution & Follow-through
  Did they complete tasks on time, document their work, and close loops with stakeholders?

• Collaboration
  How well did they coordinate with teammates, mentors, or cross-functional partners?

• Impact
  What changed because of their work? For example: reduced manual work, improved a process, shipped a feature, or produced usable data.

Reflection Section (Intern Self-Review)
A modern twist many companies now use is a reflection space where interns answer prompts like:

• “What are you most proud of from this project?”
• “What would you do differently next time?”

This project-based example of a performance review template for internships works well in tech, engineering, design, consulting, and research labs where outcomes are clear and measurable.

5. 360° feedback examples of performance review templates for internships

If you want a richer picture of an intern’s performance, you can borrow ideas from 360° reviews. Instead of only a supervisor review, you collect input from peers, mentors, and sometimes clients.

A 360°-style intern review template usually has these pieces:

Rater Types

• Supervisor / Manager
• Peer (same-level intern or junior employee)
• Mentor / Buddy
• Self-review (the intern)

Shared Question Set
Everyone answers a short, consistent set of questions, such as:

• “Describe how this intern contributes to team goals.”
• “Give an example of when this intern handled feedback well.”
• “Where could this intern grow to be more effective in a full-time role?”

Rating Categories
You might include:

• Collaboration
• Communication
• Dependability
• Initiative
• Culture fit / values alignment

These examples of performance review templates for internships are especially useful at larger organizations or universities that want to coach interns on interpersonal skills, not just task completion.

For extra structure, some HR teams draw on university career center guidance—many schools share sample evaluation forms online, such as those from major universities’ career services offices (for instance, you can explore employer evaluation examples via sites like career.harvard.edu).

6. Remote internship performance review template (post-2020 reality)

Remote and hybrid internships aren’t going anywhere. Evaluating a remote intern requires you to focus more on communication, self-management, and digital collaboration.

A remote-friendly template might highlight:

• Responsiveness & Availability
  Prompt: “Responds to messages within agreed timeframes; attends scheduled calls.”

• Virtual Communication Skills
  Prompt: “Uses video calls, chat, and email professionally; writes clear updates.”

• Self-Management
  Prompt: “Plans their day, tracks tasks, and meets deadlines with limited supervision.”

• Use of Tools
  Prompt: “Uses project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Trello, Asana, Teams, Slack) effectively.”

• Engagement in Remote Culture
  Prompt: “Participates in virtual meetings, asks questions, and builds relationships despite distance.”

This is one of the best examples of a performance review template for internships if your program is fully remote or hybrid and you want to avoid penalizing interns for not being physically present.

7. Competency-based examples for public sector and nonprofit internships

Government agencies and nonprofits often use competency frameworks to evaluate staff and interns. If you’re in that world, you can build your internship performance review template around competencies like:

• Service Orientation
  Prompt: “Demonstrates commitment to serving the public or community stakeholders.”

• Equity & Inclusion
  Prompt: “Shows respect for diverse backgrounds and perspectives; supports inclusive practices.”

• Policy or Program Understanding
  Prompt: “Understands how their work connects to policies, programs, or mission.”

• Stakeholder Communication
  Prompt: “Communicates clearly with clients, community members, or partner organizations.”

Many public service internships are tied to university programs or grants, so documentation matters. You can look at resources from organizations like the National Service Knowledge Network (nationalservice.gov) for ideas on measuring impact and service outcomes.

This competency-based example of a performance review template for internships makes it easier to connect intern work to your mission and funding requirements.

8. Self-assessment and growth-focused intern review template

Modern early-career development is shifting away from one-way feedback and toward coaching-style conversations. That means giving interns space to assess themselves and set goals.

A growth-focused template usually combines supervisor ratings with intern self-reflection. Some prompts you might include:

Intern Self-Assessment

• “List 3 accomplishments from this internship you’re proud of.”
• “Describe a challenge you faced and how you handled it.”
• “What skills did you improve the most?”
• “What feedback from your supervisor or peers was most helpful?”

Supervisor Response
You can add a matching section where the supervisor comments on the intern’s self-assessment, highlighting agreements and differences.

Future Development Plan

• Skills to develop over the next 6–12 months
• Recommended projects, courses, or certifications
• Whether the organization would consider the intern for a future role

This style belongs among the best examples of performance review templates for internships when your primary goal is learning and career readiness, not just grading.

Career centers and workforce development programs—such as those highlighted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (naceweb.org)—often emphasize this growth mindset, linking internship feedback directly to career competencies.

9. How to choose the right intern performance review template

With so many examples of performance review templates for internships floating around, it helps to pick based on your situation instead of copying the first form you find.

You might ask yourself:

• What’s the main purpose?
  If you’re deciding whether to offer a full-time role, you may want a detailed skills-based or project-based template. If you’re mainly documenting for school credit, a simple general template might be enough.

• How many interns and supervisors are involved?
  A small startup with two interns can use a flexible, conversational form. A Fortune 500 company with 200 interns needs more standardized examples of performance review templates for internships to keep things fair.

• What matters most in your environment?
  Tech teams might prioritize technical skills and project impact. Nonprofits might emphasize service orientation and communication with stakeholders.

• Do you need to align with a university or accrediting body?
  If interns are earning academic credit, check whether the college or university provides an example of a required evaluation form. Many do, and you can adapt your template to mirror their categories.

In other words: steal shamelessly, but adapt thoughtfully.

10. Tips for using these examples effectively in 2024–2025

Having these examples of performance review templates for internships is only half the job. The other half is how you use them.

A few practical tips:

Share expectations early
Give interns a copy of the template in week one. Let them see exactly what they’ll be evaluated on. This reduces anxiety and gives them a roadmap.

Collect midterm feedback, not just final
Use a shorter version of your template halfway through the internship. That gives interns time to adjust and improve before the final review.

Train supervisors briefly
Even a 30-minute walkthrough of the template can dramatically improve the quality of comments. Show examples of specific, behavior-focused feedback versus vague statements.

Use data to improve your program
If you have multiple interns, track common strengths and gaps across reviews. Are many interns struggling with time management? That’s a cue to add onboarding or training.

Connect feedback to well-being
Interns are often navigating stress, new environments, and sometimes relocation. While not a health resource, your organization can point interns to reputable well-being information from sources like Mayo Clinic or NIH if stress or burnout comes up in conversations.

When you combine clear templates with thoughtful conversations, performance reviews stop feeling like a formality and start feeling like a real career-building moment.

FAQ: examples of performance review templates for internships

Q1. Can you give an example of a simple intern performance review form I can use today?
Yes. A quick starter version might include: intern info at the top, a 1–5 rating scale, five categories (quality of work, productivity, professionalism, communication, teamwork), and a short comments box under each. Add an overall rating and a “recommend for future role?” question at the end. That’s a lean, practical example of a performance review template for internships you can use immediately.

Q2. What are some of the best examples of performance review templates for internships for remote roles?
The best examples usually highlight responsiveness, virtual communication, self-management, and use of collaboration tools. They also include prompts about participation in virtual meetings and proactive check-ins, since managers can’t “see” effort in the same way they do in person.

Q3. Do all interns need the same template, or can I use different examples of performance review templates for internships by department?
You can absolutely use different templates. Many organizations keep a shared core (like professionalism and communication) and then add department-specific sections for technical or project work. Just make sure your rating scales and definitions are consistent enough to compare interns fairly.

Q4. Where can I find more real examples of internship evaluation forms?
University career centers and public-sector internship programs often publish real examples online. Search for “internship employer evaluation form” on .edu sites, or explore guidance from professional associations like NACE, which shares sample competency-based evaluation ideas.

Q5. How long should an intern performance review template be?
For most 8–12 week internships, one to three pages is plenty. The goal is to capture meaningful feedback without turning it into a paperwork marathon. If you find supervisors writing “see me for details” in every box, your template may be too long or too repetitive.