> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.honestly.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How are 360° feedback scores calculated? > Learn how 360° feedback scores are calculated: what Ø External, σ Deviation and the ring around a cell mean, and how anonymity affects the numbers you see. How are 360° feedback scores calculated? The **Competency Matrix** on your 360° feedback dashboard summarises a lot of individual ratings in just a few numbers. This article explains exactly what those numbers mean — how **Ø External** and **σ Deviation** are computed, what the ring around a cell stands for, and how anonymity affects the figures you see. An example Competency Matrix. The **Self-assessment** , **Manager** , **Peers** and **Direct reports** columns each carry one cell per row. **Ø External** and **σ Deviation** summarise the row. The "**–** " cell in **Leadership / Direct reports** is anonymity-restricted; that row's **σ Deviation** is therefore also "**–** ". Rings around cells (**Communication / Peers** , **Leadership / Peers** , **Delegation / Peers**) indicate within-group deviation. The yellow banner appears whenever any cell is restricted. * All scores in the matrix are shown on the questionnaire's scale (for example **1–5** or **1–10**) and rounded to one decimal place. * **Ø External** never includes your **Self-assessment**. * **σ Deviation** is intentionally hidden whenever a perspective in that row is anonymity-restricted, so you never see a deviation calculated from an incomplete picture. * Within-group deviation (the ring around a cell) is only calculated once a perspective has at least **6** distinct raters. From individual responses to a cell value Each cell in the matrix represents one **dimension** (a competency) seen from one **perspective** (**Self-assessment** , **Manager** , **Peers** or **Direct reports**). To compute it, Honestly: 1. Takes every response from that perspective to a question that belongs to the dimension. 2. Converts each response to a value on the questionnaire's scale. This step makes different question types — stars, smileys, NPS, ranked select — comparable. 3. Averages those values. 4. Rounds to one decimal place. If anonymity removes a question (see below), only the remaining questions in the dimension are used. If anonymity removes every question of the dimension for that perspective, the cell stays blank. Ø External — your overall external assessment **Ø External** is the **arithmetic mean of the perspective averages** , with your **Self-assessment** excluded. `Ø External = average of ( Manager score, Peers score, Direct reports score )` Two things are worth knowing about this number: * **Perspective groups count equally.** A peer group of ten people contributes one number to **Ø External** , the same as a single manager. The cell value for each perspective has already averaged out the individual raters before it reaches this step. * **Anonymity-restricted perspectives are simply skipped.** If, say, the Direct reports perspective falls below its anonymity threshold, **Ø External** is the mean of **Manager** and **Peers** only. If no external perspective has a score, **Ø External** is blank for that row. σ Deviation — how consistently you are perceived **σ Deviation** measures how far apart the perspective scores in that row are. It is the **standard deviation of all perspective scores** , including your **Self-assessment**. The figure is shown next to one of three labels: | Label | Rule | Meaning | | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Low** | σ is up to **10%** of the scale range | Perspectives agree closely. You are perceived consistently across groups. | | **Medium** | σ is between **10%** and **20%** of the scale range | Moderate differences between perspectives. | | **High** | σ is above **20%** of the scale range | Perspectives diverge clearly. Different groups experience you differently. | On a **1–5** scale (range 4) this means: **Low** when σ ≤ 0.4, **High** when σ > 0.8. On a **1–10** scale (range 9): **Low** when σ ≤ 0.9, **High** when σ > 1.8. **σ Deviation** is intentionally **left blank** when: * Fewer than two perspectives have a score in that row, or * **Any** perspective in that row is anonymity-restricted — even if the other three would be available. A deviation calculated from a partial set of perspectives would be misleading, so Honestly does not show one. A **High** deviation is not automatically a problem; it simply tells you that different groups see you differently and that the row is worth a closer look. The ring around a cell — agreement within the perspective While **σ Deviation** compares perspectives against each other, the **ring around a cell** tells you how much the raters **inside one perspective** disagreed with each other. * The ring only appears when that perspective has at least **6** distinct raters. Below that, no ring is shown — not because everyone agreed, but because the group is too small for a reliable spread. * The exact mean, the response count and the within-group deviation are shown in the cell's tooltip. How anonymity affects the numbers Anonymity is enforced **per perspective, per question** , by comparing the number of distinct raters to that perspective's threshold. The effects cascade through the matrix: | What you see | When it happens | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | A cell shows **–** | Every question in that dimension for that perspective fell below the threshold. | | **Ø External** is computed but excludes one or more perspectives | At least one non-self perspective is anonymity-restricted but another non-self perspective still has data. | | **Ø External** is blank | No non-self perspective has data left. | | **σ Deviation** is blank | Any perspective in that row is anonymity-restricted, **or** fewer than two perspectives have a score. | | Yellow banner above the matrix | At least one cell in the matrix is anonymity-restricted. | The rule of thumb: anonymity **blanks** a value, it never substitutes one. Related articles * [How do I read my 360° feedback results dashboard?](/help/360-feedback/results-dashboard) * [How does anonymity work in 360° Feedback?](/help/360-feedback/anonymity) * [What is 360° Feedback and how does it work?](/help/360-feedback/overview) * [Who can see the results of a 360° feedback run?](/help/360-feedback/result-visibility) If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.