Self-Appraisal Examples: What to Write in Your Performance Review

How to write a self-appraisal for your performance review: what it is for, the evidence to gather, a five-part structure, example phrases and example answers for each section, the mistakes to avoid, and how to use your appraisal for development and pay.

By Tony Musso on Thu Oct 29 2026

A self-appraisal is your chance to tell your manager, in your own words, what you have achieved, what you have learned and what you want next. Many people rush it or undersell themselves, yet it often shapes the appraisal conversation, your objectives for the coming year and, in some organisations, decisions about pay and promotion.

This guide explains what a self-appraisal is for, how to structure yours, and gives example phrases and short example answers for each section that you can adapt. It finishes with the mistakes to avoid and how to use your appraisal to ask for development or a pay rise.

What a self-appraisal is

A self-appraisal (also called a self-assessment or self-review) is a written reflection you complete before your appraisal or performance review meeting. Most UK employers use a form with set questions, usually covering:

• what you achieved against your objectives,
• your strengths and what went well,
• what was difficult and what you would do differently,
• your development needs and the support you would like, and
• your goals for the next review period.

Your manager reads it before the meeting and uses it alongside their own view. It is not a test. It is a way of making sure your work is seen and your voice is part of the conversation.

Before you start: gather your evidence

The best self-appraisals are specific, and specifics are hard to remember on the day. Spend half an hour collecting:

• your objectives from the last review,
• emails or messages where colleagues, customers or managers thanked you,
• projects you worked on and what changed as a result,
• any figures you actually have, such as targets met, cases closed or deadlines hit,
• training you completed, and
• notes from one-to-ones.

Keeping a simple "wins" note through the year makes this much easier next time.

How to structure your self-appraisal

1. Achievements against objectives

Take each objective in turn. Say whether you met it, and give a short example of how. If you did not meet one, say so plainly and explain why.

Example phrases:

• "I met this objective by..."
• "I exceeded this target by..."
• "This objective changed during the year because..., so I focused on..."
• "I partly met this objective. The main barrier was..., and next year I would..."

Example (customer service adviser): "My objective was to improve my first-contact resolution. I asked to shadow two senior advisers, built my own notes on the questions we get most, and now resolve most billing queries without a callback. My team leader's monthly quality checks have been consistently positive since March."

2. Strengths and what went well

Pick two or three strengths and back each with an example. Choose ones that matter for your role and your next step.

Example phrases:

• "One of my strengths is..., for example when..."
• "Colleagues often come to me for..."
• "I am proud of how I handled..."

Example (office administrator): "I am organised under pressure. When our office manager was off for six weeks, I took over the diary and supplier bookings for the team alongside my usual work, and nothing was missed. I set up a shared tracker that the team still uses."

3. Challenges and lessons learned

Be honest about what was difficult. Managers respect self-awareness, and a clear lesson shows growth.

Example phrases:

• "The biggest challenge this year was..."
• "Looking back, I would..."
• "I learned that..."

Example (team leader): "Managing two people who had been my peers was harder than I expected. At first I avoided difficult conversations. After talking it through with my manager, I started regular one-to-ones and set clear expectations, and both relationships are now much better."

4. Development needs and support

Name the skills you want to build and suggest how. Be specific about training, shadowing, mentoring or projects.

Example phrases:

• "To develop further, I would like to..."
• "I would benefit from training in..."
• "I would like the chance to lead / shadow / take on..."

Example (healthcare assistant): "I would like to develop my clinical skills further and would welcome the chance to complete training in taking blood. In the longer term I am interested in a nursing degree apprenticeship and would value a conversation about whether that could be possible here."

5. Goals for the next period

Suggest two to four goals that are specific, realistic and linked to the team's priorities. Your manager may adjust them, but proposing your own shows initiative.

Example phrases:

• "In the next year I aim to..."
• "I would like to take responsibility for..."
• "I will measure progress by..."

Words and phrases that work

Strong self-appraisals use active, specific language:

Useful verbs include led, organised, improved, reduced, introduced, trained, resolved, delivered and supported.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Being too modest. Your manager may not know everything you did. If you do not say it, it may not be counted.
• Being vague. "I worked well with the team" says little. One concrete example says more than a paragraph of adjectives.
• Inventing or inflating numbers. Only use figures you can back up.
• Blaming others for missed objectives. Explain the circumstances factually and focus on what you would do differently.
• Leaving it to the last minute. A rushed form reads as a rushed year.
• Surprises. If something serious is worrying you, raise it in a one-to-one before the appraisal rather than for the first time on the form.

Using your appraisal for development and pay

An appraisal is a good moment to agree a development plan. A personal development plan turns the goals you discuss into actions with dates, and a skills audit can help you spot the gaps worth working on.

If you believe your pay should rise, the appraisal can support your case, but many organisations handle pay separately. Our guide on how to ask for a pay rise explains how to prepare, and our free pay rise letter tool helps you put the request in writing. If you are new in a role, our guide to the probation review covers that first formal check-in.

Thinking about your next move rather than your next year? Career Compass compares your interests and working style with UK careers and shows typical pay and routes for each match.

Take Career Compass

Frequently asked questions

Thinking of taking a career quiz to help decide? Here is which kind is worth your time.