- The government writes the CPARS evaluation. The COR usually supplies the first draft, and the contracting officer or another assessing official signs off.
- You do not file a self-evaluation. Your input is a comment or rebuttal, and FAR 42.1503(d) gives you up to 14 calendar days from the notice.
- Evidence beats adjectives. Acceptance emails, delivery receipts, and dated status reports are what change a rating.
- If comments do not fix the record, you can ask for review at a level above the contracting officer.
- Your best CPARS work happens during the contract, long before the notice arrives.
On a federal contract, the person who knows your work best is usually the contracting officer's representative, the COR. When the agency writes your CPARS evaluation, that person's observations are the raw material. If you are new to this, it helps to know exactly who touches the rating and when you get a say. This post walks the chain from COR draft to final record. For the bigger picture on past performance, start with our past performance guide.
Who writes a CPARS evaluation?
The government does. FAR 42.1503 lets each agency decide who prepares and reviews evaluations. Input can come from the technical office, the contracting office, the program office, quality assurance staff, and end users. If the agency has not named anyone, the contracting officer is responsible.
In practice, the CPARS system sorts the work into roles. A COR or program manager usually drafts the assessment. A contracting officer or similar official reviews it and releases it to you. A reviewing official sits above that. The names vary by agency, so ask your contracting officer who fills each role on your contract.
One thing is not in FAR: a contractor self-evaluation that gets graded first. You will see that idea in some blog posts and AI-written drafts. It is not how the regulation works. Your input comes after the government writes its version.
When does an evaluation get written?
FAR 42.1502 sets the triggers. Evaluations are due at least once a year and when the work is complete. They are required above the simplified acquisition threshold ($350,000), for construction contracts of $900,000 or more, and for architect-engineer contracts of $45,000 or more. Any of these types terminated for default gets one regardless of value.
Below those lines, an evaluation is optional. Some agencies write them anyway. If you want a record from a small job, ask for one, as covered in our past performance guide.
How does the COR's input become your rating?
The COR drafts from what they saw
The COR looks at the same kinds of things evaluators care about everywhere: quality of the work, schedule, cost control, and how easy you were to work with. They write a rating and a short narrative for each area. This is why your monthly status reports and your tone on the phone matter more than you would expect.
The rating scale
| Rating | Plain meaning |
|---|---|
| Exceptional | Exceeded requirements, few or no issues |
| Very Good | Met requirements, some above-and-beyond |
| Satisfactory | Met requirements, nothing more |
| Marginal | Did not fully meet requirements, correctable |
| Unsatisfactory | Serious failures |
The scale is defined in FAR 42.1503. Satisfactory is not an insult. It means you did the job. Most evaluators save the top two ratings for work they could point to in a source selection.
Narratives matter more than the boxes
A future contracting officer reading your record sees the narrative. "Satisfactory" with no detail tells them nothing. "Satisfactory, with two reworked deliverables corrected within one week" tells them you fixed problems. That is why the comment window is worth using even when the rating looks fine.
What can you do before the evaluation arrives?
Most of your influence comes during the contract. A few habits cost almost nothing.
Send a short written status report each month, dated and specific. Get deliverable acceptance in writing, even if it is a one-line email. Flag problems early and record the fix. When something slips, say so before the COR finds it. Keep copies in a folder you control, because contract records can be hard to retrieve a year later.
The 14-day comment window
Under FAR 42.1503(d), you get up to 14 calendar days from the notice that the evaluation is available to submit comments, rebuttal statements, or additional information. The agency keeps your response with the evaluation. Comments filed after 14 days still go into CPARS, but source selection officials may see the record without them.
Write a factual response
Say which part you are addressing. State what happened, with dates. Attach the proof. Leave out feelings and character judgments about the COR, because the assessing official and anyone who reads the record later will weigh your tone along with your facts.
Here is a hypothetical to make it concrete. A small firm finishes a facilities contract. The COR's draft says a milestone was late. The firm's file has the signed acceptance dated three days before the due date. The response quotes the paragraph, gives the dates, and attaches the acceptance. That is a correction a contracting officer can verify in a minute.
What if you still disagree?
FAR 42.1503(d) requires agencies to provide a review at a level above the contracting officer for disagreements. The contracting agency makes the final decision. You cannot delete a rating, but you can change it or add context, and your written response stays with the record either way.
Do not expect a special remedy clause to rescue you. Some blog posts point to DFARS 252.242-7006 for CPARS appeals. That clause is about accounting system administration. Use the process in FAR 42.1503 and your agency's own procedures.
How long does a rating follow you?
Under FAR 42.1503(g), agencies use past performance information for three years after the contract or order is complete, and six years for construction and architect-engineer contracts. After that, it ages out of what evaluators are told to consult.
Why this matters for your first bids
If you have no CPARS history, that usually scores neutral in a past performance evaluation. A poor rating is worse than no rating. Your first goal is a clean first record, even if it comes from a small subcontract or a modest award. If you are chasing set-asides, our SDVOSB contracts guide and the other federal contract guides show where first-time firms usually start.
Before you spend a week on a proposal, decide whether your record supports the bid. The free GovCon tools include a bid scorecard for that check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do contractors write a self-evaluation in CPARS?
Not as a required step under FAR 42.1503. The government prepares the evaluation, then you get up to 14 calendar days to submit comments, rebuttals, or additional information. Your comments become part of the record.
Can I see my CPARS evaluation before it is final?
You see it after the government writes it and notifies you, and you can comment during the 14-day window. Agencies must provide a review above the contracting officer if you disagree, and the agency makes the final call.
How long does a CPARS rating count?
Agencies use past performance information within three years of contract or order completion, and six years for construction and architect-engineer contracts, under FAR 42.1503(g).
Can a bad CPARS rating be removed?
You cannot delete it. You can respond with documents, ask for review above the contracting officer, and add context. Even if the rating stays, your written response travels with it.
Do subcontractors get CPARS evaluations?
Generally no. Government evaluations are written for prime contractors. A prime may give you written feedback, and you can cite the work and your reference as past performance in a proposal.