A typical prioritization matrix may have up to how many criteria?

• A. 3
• B. 6
• C. 12
• D. 20

Answer: (C)

Evaluating options with a prioritization matrix requires balancing breadth of factors with ease of use. A matrix should cover enough dimensions to capture major influences on the decision, but not so many that scoring becomes impractical or inconsistent.

Twelve criteria is a practical upper bound because it allows you to include essential areas—such as cost, benefit, risk, feasibility, strategic alignment, time to implement, impact on care delivery, user acceptance, interoperability, security/privacy, regulatory/compliance, and implementation complexity—without overloading the team. Fewer than that risks missing important factors; more than that can overwhelm the scoring process and reduce reliability. Hence, twelve criteria is a common, usable ceiling for a typical prioritization matrix.