Scoring

X-COM Scoring

Interception

X-COM receive points each time a UFO is destroyed or grounded. Note that if a UFO 'crashes' (per Intercept popup) over the ocean, it only counts as 'grounded' (even if it sure seems like it must've been destroyed).

                  UFO          UFO
UFO Type       Destroyed     Grounded
Small Scout       100           50
Medium Scout      150           75
Large Scout       250          125
Harvester         500          250
Abductor          500          250
Supply Ship       800          400
Terror Ship      1000          500
Battleship       1400          700

X-COM lose points if one of their own craft are destroyed.

                  Craft
Craft Type      Destroyed
Skyranger         -200
Interceptor       -250
Firestorm         -250
Lightning         -300
Avenger           -400

Battlescape Missions

During an X-COM battlescape mission, points can be gained or lost by the following actions.

Note that if you abort the mission without completing it, you still get points for performing the actions below. Specifically, you have to kill aliens and/or drag stunned aliens, equipment, and/or Elerium back to your ship (or base green area - NOT the red elevator area). Aliens that were killed in a UFO crash (already dead when you got there) do not count. (Briefly visiting a crash site, then dusting off, doesn't get you any points - you have to do things to get points.)

Also note that generally speaking, you get more points from Destroying small UFOs, than for Crashing them and then completing a ground mission. The reverse is true for large UFOs. (Compare Destroying vs. Grounding points vs. Points you can walk away from a Crash with.)

MikeTheRed - Zombie likes to 'milk' bases by revisiting them, killing all aliens but one, stripping everything he can find, then leaving via the green zone. Sometimes Elerium can be found in bases - see Post 13 in this thread for specifics.

Action                    Points
Civilian killed by X-COM   -50
Civilian killed by Aliens  -30
X-COM soldier MIA          -20
X-COM soldier killed       -20*
HWP destroyed              -20
Civilian Saved              30
Alien Base destroyed       500

*This increases as the soldier gains rank and experience.

X-COM receive point for capturing or killing an Alien during a battlescape mission.

                      Alien         Alien
Alien/Rank            Killed       Captured*
Floater Soldier         12            24
Floater Navigator       14            28
Floater Medic           16            32
Floater Engineer        18            36
Floater Leader          25            50
Floater Commander       35            70
Sectoid Soldier         10            20
Sectoid Navigator       12            24
Sectoid Medic           14            28
Sectoid Engineer        16            32
Sectoid Leader          20            40
Sectoid Commander       25            50
Snakeman Soldier        15            30
Snakeman Navigator      17            34
Snakeman Engineer       20            40
Snakeman Leader         28            56
Snakeman Commander      36            72
Ethereal Soldier        20            40
Ethereal Leader         30            60
Ethereal Commander      40            80
Muton Soldier           15            30
Muton Navigator         17            34
Muton Engineer          19            38
Reaper                  25            50
Chryssalid              25            50
Silacoid                20            40
Celatid                 20            40
Sectopod                30            60
Cyberdisc               20            40
Zombie                  18            --

* You will only receive 10 points for capturing any alien species + rank combo already in containment.

Collection of Alien artifacts, equipment, and corpses also gain X-COM points.

Item                      Points  
Alien Alloys                1  
Alien Grenade               1  
Alien Habitat               1  
Blaster Bomb                1  
Heavy Plasma Clip           1  
Mind Probe                  1  
Plasma Pistol Clip          1  
Plasma Rifle Clip           1  
Stun Bomb                   1  
Alien Abduction Chamber     2  
Alien Entertainment         2  
Alien Food                  2  
Alien Reproduction          2  
Alien Surgery               2  
Celatid Corpse              3  
Chryssalid Corpse           3  
Cyberdisc Corpse            3  
Plasma Pistol               3  
Reaper Corpse               3  
Sectopod Corpse             3  
Silacoid Corpse             3  
Plasma Rifle                4  
Small Launcher              4  
Blaster Launcher            5  
Elerium-115 (Per 50 units)  5  
Ethereal Corpse             5  
Floater Corpse              5  
Heavy Plasma                5  
Muton Corpse                5  
Sectoid Corpse              5  
Snakeman Corpse             5  
UFO Navigation              5  
UFO Power Source           20

An evaluation on your total score is given at the end of each mission.

Ranking    Score
Excellent: 501 to ∞
Good:	   201 to 500
OK:	   1 to 200
Poor:	   -199 to 0
Terrible:  -∞ to -200

Research

X-COM also receive points for the completion of research projects.

Research Project                  Points
Plasma Pistol Clip                   5  
Plasma Rifle Clip                    6  
Heavy Plasma Clip                    7  
Blaster Bomb                        10  
Craft Laser Cannon                  10  
Heavy Laser                         10  
Laser Pistol                        10  
Laser Rifle                         10  
Laser Weapons                       10  
Stun Bomb                           10  
Laser Defenses                      15  
Tank/Laser Cannon                   15  
Alien Grenade                       20  
Flying Suit                         20  
Medi-Kit                            20  
Motion Scanner                      20  
Personal Armor                      20  
Plasma Pistol                       20  
Power Suit                          20  
Psi-Amp                             20  
Craft Fusion Weapon                 25  
Craft Plasma Weapon                 25  
Fusion Defenses                     25  
Grav Shield                         25  
Hovertank/Launcher                  25  
Hovertank/Plasma                    25  
Hyper-Wave Decoder                  25  
Mind Probe                          25  
Mind Shield                         25  
Plasma Defenses                     25  
Plasma Rifle                        25  
Psi-Lab                             25  
Alien Abduction                     30  
Alien Alloys                        30  
Alien Entertainment                 30  
Alien Food                          30  
Alien Reproduction                  30  
Alien Surgery                       30  
Heavy Plasma                        30  
New Fighter Craft (Firestorm)       30  
New Fighter-Transporter (Lightning) 30  
Small Launcher                      30  
UFO Construction                    30  
UFO Navigation                      30  
UFO Propulsion                      30  
Ultimate Craft (Avenger)            30  
Blaster Launcher                    40  
Elerium-115                         40  
Alien Autopsies (Each)              50  
Alien Interrogations*               50 
Alien Origins                       60  
Cydonia or Bust                     60  
The Martian Solution                60  

* You receive 50 points for each UFOPaedia entry generated by an alien interrogation. A given alien can generate several UFOPaedia entries, or none at all.

Alien Scoring

Aliens score points for various actions as well.

Alien Action                                     Points 
Each UFO that flies over the Earth                   1 
Each UFO that lands                                  2 
Each day an alien base exists on Earth (Per base)    5 
A harvest mission is performed successfully         30 
An abduction is performed successfully              50 
Alien base is built                                 50 
Aliens sign a pact with a funding country          150 
A terror site is ignored by X-COM                 1000

Losing The Game

You can lose the game in the following ways:

• If you stay in debt over $1 million for two consecutive months.
• If you have two consecutive "bad" months in terms of score--
  • -900 (Beginner)
  • -800 (Experienced)
  • -700 (Veteran)
  • -600 (Genius)
  • -500 (Superhuman)
• If all X-COM bases are captured by Aliens. (But you can dismantle your last base and stay in the game, if you have enough money to start a new one - see Access Lift.)
• If you fail your attempt to destroy Cydonia!