| Intensity of importance | Definition | Explanation |
| 1 | Equally Preferred | Two elements contribute equally to the objective |
| 3 | Moderately Preferred | Experience and judgment slightly favor one element over another |
| 5 | Strongly Preferred | Experience and judgment strongly favor one element over another |
| 7 | Very Strongly Preferred | One element is favored very strongly over another, it dominance is demonstrated in practice |
| 9 | Extremely Preferred | The evidence favoring one element over another is of the highest possible order of affirmation |