Difference between multiple choice and rating question
Multiple choice question type
This question type lets your survey participants choose one or more answers from a list of choices. When the participant chooses an option from the list of choices, it will be displayed in the results section as a total number of times that choice has been selected.
You can use multiple choice questions for these example scenarios:
- When you want to find out what an end user prefers from a list of things (for example, apples, oranges, pears or grapes)
- When you want to find out what applies to the participant from a list of choices (employed, unemployed, self-employed, employer)
- When multiple choices may apply to one participant (I own a house, I own an apartment, I own a studio)
An example of the final results for Multiple Choice question type:
Rating question type
Rating questions are a subset of multiple choice questions, but they render different results. The end user sees multiple choices, such as a range between:
- Satisfied
- Neutral
- Unsatisfied
You can also present these questions on a horizontal slider. The end user chooses one of these options in response to a question. In the results section, you’ll see the value you assigned to the given choice.
You can use rating questions for these example scenarios:
- When you want to know how satisfied your participant is with the services you provide
- When you want to know how often the participant performs certain tasks
An example of the results for Rating question type can be seen below:
Misconception about rating question type
In most cases, rating questions are overkill. If all you want is the total number of times a choice was selected, multiple choice is the better option. If you don’t need a certain type of choice outcome, such as “does not apply” or “other,” in your final rating, a multiple choice question is the better choice. On the other hand, if you need a specific rating outcome from your survey, for example to see how much your participants liked their food and accommodations, use the rating question type. We offer a range of different templates for this purpose.