Choosing the Right Question Types

Selecting the right question type is crucial for getting useful data. This guide helps you match your information needs with the appropriate question format.

Quick Reference Chart

I want to measure…	Use this question type
Single preference from options	Multiple Choice
Multiple selections	Checkboxes
Satisfaction/Agreement	Star Rating or Slider
Customer loyalty	NPS (Net Promoter Score)
Detailed feedback	Comment Box
Rankings/Priorities	Ranking
Multiple items on same scale	Matrix Rating
Contact information	Name, Email, Phone

By Data Type

Categorical Data (Choosing from options)

Multiple Choice - Best for:

Single selection from a list
Demographic questions (age range, location)
Yes/No/Maybe questions
Clear, mutually exclusive options

Checkboxes - Best for:

Multiple selections allowed
“Select all that apply” questions
Feature preferences
Multi-select demographics

Dropdown - Best for:

Long lists of options (countries, states)
Saving space on mobile
When order matters (chronological, alphabetical)

Image Choice - Best for:

Visual preferences (logos, designs)
Product comparisons
When images communicate better than words

Quantitative Data (Numbers and scales)

Star Rating - Best for:

Quick satisfaction ratings
Familiar, intuitive format
Product/service reviews

Slider - Best for:

Precise numeric values
Continuous scales
Measuring intensity or degree

NPS (0-10 scale) - Best for:

Measuring loyalty
Benchmarking against industry
Tracking over time

Matrix Rating - Best for:

Rating multiple items on the same scale
Comparing attributes
Reducing survey length

Qualitative Data (Open-ended responses)

Comment Box - Best for:

Detailed feedback
Explanations and context
“Why” questions
Suggestions and ideas

Single Textbox - Best for:

Short answers
Specific information (job title, company)
Brief comments

Ordering and Prioritization

Ranking - Best for:

Priority ordering
Preference rankings
Feature prioritization
Comparing importance

By Use Case

Customer Feedback Surveys

Question	Recommended Type
Overall satisfaction	Star Rating (5 stars)
Would you recommend us?	NPS
Which features do you use?	Checkboxes
What could we improve?	Comment Box
How did you hear about us?	Multiple Choice

Employee Engagement

Question	Recommended Type
Job satisfaction	Matrix Rating
Manager feedback	Star Rating
Top workplace priorities	Ranking
Open feedback	Comment Box
Department	Dropdown

Event Feedback

Question	Recommended Type
Overall event rating	Star Rating
Sessions attended	Checkboxes
Most valuable session	Multiple Choice
Speaker ratings	Matrix Rating
Suggestions	Comment Box

Product Research

Question	Recommended Type
Feature preferences	Image Choice or Checkboxes
Willingness to pay	Slider (price range)
Purchase likelihood	NPS-style scale
Feature priority	Ranking
Pain points	Comment Box

Best Practices by Type

Rating Scales

Consistency is key:

Use the same scale direction throughout
1 = Low, 5 = High (or vice versa, but pick one)
Label all points, not just endpoints

Number of points:

5 points: Quick, easy, mobile-friendly
7 points: More granularity for nuanced opinions
10 points: Best for NPS or when you need precision

Open-Ended Questions

When to use:

After rating questions (“Why did you give that rating?”)
For unexpected insights you couldn’t predict
When you truly don’t know the options

When to avoid:

When you could use closed-ended
For every question (respondent fatigue)
When you won’t analyze the text

Matrix Questions

Advantages:

Efficient use of space
Consistent scale across items
Easier for respondents than individual questions

Limitations:

Can be hard to read on mobile
Risk of straight-lining (same answer for all)
Limit to 5-7 rows maximum

Common Mistakes

Using the Wrong Type

Mistake	Problem	Solution
Checkboxes for single answer	Allows multiple when you want one	Use Multiple Choice
Comment box for everything	Low response quality, hard to analyze	Use structured options
Matrix on mobile	Poor experience, drop-offs	Use individual questions
Ranking for preferences	Forced ordering when ties exist	Use rating scale

Question Design Errors

Too many options - More than 7-10 options is overwhelming
Missing “N/A” or “Other” - Forces inaccurate responses
Overlapping options - “1-5, 5-10, 10-15” - where does 5 go?
Unbalanced scales - More positive than negative options

Decision Flowchart

What type of answer do you need?
│
├─ Choose from options
│  ├─ One answer only → Multiple Choice
│  ├─ Multiple answers → Checkboxes
│  └─ Visual options → Image Choice
│
├─ Rate something
│  ├─ Quick overall rating → Star Rating
│  ├─ Specific value → Slider
│  ├─ Loyalty metric → NPS
│  └─ Multiple items → Matrix Rating
│
├─ Rank/prioritize
│  └─ Order of preference → Ranking
│
├─ Open feedback
│  ├─ Detailed response → Comment Box
│  └─ Brief answer → Single Textbox
│
└─ Collect contact info
   └─ Name, Email, Phone question types

Ready to build your survey?