How (and when) to use multiple choice questions

Multiple choice questions are a leading question style that researchers can use to get the data they need. But what makes a good multiple-choice question, and how can companies use them to generate insightful information from their respondents?

In this article, we’ll discuss the various survey question types, touch on the power of multiple-choice questions, outline different ways of using them, and give examples of great use cases of these question styles. 

Multiple choice questions are survey response formats that offer respondents a selection of answers. Respondents can select one or several responses from a closed selection of choices. 

Multiple choice questions are a typical type of closed-ended question. They are useful for generating quantifiable data for analysts to use. You could pair a multiple-choice question with an open-ended question that asks respondents to explain their reasoning for selecting the response they gave. 

In a multiple-choice question, respondents will choose the answer that most closely aligns with their opinion from a set number of options. Answer options can either be worded or use a numbered rating scale format.

One of the reasons that multiple-choice questions are so powerful is because they help produce highly analyzable data. As they are closed-ended questions, they will generate responses that all fall into the same categories. Researchers can see the proportion of answers favored by respondents, facilitating quantitative research.

Multiple-choice questions are a staple of survey creation for a reason. They offer a range of benefits to survey creators, researchers, and respondents:

Multiple-choice questions are phenomenal for certain use cases. As a market research tool, for example, they allow people to rapidly indicate their demographic, choose certain opinions, and select behavioral responses that closely align with them. 

However, while multiple-choice questions are extremely useful, they also have drawbacks. For example, they can’t offer qualitative insights, meaning you’ll have to pair them with other question formats to get the whole story. Equally, your listed responses might not align with a person’s true opinion, reducing the accuracy of your survey or increasing rates of non-completion.

What is the format for multiple-choice questions? There are several different formats that multiple choice questions can take. Here are some of the most common styles of multiple-choice questions researchers use.

Rating scales are a small selection of answers that respondents will choose from to reflect their opinion on the question. For example, you could have a simple numerical scale of 1-10 or a written scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

Word scale multiple choice questions typically offer 5-7 written answers from which respondents can choose. These answers normally follow the Likert scale, which measures opinions, motivations, and attitudes. 

This form of question typically asks something like, “Do you like our product?” which users then select from “Don’t like the product at all” to “Like the product a lot.” 

Word scale questions like these are useful as they provide granular feedback about the degree of someone’s opinions. Instead of just getting a “Yes” or “No” answer, you’ll receive a range of feedback across the opinion spectrum.

Number-scale questions allow respondents to rate on a scale (generally of 0-10) to showcase their opinions. An example of a number-scale question in action is the Net Promoter Score® (NPS) survey, which asks customers, “How likely is it that you would recommend this company to a friend or colleague?”

Respondents will then select on a scale of 0-10, with 0 reflecting being not likely at all and 10 being extremely likely. This form of question is easy to understand, rapid to respond to, easy to analyze, and has a high degree of response flexibility.

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