If you want to be successful as a trainer, you need to know your participants above all: What they can do, what they expect, and how good your training is, you can find out most easily through methods such as quizzes and surveys. In the first part of our "Asking the Right Questions!" series, we explain to you how to choose the right question type – so you really get the answers you need!

If you have ever created a quiz or survey yourself, you may have noticed: It's not that easy! You not only need to know what you want to ask, but above all: How? In addition to the concept and the right phrasing, it is mainly about the selection of the right question type. And that is tricky and time-consuming.

"Questionnaire design" is not without reason a compulsory subject in many degree programs. I’ll shorten this for you and explain the most common question types: What are single-choice and multiple-choice questions, scales, and open-ended questions? And which type is best suited for your question?

The 4 Classic Question Types

If you already know exactly what you want to ask, the most important thing is: to get the question in the right form. Which question type you choose mainly depends on what answers you need to achieve your goal!

There are a variety of question types. I will present to you the four "classic" question forms for paper and online questionnaires. For each question type, there is a concrete example of how such a question can look in an online questionnaire.

Tip: All examples are created on the blink.it platform. Would you like to create e-learning, a training companion, or simply great questionnaires for your participants? Then try blink.it for free!

1. The Open Question for Individual Answers

Open questions do not provide answer options. The participant can respond freely to the question. An open question may look like this:

So an open question can look in an online questionnaire. An open response field, possibly with hints for the participant, allows for an individual answer. // Source: blink.it platform

It is important: to formulate the question as “short and snappy” as possible.

Well suited for: Questions where you still do not know what answer options may exist at all. Or as a preliminary survey before a training appointment, to individually and openly inquire about the problems and wishes of participants.

Not suitable for: Surveys or quizzes with large participant numbers. Evaluating open answers then takes a lot of time and the answers are difficult to compare.

2. The Single Choice Question for Simple Selection

In a single choice question, you provide possible answers. Characteristically, only one answer is correct or only one answer may be checked. Here you see an example of a good single choice:

So a single choice question can look in an online questionnaire: All possible answers are covered and each participant can make a simple indication. // Source: blink.it platform

It is important: that there is one correct answer for each participant. If you are unsure whether you know all the options, provide an additional alternative such as "others" or "don't know".

Well suited for: large participant groups and short surveys or quizzes, as the questions are quick and easy to answer.

Not suitable for: topics where you do not know all the possible answers or need an individual response from each participant.

3. The Multiple Choice Question with Diverse Options

In this question type, answers are also predetermined by you. In contrast to the single choice, participants are allowed to check multiple answers here. A multiple-choice selection may look like this:

So a multiple choice question can look in an online questionnaire: Several answer options are provided, where one or more can be checked. // Source: blink.it platform

It is important: to also allow an alternative answer here. This way, additional answers can be added that you can incorporate next time.

Well suited for: large participant groups and short surveys or quizzes since the questions are quick and easy to answer. Additionally, it's a simple way to assess knowledge.

Not suitable for: topics where you do not know all possible answers or need an individual answer from each participant.

4. The Scale Question for Personal Assessment

The special thing about scale questions is the internal order of the answer options. There is a fixed order with two "extremes". Usually, only the two endpoints are labeled, as you can see in the example:

So a scale in an online questionnaire can look like this: Participants can express their personal opinion in 5 gradations. In this example with a "neutral" middle. // Source: blink.it platform

It is important: the number of points in the scale! If you want to allow your participants a "neutral" answer, choose an odd number ("3" would be a neutral answer in the example image above). This is especially recommended for very personal questions that may be uncomfortable for participants. If you want a clear tendency without a middle ground, choose an even number.

Well suited for: capturing moods, opinions, and attitudes. Participants can represent and gradate their statements in a differentiated manner.

Not suitable for: clear yes/no questions, knowledge questions, and questions about characteristics where an order is not important for your evaluation (e.g., "How old are you?").

Tip: Are you already a blink.it customer? Then you will find many more information and instructions on interactions in Blink: quiz, exam, and survey.

Conclusion: The Question Determines the Form!

As you can see, the selection of the right question type depends on what you actually want to know:

• Open questions give you individual answers from your participants, for example, as personal feedback from your participants on the seminar.

• Single-choice questions help you to collect individual data quickly and easily, for example for demographic data like age or professional position.

• Multiple-choice questions provide you with combinations of predetermined answers, for example, when participants are to select multiple skills that are important to them in the workplace.

• Scale questions assess opinion and mood and are, for example, perfectly suited to record participants' satisfaction as a number (grade, 1 to 10, ...).

Preview: In the next part of our article series "Asking the Right Questions!" we will continue together on the path to the perfect questionnaire for your training or seminar: We will help you develop a concept and formulate great questions.

Directly to Part 2: Plan and formulate good questionnaires

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