Multiple choice questions do not confine survey takers into single choice boxes. It offers a variety of options. This type of a survey is easy to create with minimal effort, faster to share and easier to analyze.
In this blog, we will discuss multiple choice questions, its types, examples and how to create MCQs with Merren.
What Are Multiple Choice Questions?
Multiple choice questions offer multiple answer options under each question. Survey respondents can choose multiple options under a single question. These responses reflect their thoughts, choices and preferences.
Multiple choice questions are applicable across various industries and surveys. MCQs are structured and so it is easier to analyze response data. There can be two types of multiple option questions:
- Single-select: Respondents choose one option.
- Multi-select: Respondents can select multiple options.
Example:
Q: How did you hear about our company? (Select all that apply)
- Online advertisement
- Word of mouth
- Social media
- Print advertisement
- Other (please specify)
Advantages of Multiple Choice Questions in Customer Feedback
Multiple choice questions can often give a high survey response rate due to their simplicity and familiarity. Here are the advantages of using multiple options questions with answers:
1. Structured and consistent responses:
This question type provides a structured framework so that respondents can choose from a given set of options. This data is consistent and easy to analyze. Definite answer choices can effectively measure and compare customer preferences, opinions, and satisfaction levels.
2. Easy to complete:
Customers do not have the time to generate their own responses from scratch. It is cognitively convenient to choose answers from given options. In a choice format of questions, surveys get completed in less time and you get a high response rate.
3. Standardized data collection:
There are pre-designed survey templates that you can customize according to research goals. Most organisations use MCQs to establish benchmarks and track changes over time.
For instance, a business might want to know how new customers hear about their brand. They can collect and assess the most active communication channels. In turn, teams can focus their energies on those channels to increase their customer base.
4. Flexibility in survey design:
Multiple choice questions offer flexibility in survey design. It includes various question types, such as single-select, multiple-select, rating scales, and ranking scales. This versatile feature enables businesses to tailor their surveys to specific objectives for a comprehensive feedback collection.
5. Compatible across survey channels:
Multiple choice questions with answers are compatible across various survey channels. These survey channels include WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, website chatbots and dynamic emails. This also means that they are compatible across multiple mobile devices. This versatile feature is essential so that people can seamlessly respond to surveys without any friction points.
Types of Multiple Choice Questions with Examples
1. Single-Select Questions
Example of this question type:
Q: How satisfied are you with our product?
- Very satisfied
- Satisfied
- Neutral
- Dissatisfied
- Very dissatisfied
2. Multi-Select Questions
Example of this question type:
Q: Which features do you use often? (Select all that apply)
- Feature A
- Feature B
- Feature C
- Feature D
3. Dropdown Menu Questions
Useful for questions with numerous options, conserving space.
Example of this question type:
Q: Select your country of residence.
- [Dropdown list of countries]
4. 1 to 5 Rating Scale Questions
Allow respondents to rate aspects on a scale.
Example of this question type:
Q: Rate your satisfaction with our customer service.
- 1 (Very Unsatisfied) to 5 (Very Satisfied)
How To Create Effective Multiple Choice Questions?
Similar to most customer feedback surveys, the focus should be to capture accurate data by providing multiple choices that apply. This process should not involve much cognitive load for the audience who respond to customer feedback surveys.
1. Reframe leading questions and avoid biased questions
A leading question generally seeks a yes or no answer. Sometimes, it might force users into answering positively even when their inherent experience might not be too memorable. Avoid influencing respondents’ opinions by phrasing questions in a way that nudges them towards a particular answer. Questions should be neutral and objective to allow customers to express their true thoughts and experiences.
2. Create clear and straightforward questions
While answering multiple-choice questions, there will be many possible answers that a customer is going to choose. Keep the questions direct and provide maximum clarity. Pre-tested questions to keep it free from technical words that are complex. The main aim is to get a high survey response rate that can collect genuine answers.
3. Integrate open-ended questions
Open-ended questions enable customers to express the reasons behind their choice. Certain questions may fall short of an option among the selection. In that case, open-ended questions are useful. Offer an “others” segment where customers can fill in their preferred answer.
4. Offer a ‘prefer not to answer’ option
Customers are not willing to answer sensitive questions that may contain personal information. This includes data on income groups, age groups or political inclinations. In this case, offer a ‘prefer not to answer’ option so that you do not receive skewed responses in the absence of this option.
How to Use Multiple Choice Questions in Your Survey: In 5 Easy Steps
Step 1: Log into Merren account for free
Sign up with Merren with a 14 day free trial and access all question templates for your industry. It is a hassle free process that does not need any credit card details. You will be directed to the main dashboard.
Step 2: Click on +Create a Survey from the top right corner
Click on +Create A Survey and then choose “Create from scratch”. Give your survey a name and choose the customer survey category from the drop down list.
From the following dashboard, choose your preferred language translation before creating questions.
Step 3: Create and customize survey questions from our templates
Click on ‘questions’ and go to ‘add a new question”. Now choose “multiple choice question”. This will lead you to the empty question box. Enter your question and enter the preferred options you want to showcase. Click on the “allow multiple choices” button and opt for “others” options. This format is automatically placed in Merren for ease of survey creation.
Now save your survey and move to the next phase.
In case you have a lengthy survey, you can continue making questions after you tap on “ add a new question”.
You can create new questions based on your survey objective. Choose from:
- Rating scales for quick feedback
- Multiple choice grid questions
- AI-probing for open ended questions
Step 4: Test surveys across various survey channels
After your questions are ready, it is time to demo test your customer feedback survey before publishing your campaign. Merren surveys are compatible with WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, chatbots and dynamic email platforms. Demo testing campaigns can detect timely errors or minor glitches that you can correct before publishing.
When you are ready, click on “deploy” and choose from your preferred survey method. Lunch your campaign seamlessly and collect survey responses, hands-free.
Step 5: Get real-time analysis of the survey campaign
Merren’s AI-driven CX dashboard will collect survey responses as they come. Tap on “reports” to view every response via a bar graph or segregate it according to filters you prefer. Get a repository of all open-ended responses under word cloud highlights and sentiment analysis. You can view individual responses too.
In a few successful steps, you can create a multiple choice question survey in a few minutes without any technical expertise.
Create custom survey campaigns with Merren CX, an AI-powered customer feedback platform.