12 Types of Survey Questions [Free Samples]

Want to make your surveys more engaging and accurate?

The secret lies in the types of questions you use. Not every question fits every purpose; some are great for quick yes/no answers, while others help you capture detailed opinions or rank preferences.

In this guide, I’ll break down 12 common survey question types, show you free sample questions, and give you tips on when to use them.

Let’s dive in.

Quick Table: 12 Types of Survey Questions

Type of Question	Description	When to Use
Multiple Choice	Choose one option from a predefined list	Quick, structured data collection
Checkbox	Select multiple answers that apply	Capturing habits or preferences
Dropdown	Pick from a long scrollable list	Countries, states, large lists
Likert Scale	Measure agreement/satisfaction on a scale	Attitudes, opinions
Rating Scale	Rate on a numeric scale (e.g., 1–10)	Satisfaction, NPS, CSAT
Matrix	Group related questions in a grid	Reduce fatigue with repeated items
Open-Ended	Respondents type their own answers	Qualitative insights
Dichotomous	Simple yes/no or true/false	Screening questions
Ranking	Order items by preference/importance	Prioritizing features or needs
Slider	Drag a scale bar for a response	Continuous data, mobile-friendly
Demographic	Collect background info	Segmenting audiences
Follow-Up	Dig deeper into a previous answer	Add context to ratings/scales

1. Multiple Choice Questions

Free Sample: How do you usually shop for groceries?

• Online delivery
• In-store shopping
• Pickup service
• Other (please specify)

👉 Best for: Easy data analysis and structured responses.

Pros:

• Simple to answer and analyze
• Works well on all devices
• Familiar format for respondents

Cons:

• May introduce bias if options are incomplete
• Can oversimplify complex opinions

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid for nuanced topics where fixed options don’t cover the full range of answers (e.g., personal experiences).

2. Checkbox (Select All That Apply) Questions

Free Sample: Which social media platforms do you use daily? (Select all that apply)

• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• X (Twitter)
• LinkedIn

👉 Best for: Capturing a range of habits or preferences.

Pros:

• Captures multiple realities at once
• Great for behavioral/evidential data

Cons:

• Results can be harder to interpret
• Respondents may tick too many options without much thought

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid when you need a clear single preference (e.g., “What’s your favorite…”).

3. Dropdown Questions

Free Sample: Which country do you live in? [Dropdown list of countries]

👉 Best for: Long lists like locations, states, or product SKUs.

Pros:

• Compact, space-saving format
• Prevents overwhelming respondents with a long list

Cons:

• Requires extra clicks to open and scroll
• Less visible context compared to multiple choice lists

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid when the list is short (2–6 options). Multiple choice is faster in that case.

4. Likert Scale Questions

Free Sample: The checkout process on our website was easy to follow:

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neutral
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree

👉 Best for: Opinions and attitudes.

Pros:

• Captures nuanced opinions
• Easy to benchmark and compare over time

Cons:

• Neutral answers may hide real opinions (“fence-sitting”)
• Wording must be precise to avoid misinterpretation

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid when measuring factual behavior (e.g., “How many times…”), better to use frequency or rating.

5. Rating Scale Questions

Free Sample: On a scale of 1–10, how likely are you to recommend our product to a friend?

👉 Best for: Customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS).

Pros:

• Very simple and fast to answer
• Works well for trend analysis over time

Cons:

• Doesn’t reveal why someone gave the score
• Numbers may mean different things to different people

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid for abstract concepts where numbers feel meaningless (e.g., “Rate your values”).

6. Matrix Questions

Free Sample: How satisfied were you with the following aspects of your hotel stay?

• Cleanliness
• Staff friendliness
• Room comfort
• Food quality

👉 Best for: Reducing survey fatigue with similar questions.

Pros:

• Efficient way to ask related questions
• Reduces repetition and saves time

Cons:

• Large grids can overwhelm respondents
• Not mobile-friendly if too complex

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid for long lists (10+ items). They’re hard to read on mobile and cause drop-offs.

7. Open-Ended Questions

Free Sample: What’s one feature you’d like us to add to our product?

👉 Best for: Collecting detailed, qualitative feedback.

Pros:

• Provides rich, authentic insights
• Allows for unexpected discoveries

Cons:

• Harder to analyze at scale
• Takes more effort for respondents

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid using too many in a single survey, as it overwhelms and reduces completion rates.

8. Dichotomous Questions

Free Sample: Did you find what you were looking for on our website today?

• Yes
• No

👉 Best for: Screening questions and quick decisions.

Pros:

• Fastest and easiest to answer
• Produces very clean, binary data

Cons:

• Lacks nuance
• Can feel restrictive without a “Not sure” option

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid for topics requiring explanation or gradation of opinion.

9. Ranking Questions

Free Sample: Rank the following in order of importance when buying a laptop:

• Price
• Brand reputation
• Battery life
• Screen size
• Performance

👉 Best for: Understanding relative importance of features.

Pros:

• Reveals priorities, not just preferences
• More insightful than standalone ratings

Cons:

• Requires more effort from respondents
• Results can be complex to analyze

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid when respondents may not be familiar with all items, and rankings won’t be meaningful.

10. Slider Questions

Free Sample: Drag the slider to rate your satisfaction with our support team: 0 = Not satisfied → 10 = Very satisfied

👉 Best for: Collecting nuanced, continuous data.

Pros:

• Feels interactive and engaging
• Captures precise values

Cons:

• Can be tricky on mobile devices
• Harder to compare if respondents use the scale differently

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid when you need clear categorical choices (e.g., “Yes/No”).

11. Demographic Questions

Free Sample: What is your age group?

• Under 18
• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55+

👉 Best for: Segmenting responses by audience type.

Pros:

• Essential for audience segmentation
• Helps contextualize other answers

Cons:

• Can feel intrusive if placed at the start
• Risk of non-response if questions feel too personal

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid at the beginning of surveys, as respondents may abandon early. Place them at the end.

12. Follow-Up Questions

Free Sample: You rated our delivery service 6/10. What could we improve?

👉 Best for: Adding context to rating or scale questions.

Pros:

• Provides deeper insights into earlier answers
• Explains the “why” behind ratings

Cons:

• Can cause survey fatigue if overused
• Not everyone will provide detailed feedback

❌ When NOT to use: Avoid attaching follow-ups to every single question, as it makes surveys feel endless.

Conclusion

Surveys aren’t just about asking questions, they’re about asking the right types of questions. By mixing these 12 types of survey questions, you’ll get richer insights, higher engagement, and cleaner data for analysis.

Keep it short, test your survey, and always think about the respondent’s experience.

With the right mix of multiple choice, scales, open-ended, and follow-up questions, your surveys will feel less like a chore and more like a conversation.

FAQs: Survey Questions

Q1. What type of survey question is most common?

Multiple choice questions are the most widely used because they’re quick to answer and easy to analyze.

Q2. What type of survey question is best for customer satisfaction?

Rating scale or Likert scale questions work best for measuring satisfaction levels.

Q3. Are open-ended questions better than closed-ended ones?

Open-ended questions give richer insights, but closed-ended questions are easier to analyze. The best surveys use a mix of both.

Q4. How many types of survey questions should I use in one survey?

Stick to 3–5 types max. Too many variations can confuse respondents.

Q5. What’s the difference between a rating scale and a Likert scale?

A rating scale uses numbers (e.g., 1–10), while a Likert scale uses opinion-based labels (e.g., strongly agree → strongly disagree).