Practical, example-led guides to writing survey and questionnaire questions that people can answer quickly and you can analyze with confidence.
By Ethan Brooks, Software Engineer at Florm
Published · Editorial policy
Fixed-answer questions explained: the main types, a complete closed-ended questionnaire example, 25 examples by use case, and how to analyze the results.
When to let people answer in their own words, 40 ready-to-use open questions, an open-ended survey template, and a simple way to code the answers into themes.
Two-option questions such as Yes/No and True/False: types, 50+ examples, a sample dichotomous questionnaire, pros and cons, and how to analyze binary data.
Start from what you need to learn, not from the question format. This table maps common survey goals to the question type that answers them best.
| You want to know… | Question type | Example | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Did something happen, or does a rule apply? | Yes / No (dichotomous) | Is this your first order with us? | Guide |
| Which one of several categories fits? | Single choice or dropdown | How did you first hear about us? | Guide |
| Which of several options apply? | Multiple choice (select all) | Which features have you used this month? | Guide |
| How much: satisfaction, ease or agreement? | Rating scale | How satisfied are you with your order? (1–5) | Guide |
| How loyal are customers or employees? | NPS (0–10) | How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague? | NPS calculator |
| Why did they answer that way? | Open-ended (long text) | What is the main reason for your score? | Guide |
Every survey question is either closed-ended, with answer options you define in advance, or open-ended, where people answer in their own words. Closed questions, including dichotomous yes/no questions, multiple choice, rating scales and NPS, produce quantitative data you can count and chart straight away. Open questions produce qualitative data that explains the numbers.
The closed-ended questions guide covers every fixed-answer format and how to analyze it. The open-ended questions guide shows how to write follow-ups people actually answer and how to turn text into themes. Together they cover the core skill of questionnaire design: picking the right format for each thing you want to learn.
Once responses come in, turn them into numbers you can report:
Ready to write your own? Build it in Florm’s online survey maker with 12 question types, or start from a free survey template.
Survey questions fall into two families. Closed-ended questions have fixed answers: yes/no (dichotomous), single and multiple choice, dropdowns, rating scales, Likert items and NPS. Open-ended questions let people answer in their own words. Most surveys use mostly closed questions with one or two open ones.
Use closed-ended questions to measure and compare, because they are quick to answer and easy to analyze. Use open-ended questions to understand why, explore new topics or catch issues you didn’t expect. A common pattern is a closed rating followed by an optional open “why” question.
The guides are written by Ethan Brooks, Software Engineer at Florm, and follow Florm’s editorial policy: worked examples and formulas are checked before publishing, and pages are reviewed when the product changes or someone reports a problem.
Yes. You can copy and adapt every example question and sample questionnaire in these guides for your own surveys, in Florm or any other tool.
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