Multiple choice question · Choice

Multiple choice questions (multiple answers)

Respondents tick every answer that applies in a checkbox list. Add a None of the above that clears the rest, cap how many they pick, and export one 0/1 column per answer.

Available onFree & up· every plan

The Multiple choice question as respondents see it on a laptop and a phone

Live demo

Answer it. Your answer joins the results.

This is the question your respondents get. Answer it and the chart beside it recalculates with your answer counted.

Which of these do you use to get to work in a typical week? Select all that apply.

Car
Bus
Train
Bicycle
On foot
Other (please specify)
I don’t commute

In action

The multiple choice question in action

0:00A respondent sees a question where several answers can apply.
0:02They tick Car and Train. Both stay ticked.
0:05They tick Other (please specify). A text box opens.
0:07They type “E-scooter”.
0:10They tick “I don’t commute”. It clears every other tick.
0:12They untick it and pick Car and Train again.
0:16The answer joins the results. Car and Train each go up by one.

Every feature

Everything the multiple choice question can do

The tick-all-that-apply question, with the limits, exclusive answers, routing and data controls researchers reach for.

On the respondent’s screenWhat people answering see and use.

LiveFree

Clear answer tiles

One tile per answer with a square box. Each ticked tile gets a tick in its box, a check mark and your theme’s selected style.

LiveFree

Stacked, in columns or in a row

Stack the answers, spread them over two to four columns, or lay them out as a wrapping row. Columns fold into one when the space is narrow.

LiveFree

Keyboard ready

Every answer is its own Tab stop, and Space or Enter ticks it. Turn on lettered answers and A, B, C tick too, with None and your limit still applied.

Try it in the demo above: Tab to an answer, then press Space.

LiveFree

Answers in groups

Give answers the same group name and they sit together under a small heading, such as Public transport. Headings translate with the survey.

LiveFree

Required, soft required or optional

A new question needs at least one tick to continue. Or warn once before a skip with your own message, or make it optional.

LiveFree

Translated answers

The question, every answer, group headings, image alt text, the “Please specify” prompt and the selection count translate per survey language.

None, Other and limitsThe answers and rules a tick-all list needs.

LiveFree

One click to add

Add Other (please specify), None of the above and Not applicable once each, with their own codes: other, none and na. None and N/A clear the other ticks.

LiveFree

Exclusive answers that clear the rest

Ticking None of the above clears every other tick, and ticking another answer clears None. Tick Exclusive (clears others) to make any answer work this way.

LiveFree

Other, with a write-in

Ticking Other opens a “Please specify…” box. The text is kept only while Other stays ticked, and you can make it required.

LiveFree

At least, up to, or between

Ask for at least N, up to N, or between two numbers. The count under the list updates as people tick, and a tick past the maximum is blocked with a short message.

LiveFree

Checked on the server

Answers are checked again when they’re saved. Unknown or unavailable answers, an exclusive answer mixed with others, too few or too many ticks, and a missing required write-in are refused.

Answer orderShuffle, rotate, sort and pin. On every plan.

LiveFree

Shuffle per respondent

Each respondent gets their own order, which holds when they go Back or come back later. Each question shuffles differently.

LiveFree

Pin any answer

Fix any answer in its position, or set anchors in the Randomization section. Other, None and N/A are pinned for you.

LiveFree

Rotate the start position

Keep the list in sequence and move the starting point for each respondent.

LiveFree

Sort A to Z in each language

Sort answers alphabetically in the respondent’s language. Pinned answers keep their place.

Use shuffle or A to Z: the builder lets you pick one.

LiveFree

The order they saw, in your data

With shuffling or sorting on, the export adds a Q1_order column with the order each respondent saw.

Logic, quotas and earlier answersRoute, filter and cap on what was ticked.

LiveFree

Carry forward what they ticked

Offer only the answers someone ticked at an earlier question, only the ones they didn’t, or all of them. A carried Other shows their own words.

LiveFree

Hide answers already given

“Exclude answers given in” removes answers ticked at earlier questions. Other and None always stay. If nothing is left to tick, the question is skipped and the skip is reported.

LiveFree

Logic on what they ticked

Skip, show or hide later questions when the answer contains a choice, is any of or none of a set, or when the number ticked is at least a count you set.

The survey-level skip and branching panel is on Professional+.

LiveFree

Show an answer only when it applies

Answer-level display logic shows one answer only if an earlier answer says so. It runs on the server.

LiveFree

Cap an answer

Set Max responses on an answer and it stops being offered once that many people have ticked it. The last place can’t be taken twice.

The cap counts every stored answer, including people who haven’t finished.

LiveFree

Quotas on what was ticked

Build quota cells on contains, does not contain, is any of or is none of.

LiveFree

Pipe the ticked answers

Insert the answers someone ticked into a later question as one list, in the respondent’s language. Other pipes their own text.

In the builder and your dataSet-up, codes, imports and cleaning.

LiveFree

Paste a list

Bulk edit takes one answer per line, so a 30-answer list goes in at once. Paste an edited list later and each answer keeps its code and settings.

LiveFree

Your own codes

The Codes view shows the code each answer exports. New answers get the next free number, and duplicate codes are flagged and refused when you save or launch.

LiveFree

Your own variable name

Set an export tag such as COMMUTE and the columns become COMMUTE_1, COMMUTE_2 and on, COMMUTE_98 for Other and COMMUTE_TEXT.

LiveFree

Import from Qualtrics, Excel or Word

A Qualtrics multiple-answer question comes in as Multiple Choice with recode values as codes, exclusive answers as None of the above, text entry as Other, and its anchors and force response. Excel sheets and Word, PDF or text files import too.

Selection limits and column layouts don’t come across from Qualtrics or Excel, so set them after importing. In a sheet, give the type as MULTI or CHECKBOX. Word and PDF imports use AI credits.

LiveFree

Safe edits on a live survey

Raising the minimum or lowering the maximum on a live survey is flagged as a stricter change.

LiveFree

Correct an answer

Change a respondent’s ticks and Other text when cleaning data. Exclusive answers still clear the rest.

Not part of multiple choice: exactly one answer (use Single choice), picture-led answers (use Image Choice with more than one answer allowed), a search box above long lists, and attention checks.

Build it

Add a multiple choice question

1
Add the question
In the builder, add a question and choose Multiple Choice as its type. Put “Select all that apply” in the question so people know they can tick more than one.
2
Write the answers
Type each answer under Answer Options, or paste a whole list with Bulk edit. Drag to reorder.
3
Add Other, None or N/A
Click + Other, + None or + N/A. None and N/A clear the other ticks. To make any other answer do the same, open its settings and tick Exclusive (clears others).
4
Set a limit
Fill in Max Selections for a shortlist, such as up to 3. Min Selections asks for at least that many. Leave both empty for no limit.
5
Set the order
Tick Shuffle answer order, or open Randomization to rotate the list or pin answers in place. Other, None and N/A keep their place.
6
Check codes, rules and preview
Turn on Codes to see the code each answer exports. In Rules, keep it required or make it soft required or optional. Then preview on desktop and phone.

The Multiple Choice editor: seven answers with Other and N/A badges, the + Other, + None and + N/A links, the Shuffle answer order box unticked and Max Selections set to 3 — EditorAnswers, special answers, shuffle and limits in one place.

The answer settings open on the I don’t commute answer, with the Exclusive (clears others) box ticked and Fixed position, Disabled, Preselected, Exclude from analysis and Exclude from piping unticked, above the Image URL, Group and Max responses fields — Answer settingsMake any answer exclusive.

The answer list with the Codes view on, showing the code stored beside each answer: 1 to 5, then other for the Other answer and na for the I don’t commute answer — CodesThe code each answer exports.

The data you get

A 0/1 column per answer, with the Other text in its own column

Each answer exports as its own column: 1 if ticked, 0 if not. The Other text gets a column of its own, and SPSS groups the columns into one multiple-response set.

respondent_id	Q1_1	Q1_2	Q1_3	Q1_98	Q1_97	Q1_TEXT
47762a85-0001-4000-8000-000000000001	0	0	1	0	0	(empty)
47762a85-0002-4000-8000-000000000002	1	0	0	0	0	(empty)
47762a85-0003-4000-8000-000000000003	0	0	0	1	0	E-scooter
47762a85-0004-4000-8000-000000000004	1	0	0	0	0	(empty)
47762a85-0005-4000-8000-000000000005	0	0	0	0	1	(empty)
47762a85-0006-4000-8000-000000000006	1	0	1	0	0	(empty)
47762a85-0007-4000-8000-000000000007	0	1	0	0	0	(empty)
47762a85-0008-4000-8000-000000000008	1	0	1	0	0	(empty)

Trimmed to the question’s columns, exported with Include open-ended answers ticked. With shuffling on, a Q1_order column follows. Every export also carries the standard respondent columns (status, timing, weight and more).

Two layouts

Choose 0/1 per option (the default) or Coded, one per choice when you export. Coded gives columns Q1_1, Q1_2 and on, each holding the code of one ticked answer: as many columns as your maximum, or as answers when there is none, and never fewer than the most anyone ticked.

Variable naming

Columns take the question’s label (Q1) or your export tag, plus a number for each answer: its code when every code is a whole number, otherwise its place in the list. Car coded 1 is Q1_1. Other is Q1_98, None Q1_99 and N/A Q1_97.

SPSS, ready to tabulate

Each column is a nominal variable labelled with its answer, and the set comes grouped as an MDGROUP (0/1 layout) or MCGROUP (coded layout), so SPSS treats the columns as one question.

The Other text

The write-in exports in Q1_TEXT when you tick Include open-ended answers. Leave it unticked and the column reads [OPEN_ENDED] for everyone who wrote one.

Missing answers

Someone who answered has a 0 or 1 in every column. Someone who never saw the question has empty cells, which SPSS reads as system-missing.

Weighting

Weighted exports carry a weight column, and the SPSS syntax sets WEIGHT BY weight. The 0/1 values are never changed. Weighting is on Research Team.

Charts & analysis

Shares of people, comparisons and tab books from the same question

Every multiple choice question is charted for you as the share of respondents who ticked each answer. Crosstab it against any other question, test the differences, and weight it.

The Surveti Results card for the multiple choice question, as a bar chart in the order asked with a percentage label on every answer, the I don’t commute answer in its own opted-out row, the response base, and the Other write-ins list open — ResultsA bar per answer in the order you asked, each the share of the people who answered, so the bars can add up to more than 100%.

Where it charts

ResultsBars or a table
DashboardA tile per question
CrosstabsIn the rows or the banner
Client portalResults, crosstabs, dashboard

Ways of getting to work, by ageColumn %, letters at 95% and 99%

Crosstabs · Solo+Letters · Professional+

The Surveti Crosstabs view of the multiple choice question by age group: the answers down the rows and the age bands as the banner, in column percentages, with the base for each column and significance letters beside the cells that differ between age bands — Each cell is the share of that age group who ticked the answer, so a column adds up to more than 100%. A letter marks a share significantly higher than the column with that letter. Letters need Professional. On Solo the table still runs, without letters.

Analysis that applies

Crosstabs
Solo+
Put the question in the rows, one row per answer, or in the banner, one column per answer. Columns can overlap, because one person can tick several.
Crosstabs
Letters that allow for overlap
Professional+
With the question as a banner, two columns can share respondents. Surveti tests them with an overlap-aware two-proportion z-test, not as if they were separate groups.
Significance testing
Nets that count each person once
Solo+
Group answers into a net, such as Public transport for Bus or Train. Someone who ticked both is counted once.
Crosstabs
Tab books
Research Team
A frequency table per question with significance letters, footnoted: “More than one answer was allowed, so percentages can add to more than 100%.”
Weighting
Research Team
Weights carry through to Results, crosstabs, dashboards and exports. To weight by a variable, ask it as single choice: a multiple choice question can’t be a weighting target.
AI themes on the Other box
Text analysis finds themes and sentiment in the Other write-ins, only from people who ticked Other, and lets you code them.
Filter by an answer
Filter any Results view to the people who ticked an answer, such as everyone who takes the train.

How Surveti compares

Multiple choice across the common survey tools

Multiple choice capabilities in Surveti, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Typeform and Alchemer, as of 28 October 2026
Capability	Surveti	SurveyMonkey	Qualtrics	Typeform	Alchemer
Exclusive “None of the above” that clears the other ticks	yesAny answer can be exclusive; the server checks it too	yes¹Whether earlier ticks clear isn’t stated	yes^{26, 25}Deselects the others	yes⁴⁶Clears the others, Other too	yes^{67, 68}Can’t be combined; clearing not stated
Minimum, maximum or exact number of selections	partialAt least, up to or between; no separate exact setting	partial^{1, 3}Range or limit; question must be required	partial²⁵Minimum or range; no exact	yes⁴⁶Exact number or range	partial⁶⁷Min and max; no exact
Carry forward ticked or unticked answers	yesEvery plan, plus hide answers already given	paid⁸	yes²⁸Selected and unselected	partial⁴⁹“Hide answer choices” rules	paid^{70, 83, 84}Professional and Full Access
Logic on “includes X” or the number ticked	yesContains, any of, none of, count at least	unclear⁹Checkbox conditions not documented	yes³⁰Is Selected, Selected Count	partial^{49, 57}“Includes” in calculations only	partial⁷⁹Count through a hidden value
Quotas or caps on an answer	yesPer-answer caps and quota cells, every plan	paid¹⁰One quota per survey	paid^{34, 42}Not on the free account	no⁵⁹	yes⁷²Answer option quotas; partials count
One column per answer (0/1) in exports	yes0/1 per answer or coded columns, every plan	paid^{11, 13, 21}Split columns described for SPSS	yes^{35, 25, 42}Split columns or comma-separated	partial^{50, 48}Separate columns; cell values not stated	yes^{67, 83}A column per answer
SPSS with value labels and multiple-response sets	paidLabels and MDGROUP / MCGROUP sets · Professional+	paid¹³Split columns; sets not mentioned	unclear^{36, 42}Labels and sets not described	no⁵⁰CSV and XLSX only	paid^{74, 83}0/1 coding; Full Access only
Crosstabs with a multi-answer question	paidRows or banner · Solo+	paid^{14, 21}Premier	paid^{38, 42}Not as both row and column	unclear⁵⁶Not documented	yes^{76, 83}Plan not readable on the licence grid
Significance testing that allows for multiple answers	paidOverlap-aware z-test · Professional+	no¹⁵Checkboxes not listed	paid^{38, 42}“Answering” z-test	unclear^{56, 55}Not documented	partial⁷⁶Tests listed; multiple answers not addressed
Shares of respondents, not of responses	yesResults, crosstabs, dashboards and tab books	unclear^{17, 1}Base not named	yes^{38, 43}All vs Answering; respondent metric	unclear^{56, 58}Base not stated	partial^{76, 67}Crosstab totals count respondents

As of 28 Oct 2026, from each vendor’s public help pages and pricing.yespartialpaidunclearno

Partial means partly built in or possible only with a documented workaround; paid means built in on paid tiers or licences only; unclear means the vendor’s docs don’t settle it. Google Forms, QuestionPro and SurveySparrow were also reviewed. Google Forms is free, with an Other answer, shuffled answers and “at least, at most or exactly” limits on checkboxes; it documents no exclusive None, and responses go to CSV or Sheets with no SPSS export. QuestionPro has an exclusive option and limits on its free plan, and lets you choose whether percentages are of responses or respondents. SurveySparrow documents unlimited, exact or range limits, and its crosstab widget counts respondents for multi-select totals.

Sources (39)

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What’s different here

SPSS that knows it’s one question

Every answer column is labelled, and the set arrives grouped as a multiple-response set, MDGROUP for 0/1 columns or MCGROUP for coded ones, so you can tabulate it straight away. SPSS export is on Professional+.

Two layouts, one setting

Export a 0/1 column per answer or coded columns, one per choice, on every plan. The Other text always gets its own column instead of being mixed into the answers.

Letters that allow for overlap

When the question is the banner, columns share people. Significance letters use an overlap-aware test for those columns. Crosstabs are on Solo+, letters on Professional+.

Logic on what they ticked

Skip, show or hide later questions on contains, is any of, is none of, or how many answers were ticked. Question-level logic is on every plan and needs no workaround; the survey-level skip and branching panel is on Professional+.

Shares of people, not of ticks

Results, crosstabs, dashboards and tab books show the share of respondents who ticked each answer, and nets count each person once.

Shortlists that follow through

Carry the ticked answers, or the unticked ones, into the next question, hide answers already given, and cap or quota an answer. All on every plan.

When to use it

Use multiple choice when several answers can be true

When to use it

More than one answer can be true at once: features used, channels seen, brands bought.
You want to know how many people each answer reaches.
You’re building a shortlist to follow up on in a later question.
The honest answer for some people is “several of these”, and for others “none of them”.

When to reach for something else

Only one answer can be right. Use single choice.
You need people to put the answers in order of importance. Use ranking or MaxDiff.
You need one headline number to track over time. Shares that add up to more than 100% are harder to headline; ask “which one most?” as single choice too.

Sample wording

“Which of these do you use to get to work in a typical week? Select all that apply.” Car · Bus · Train · Bicycle · On foot · Other (please specify) · I don’t commute

Best practices

Say “Select all that apply” in the question, so people know they can tick more than one.
Add a None of the above that clears the other ticks, so “none” is a real answer and not a skipped question.
Shuffle answers whose order means nothing, to spread position bias.
Keep the list short enough to read. Long lists of boxes invite ticking everything.
Set a maximum when you want a forced shortlist, such as “up to 3”.
Settle your answer codes before launch, so the column names line up across waves.

Accessibility

Usable without the mouse or the screen

Ticks screen readers announce

Every answer is announced with its label and whether it’s ticked, inside a group named by the question. When you set a limit, changes to the count under the list are read out as they happen.