Single choice question · Choice

Single choice questions

Respondents pick one answer from a list. You control the order they see, keep Other and None of the above in place, and get analysis-ready codes in every export.

Available onFree & up· every plan
The Single 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 one of these is your main way of getting to work?

  1. Car
  2. Bus or train
  3. Bicycle
  4. On foot
  5. Other (please specify)
  6. I don’t commute

In action

The single choice question in action

Single choice in action · Two respondents see the list in different orders, one picks Other and types an answer, and the chart updates.
  1. 0:00A respondent sees the question with the answers in a shuffled order.
  2. 0:03A second respondent gets a different order. Other and “I don’t commute” stay at the end.
  3. 0:06They pick Other (please specify). A text box opens.
  4. 0:09They type “E-scooter”.
  5. 0:12The answer joins the results. Other goes up by one and the write-in appears in the list.

Every feature

Everything the single choice question can do

The everyday question, with the answer-order, 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 round marker. The chosen tile gets a filled marker, a tick 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. On phones, columns fold into one.

LiveFree

Keyboard first

Arrow keys move and select. On one-question pages, keys 1 to 9 pick an answer and Enter moves on. Turn on lettered answers and A, B, C pick too.

Try it in the demo above: Tab into the list, then use ↑ ↓ or 1–6.
LiveFree

A search box for long lists

At 12 or more answers a search box appears above the list. The chosen answer stays selected while filtered out of view. You can also switch it on or off.

LiveFree

Required, soft required or optional

Make the answer mandatory, warn once before a skip with your own message, or leave it optional.

LiveFree

Translated answers

The question, every answer, the “Please specify” prompt and the search box translate per survey language, and A to Z sorting follows each language.

Other, None and Not applicableThe answers most lists need, built in.

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.

LiveFree

Other, with a write-in

Picking Other opens a “Please specify…” box. You can make the write-in required, and the server checks it.

LiveFree

Special answers that stay put

None and N/A keep their place when the list is shuffled or sorted, are never hidden by “Exclude answers given in”, and get their own SPSS codes.

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. The start point is picked at random for each person.

LiveFree

Sort A to Z in each language

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

Sorting takes priority over shuffling, so use one or the other.

LiveFree

The order they saw, in your data

With shuffling on, the export adds a column with the order each respondent saw, such as 3|1|4|2|other|na.

Logic, quotas and earlier answersRoute, filter and cap on the answer.

LiveFree

Carry forward earlier answers

Offer only the answers someone chose in 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 picked at earlier questions. Other and None always stay. If nothing is left, the question is skipped and the count shows beside the base.

LiveFree

Logic on the answer

Skip to a question, end the survey, screen out, or show and hide later questions on the chosen answer.

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, so the rule never reaches the browser.

LiveFree

Cap an answer

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

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

LiveFree

Quotas on an answer

Build quota cells on “Q1 is Car” or “is any of”. When a cell fills, new qualifying respondents go to the quota-full ending.

LiveFree

Pipe the answer

Insert the chosen answer into later questions, in the respondent’s language, or their own text when they picked Other.

LiveFree

Attention check

Mark the answer an attentive respondent should give. A different answer flags the response for review without blocking anyone.

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

LiveFree

Paste a list

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

LiveFree

Answer library

Ready-made lists for yes/no, scales, demographics, geography and dates.

LiveFree

Your own codes

The Codes view shows the code each answer stores and exports, flags duplicates, and warns when you use 97, 98 or 99. A survey with duplicate codes won’t launch.

LiveFree

Your own variable name

Set an export tag such as COMMUTE and the columns become COMMUTE, COMMUTE_TEXT and COMMUTE_order.

LiveFree

Import from Qualtrics, Excel or Word

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

Word and PDF imports use AI credits.

LiveFree

Safe edits on a live survey

Adding an answer is safe. Renaming, reordering or removing answers, or changing the shuffle, asks you to confirm first.

LiveFree

Switch to a dropdown

Turn a single choice question into a dropdown, or back, without rebuilding it, even on a live survey.

LiveFree

Correct an answer

Change a respondent’s answer and Other text from the respondent drawer when cleaning data.

Not part of single choice: more than one answer (use Multiple choice), picture-led answers (use Image select), a description under each answer, and Don’t know or Refused buttons (add a None of the above or Not applicable answer instead).

Build it

Add a single choice question

  1. 1

    Add the question

    In the builder, add a question and choose Single Choice as its type.

  2. 2

    Write the answers

    Type each answer, paste a whole list with Bulk edit, or pick a ready-made list from the Answer library. Drag to reorder.

  3. 3

    Add Other, None or N/A

    Click + Other, + None or + N/A. Tick Write-in required on Other if you need the text.

  4. 4

    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.

  5. 5

    Check your codes

    Turn on Codes to see the code each answer stores and exports. Set them before you launch.

  6. 6

    Set the response rule and preview

    In Rules, choose required, soft required (warn once, then allow skipping) or optional. Then preview the survey on desktop and phone.

The single choice editor in the Surveti builder: the question text, six answers with Other and N/A badges, the Other, None and N/A links, and the ticked Shuffle answer order box
EditorAnswers, the special answers and the shuffle in one place.
The Randomization section with option randomization enabled, the method set to Shuffle (random per respondent), and a list of checkboxes for anchoring each option in place
RandomizationShuffle or rotate, with anchors.
The answer list with the Codes view on, showing the code stored beside each answer: 1, 2, 3 and 4, then other for the Other answer and na for the not applicable answer
CodesThe code each answer stores and exports.

The data you get

One code per answer, with the Other text in its own column

Each response stores the code of the chosen answer. CSV, Excel and JSON carry that code. Excel’s Value Labels sheet and SPSS value labels turn the codes back into answer text.

respondent_idQ1Q1_TEXTQ1_order
47762a85-0001-4000-8000-0000000000011(empty)1|3|2|4|other|na
47762a85-0002-4000-8000-0000000000021(empty)1|3|2|4|other|na
47762a85-0003-4000-8000-0000000000032(empty)1|3|2|4|other|na
47762a85-0004-4000-8000-0000000000041(empty)4|2|3|1|other|na
47762a85-0005-4000-8000-0000000000051(empty)3|1|4|2|other|na
47762a85-0006-4000-8000-0000000000061(empty)3|4|2|1|other|na
47762a85-0007-4000-8000-0000000000072(empty)4|1|2|3|other|na
47762a85-0033-4000-8000-000000000033otherE-scooter4|2|3|1|other|na

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

Variable naming

The answer takes the question’s position (Q1) or your own export tag. The write-in adds _TEXT, so a tag of COMMUTE gives COMMUTE and COMMUTE_TEXT.

Codes, then labels

CSV, Excel and JSON cells hold the answer’s code, such as 2 or other. Answer text comes from the Value Labels sheet in Excel and the value labels in SPSS.

Other, None and N/A in SPSS

Numeric codes Other 98, None 99 and N/A 97, or 9998 / 9999 / 9997, or your own. You can declare None and N/A, and Other too, as missing values. Answers coded with text, such as AB, export to SPSS as a text variable holding the code, with the same labels.

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

An unanswered question exports as an empty cell, which SPSS reads as system-missing. When “Exclude answers given in” leaves nothing to pick, SPSS gives it its own missing code.

Weighting

Weighted exports carry a weight column, and the SPSS syntax sets WEIGHT BY weight. Answer codes are never changed. Weighting is on Research Team.

Charts & analysis

Shares, comparisons and decks from the same question

Every single choice question is charted for you. Crosstab it against any other question, test the differences, weight it, and send it to clients as an editable deck.

The Surveti Results card for the single 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, with bar, pie or table and % or count.

Where it charts

  • ResultsBar, pie or table
  • DashboardA bar tile per question
  • Report deckPDF and editable PowerPoint, on a schedule
  • Client portalResults, report, dashboard
A slide in the Surveti report builder charting the single choice question as a bar chart, with the slide title, the question and chart-type pickers and a summary notes box
Report deckThe same chart as a slide, exported to PDF or editable PowerPoint and sent on a schedule.

Main way of getting to work, by ageColumn %, significance at 95%

Crosstabs · Solo+Letters · Professional+
The Surveti Crosstabs view of the single choice question by age group: the answers down the rows and the age bands as the banner, in column percentages, with significance letters beside the cells that differ between age bands
A letter marks a share that is 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 or the banner. As a banner, each answer becomes a column you can rename, merge, hide or reorder, and save as a banner book.

    Crosstabs

  • Significance testing

    Professional+

    Column-proportion tests put letters on the answers that differ between columns, with your choice of confidence level and multiple-comparison correction.

    Significance testing

  • Weighting

    Research Team

    Weights carry through to Results, crosstabs, dashboards, decks and exports. A single choice question can also be one of your rim-weighting targets.

  • AI themes on the Other box

    Text analysis finds themes and sentiment in the Other write-ins and lets you code them.

  • Filter by an answer

    Filter any Results view to the people who chose an answer, such as everyone who travels by bus or train.

  • Report snapshots

    Compare a deck with an earlier snapshot. Shares are matched by answer code, so renaming an answer doesn’t break the comparison.

    Reports

How Surveti compares

Single choice across the common survey tools

Single choice capabilities in Surveti, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Typeform and Alchemer, as of 25 October 2026
CapabilitySurvetiSurveyMonkeyQualtricsTypeformAlchemer
Dedicated “None of the above” answeryesNone and Not applicable, one click eachyes3partial35, 21Exclusive setting on multi-answer onlyyes38partial62Exclusive setting on checkboxes only; Not applicable works
Shuffle answer orderyesEvery planpaid1, 9yes22, 36On the free accountyes38yes63
Keep Other and None in place while shufflingyesAutomatic, and pin any other answerpaid1Last answer onlyyes22Fixed display orderyes38Other and None onlyyes62, 71, 63Fixed position on any answer
Carry forward chosen or unchosen answersyesEvery plan, plus hide answers already givenpaid6yes24partial41“Hide answer choices” rulespaid66, 76, 75Option piping · Professional and Full Access
Quotas or caps on an answeryesPer-answer caps and quota cells, every planpaid8One quota per surveypaid28, 36Not on the free accountno48yes68Answer option quotas; partials count
SPSS export with value labelspaidLabelled codes, Other 98, None 99 · Professional+paid12unclear30, 36Value labels not documentedno44CSV and XLSX onlypaid70, 65, 75Full Access only
CrosstabspaidSolo+paid13, 20Premierpaid32, 36Not on the free accountno50, 47yes72, 75Plan not readable on the licence grid
Significance testing on answer sharespaidLetters on answer rows · Professional+paid1495% level onlypaid32, 36no47Effect size, numeric questions onlyyes72Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, column proportions
Translated answer textyesEvery planpaid19, 20Premierpaid37, 36paid45, 46, 40Plan names conflictyes77Manual translation only
As of 25 Oct 2026, from each vendor’s public help pages and pricing.yespartialpaidunclearno

Partial means 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 branching by section; responses go to CSV or Sheets, and it documents no crosstabs or SPSS export. QuestionPro leaves Other and N/A out of the shuffle by default. SurveySparrow pipes selected or unselected choices and has a crosstab widget with significance tests.

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What’s different here

Answer order, on every plan

Shuffle per respondent, rotate the start position or sort A to Z in the respondent’s language. Other, None and N/A stay at the end, and you can pin any other answer.

Answers that follow earlier ones

Offer only what someone chose in an earlier question, or only what they didn’t, and hide answers they already gave. A carried Other shows their own words.

Caps and quotas on an answer

Close an answer once enough people have picked it, show it only when an earlier answer says so, and build quota cells on it. No add-on or higher plan needed.

SPSS that opens ready

A nominal variable with every code labelled, Other coded 98 and None 99, the write-in as its own text variable, your variable name, and WEIGHT BY set when you export weighted. SPSS export is on Professional+.

Crosstabs, letters and weights in one place

Crosstab any answer against any other question on Solo+, add significance letters on Professional+, and weight the whole study on Research Team, without moving the data to another tool.

Charts you can hand over

Native, editable PowerPoint charts, PDF decks mailed on a schedule, dashboards and a client portal, all from the same question.

When to use it

Use single choice when one answer fits

When to use it

  • The answer is one of many: a single brand, plan or preference.
  • You want a clean count per answer you can chart and crosstab.
  • The answers don’t overlap and cover the realistic range.
  • You need a branching point, or a quota or weighting variable such as region.

When to reach for something else

  • People could fairly pick more than one. Use a multiple choice question.
  • You want to measure how much someone feels. Use a rating scale.
  • The list is very long and people know their answer, like a country. A dropdown is more compact.

Sample wording

“Which one of these is your main way of getting to work?” Car · Bus or train · Bicycle · On foot · Other (please specify) · I don’t commute

Best practices

  • Keep answers mutually exclusive and cover every realistic case.
  • Add Other (please specify) when the list can’t be complete, and None or N/A so nobody is forced to guess.
  • Shuffle answers whose order means nothing, to spread position bias. Keep ordered lists, like age bands, in order.
  • Aim for four to seven answers. At 12 or more, respondents get a search box.
  • Settle your answer codes before launch, so every wave of data lines up.

Accessibility

Usable without the mouse or the screen

A real radio group

Every answer is a radio in a radio group named by the question, so screen readers announce the question, each answer and whether it’s selected.

Keyboard first

One Tab stop for the list. Arrow keys move and select, wrap at the ends and skip unavailable answers. On one-question pages, keys 1 to 9 pick an answer and Enter moves on.

More than colour

The chosen answer gets a filled marker and a tick as well as your theme’s colour, so the choice reads without colour vision.

Room to tap

Every answer tile is at least 44px tall, and the whole tile is the tap target.

Use it in

Templates and solutions that use single choice

Template

Brand Awareness & Perception

“Which brand do you use most often?” alongside awareness and ranking.

Template

Website Usability Survey

“What was the primary purpose of your visit today?”

Template

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

“How did you first hear about us?” next to NPS and satisfaction.

Solution

Market research

Field, crosstab, test and report a study in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Is single choice the same as multiple choice?

It’s the one-answer kind. Many tools call any pick-from-a-list question multiple choice. In Surveti, Single Choice takes one answer, and the multiple choice question (Multiple Choice in the builder) lets people tick any number. If more than one answer can be true at once, use a multiple choice question.

How many answers should a single choice question have?

Four to seven is comfortable. Longer lists work too: at 12 or more answers Surveti adds a search box above the list. For a long list people already know, like countries, a dropdown question is more compact.

Can people add their own answer?

Yes. Add an Other (please specify) answer and picking it opens a text box, which you can make required. The text exports in its own column, such as Q1_TEXT, when you include open-ended answers in the export.

How do I stop the answer order biasing the results?

Tick Shuffle answer order so each respondent gets their own order, or rotate the start position. Other, None and N/A stay at the end, and you can pin any other answer. The order each person saw exports in its own column.

Can I limit how many people pick an answer?

Yes. Set Max responses on the answer and it stops being offered once that many people have picked it. The cap counts every stored answer, including people who haven’t finished. To control completes by group, build a quota on the answer instead.

What does single choice data look like in an export?

One column holding the chosen answer’s code, plus a text column for Other. CSV and JSON carry codes only. Excel adds a Value Labels sheet, and SPSS (Professional+) labels every code, with Other as 98 and None as 99.

How do I compare answers across groups like age or region?

Use Crosstabs (Solo+) to put the question against any banner. On Professional+, significance letters mark the answers that differ between columns. On Research Team, weights carry into the same tables.

Add a single choice question in minutes.

Start free — no credit card. 45 question types, logic, and analysis in one place.