How to Do Ranking in Google Forms: A Step-By-Step Guide

Want to include ranking questions in your Google Form but not sure how? Our comprehensive guide walks you through the steps to create ranking questions using Google Forms’ Linear Scale and Multiple Choice Grid features. Capture more insightful data today!

How to Do Ranking in Google Forms: A Step-By-Step Guide
Do not index
Do not index
Creating a survey or quiz that includes a ranking question can be a valuable way to gather data on people's preferences, priorities, or opinions. Google Forms is one of the most widely used tools for this purpose, but many users aren't aware that they can incorporate ranking questions directly into their forms. If you've been wondering how to create a ranking question in Google Forms, then you've come to the right place.

What is Ranking?

Ranking questions allow respondents to order a list of options according to their preference. For example, you might ask people to rank a list of movies from their most to least favorite. These kinds of questions can yield more nuanced insights than standard multiple-choice questions.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Add a Ranking Question in Google Forms

Step 1: Open Google Forms

First, you'll need to sign in to your Google Account and go to the Google Forms homepage. Click on the “+ Blank” button to create a new form or open an existing form where you want to add the ranking question.

Step 2: Add a New Question

To add a new question, click the “+” button that says "Add Question" on the form.
notion image

Step 3: Choose the "Linear Scale" or "Multiple Choice Grid"

While Google Forms doesn't offer a native “Ranking” question type, you can mimic this by using either the “Linear Scale” or “Multiple Choice Grid” question type.

For Linear Scale:

  • After clicking "Linear Scale," you'll have the option to set the scale (e.g., 1 to 5).
  • You can then ask the question in a way that instructs the respondent to assign a unique number to each option according to their preference.
notion image

For Multiple Choice Grid:

  • Type your question, like "Rank the following fruits from most liked (1) to least liked (5)."
  • In the rows, you can list the items you want to be ranked (e.g., Apple, Banana, Cherry).
  • In the columns, you can list numbers to indicate the ranking (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
  • To make sure each item gets a unique ranking, click the three vertical dots at the bottom right of the question box and choose "Require one response per row."
notion image

Step 4: (Optional) Add Description or Instructions

You can add a description or specific instructions for respondents by clicking on the question and adding text in the “Description” box.

Step 5: Customize Settings

Remember to make the question mandatory if it’s crucial for your analysis. You can do this by toggling the "Required" switch at the bottom-right corner of the question box.

Step 6: Preview and Test

Before sending the form to respondents, preview it by clicking the eye icon at the top-right corner. This allows you to make sure everything is working as you intended.
notion image

Step 7: Send the Form

Once you're satisfied with your ranking question, you can share your Google Form via email, link, or even embed it on your website by clicking the “Send” button at the upper-right corner.

Analyzing the Data

After you collect the responses, you can analyze the data in various ways:
  • Google Forms provides an immediate summary of the results.
  • You can export the data to Google Sheets for further analysis, including sorting and filtering.

Conclusion

Though Google Forms doesn't have a built-in "Ranking" question type, with a little ingenuity, you can effectively collect ranking data using either the Linear Scale or Multiple Choice Grid options. This capability extends the utility of Google Forms, making it even more powerful as a tool for collecting nuanced data. Happy form-making!

Join other 3200+ marketers now!

Ready to take the next big step for your business?

Subscribe
Dominic Whyte

Written by

Dominic Whyte

Dominic is the co-founder of Fillout.com. He previously worked on engineering & product at Retool. Prior to Retool, he started Cheer ( acquired by Retool in 2020).