Google Forms - Question Types part I

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There are a variety of types of questions that can be used on a Google Form.  Sometimes it is hard to know which one is best, even with the Google "smarts" trying to pick the right one for you based on what you type.  I am creating several posts that provide a run down of the (current) types of questions you can set up, along with some of the small differences between the types. 

First up is the Multiple choice, Checkboxes, and Dropdown options. Second will be the Short answer and Paragraph options. Third will be the Linear grid, Multiple choice grid and Checkbox grid. Forth will be Date and Time. Last will be the file upload. 

The Multiple choice, checkbox and dropdown question types are all similar to each other.  There are some small differences that make each one advantageous in different situations. 


First up - Multiple choice.  You don't even have to select this one, as it is the default question -


Once you have typed in your question and possible choices, you may notice you have another option  - to ADD OTHER.  If you choose this, it gives the person filling out your form the option to type in an answer you have not provided -
Clicking on that option, you will have the addition of Other... at the bottom of your list (even if you add more later, it is always at the bottom) -

Here's what it looks like when the form is "live" -

Second up - checkboxes.  Very similar to multiple choice, 1 - a difference is you have boxes instead of radio buttons, and 2 - you have the option to ADD OTHER on these as well -

As you see, unlike a multiple choice, with checkbox questions the person filling out your form can select more than one option-

Finally, dropdowns.  You may notice that instead of having a symbol before each item, now the list is numbered.  Also, there is not an ADD OTHER option meaning the list your provide cannot be deviated from -

It displays as a title with the dropdown below it -


So, why one over another?  Here are so pros to using each:

  • Multiple Choice - user can only pick one option, all the options are visible
  • Checkbox - user can pick multiple options which are all visible
  • Dropdown- user can only pick one option from a list that takes up less space on your form (if you have 100 options, this is a big deal)

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