Creating a Multiple Choice survey item

NOTE: Multiple Choice survey items can be used in standard tests, legacy tests, and the Surpass (Legacy) tablet app. For more information about delivery types, read About Surpass test delivery options.

A Multiple Choice survey item offers candidates a fixed set of answers to a prompt. Candidates may choose only one answer option as their response. Multiple Choice survey items are non-scored.

This article explains how to create a basic Multiple Choice survey item in Surpass and includes details on how to add answer boxes in HTML subjects.

1. Choose your item type

In your subject, select Create New Item to open the Survey Items menu. Choose Multiple Choice to create a blank Multiple Choice survey item and go to the Edit screen.

2. Name your item

Enter the item’s name in the Name field.

An item's Name field filled with 'Sample Item Name'.

3. Enter your question text

NOTE: Question stem tables and the formatting toolbar behave differently in Mixed subjects and HTML subjects. For more information, read Creating tables in items and Using the formatting toolbar.

Enter your question text in the question stem. Select Add Text Area to add an additional question stem. You can have a maximum of five question stems per item.

In a Mixed subject, open Additional Options to add assistive media.

4. Add your answer options

Enter your answer options in the answer fields. Multiple Choice survey items default to three answer options. Select Add Answer Option to add an additional answer option. You can have a maximum of 30 answer options per Multiple Choice survey item. Select Delete to remove an answer option. Multiple Choice survey items must have a minimum of three answer options.

Re-ordering answer options

By default, Surpass presents Multiple Choice survey answer options to candidates in the same order as the Edit screen. However, you can order them alphabetically. You can also manually re-order your answer options on an option-by-option basis.

Using answer layout options

Multiple Choice survey answer options can be presented in either one or two columns. In a two column layout, you can combine text, image, and/or equation content in a single answer option.

Select Additional Options to open the Layout options menu. Select Two columns to enable a double column layout and choose an appropriate Layout from the following options:

Icon	Setting	Description
	Equal column widths	Both columns have the same width.
	Left Column 20% Right Column 80%	The right column is wider than the left column.
	Left Column 80% Right Column 20%	The left column is wider than the right column.

Each answer option now has two columns, with any prior content in the left column. You can use the formatting toolbar to change either column’s content type (for example, to add an image).

A Multiple Choice answer option with two columns.

Setting answer options as a table (HTML subjects only)

You can set HTML-subject Multiple Choice survey answer options to be a table. This lets candidates choose their response from a predefined set of related answer options.

IMPORTANT: This setting is only available in HTML subjects.

Go to Additional Options > Layout Options > Answer options as a table to create a blank answer table. Enter your groups of answer options in each row.

You can use the formatting toolbar to change the appearance of your cell’s contents. Use the following settings to edit the table itself:

Icon	Setting	Description
	Add Column Right	Adds a new column to the right of the selected cell.
	Delete Column	Removes the column the selected cell is in.
	Add Row Below	Adds a new row below the selected cell.
	Delete Row	Removes the row the selected cell is in.
	Add Header Row	Adds a pre-formatted header row to the table.
	Delete Header Row	Removes the selected header row.
	Merge Cells	Combines the selected cells. You must have more than one cell selected.
	Split Cells	Divides the selected cell into two cells.
	Make Column Widths Equal	Makes all columns even in length.

Enabling answer boxes (HTML subjects only)

In HTML-subject Multiple Choice survey items, you can add a text field to one answer option. Use this if you want candidates to explain why they have chosen a particular answer.

EXAMPLE: You might want to use an answer box if one of your answer options is ‘None of the above’.

5. Select a workflow status

Set the item’s workflow status in the Status drop-down menu. Only items set to Live can be used in a test.

An item's workflow status being set to Live.

6. Preview your question

WARNING: Flash is no longer supported by web browsers. Use the Surpass Viewer to preview items in the legacy test driver. For more information, read Installing the Surpass Viewer.

To see your item from a candidate’s perspective, select Preview .

In Mixed subjects, you can preview your item in the HTML test driver. Use the Preview arrow to open the Preview Options menu and select Preview in HTML . Any custom CSS is applied in the Preview screen. For more information on custom CSS, read ‘About Subject settings’ in About Site Settings options.

If you need to continue working on the item, select Edit to return to the Edit screen.

7. Saving and closing your item

Select Save to save your item to your subject.

To see additional saving options, use the Save arrow to open the Save Options menu. Select Save & Close to save the item and return to the Subjects screen. Select Save & New to save the item and create another Multiple Choice survey item.

WARNING: Saving changes to live items included in scheduled tests might affect candidate delivery.

Select Close to leave the Edit screen. If you have unsaved changes, you are prompted to either save or discard them.