Rating Scale: Definition, Question Types and Examples

When designing a survey or questionnaire to gather insights, one of the most critical elements to consider is how you structure your survey rating scales. Rating scale questions are a simple yet powerful way to quantify opinions, preferences, and attitudes. They enable you to transform subjective perceptions into clear, measurable data that can be analyzed for actionable insights. Rating scale questions help respondents easily share their thoughts. You can use them for customer satisfaction surveys, employee engagement surveys, or academic research projects.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what rating scale questions are, why they’re so valuable in quantitative research, and how they fit into effective questionnaire design. We’ll also discuss different types of rating scales, when to use them, and how to write them to maximize your feedback collection.

Finally, we’ll share 60 rating scale question examples you can adapt to fit your needs and show you how Jotform’s user-friendly tools can help you easily create and analyze these types of questions.

What are rating scale questions?

Rating scale questions are survey items that ask respondents to evaluate a statement, product, service, or experience on a graduated scale. They help measure degrees of agreement, satisfaction, quality, or other subjective perceptions. Rating scale questions turn opinions into structured data. They do this by offering response options like numbers, descriptive anchors, or comparative adjectives.

For example: “How satisfied are you with our customer support?”

1. Very Dissatisfied
2. Dissatisfied
3. Neutral
4. Satisfied
5. Very Satisfied

Rating scales measure opinions. They help spot trends, do statistical analysis, and assess overall sentiment.

Why are rating scale questions so effective?

1. Quantify opinions: They offer a straightforward way to convert subjective feedback into quantifiable metrics, making data analysis more robust.
2. Easy to understand: Respondents usually find rating scale questions intuitive, which helps increase survey completion rates.
3. Versatile: From customer feedback to employee performance reviews, rating scales can be applied in countless scenarios.
4. Efficient: You can gather nuanced insights without making surveys overly long, as each question provides layered feedback.

Many organizations use metrics like Net Promoter Score® (NPS®) — a specialized rating scale question used to gauge customer loyalty.

Types of rating scale questions

Different rating scale formats are available, each suited to particular research goals. Below are 5 common types and brief examples to help you decide which is right for your questionnaire design.

1. Likert scale

A likert scale measures the degree of agreement or disagreement with a statement. It typically features five to seven points, ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.” For example:

Likert scales are particularly useful for measuring attitudes, beliefs, and opinions. They’re ideal for an employee engagement survey or customer survey where you want to gauge how strongly people feel about specific statements.

2. Semantic differential scale

Respondents rate an item between two polar opposite adjectives in a semantic differential scale. For example, they might evaluate a brand on a scale between “Innovative” and “Outdated.” The scale typically includes a numeric range (e.g., 1 to 7) between these adjectives:

This format captures subtle nuances in attitudes, making it popular in marketing and psychological research.

3. Numeric rating scale (NRS)

Respondents assign a numeric value to their experience. For example:

Numeric scales are straightforward and easy to analyze.

4. Graphic rating scale

A graphic rating scale uses visuals — such as stars, emojis, or sliders — to represent the range of possible scores. Think of the five-star system used by e-commerce sites or a smiley face rating scale. Because it’s intuitive, it can make the survey experience more engaging and user-friendly.

5. Comparative rating scale

Respondents compare multiple options directly. For example:

Comparative scales force respondents to prioritize, offering deeper insights into preferences.

When to use rating scale questions

Rating scale questions aren’t restricted to a single type of survey. Here are some contexts where they can be especially useful:

1. Market research and customer feedback: Measure customer satisfaction, track brand perception, and determine willingness to recommend your product or service.
2. Employee engagement and performance reviews: Gauge how employees feel about workplace culture, leadership, and career development.
3. Academic research and psychological studies: Capture nuanced emotional responses or attitudes in quantitative research.
4. Product or service evaluations: Assess user satisfaction, feature importance, or the effectiveness of product updates and launches.

Often, rating scale questions are combined with open-ended ones to capture both quantitative research data and qualitative feedback. This dual approach provides a comprehensive view of respondent sentiments.

Best practices for writing effective rating scale questions

To ensure your rating scale questions generate useful, unbiased data, follow these guidelines:

1. Avoid leading or biased wording
   Make sure questions are neutral. For example, don’t ask, “How excellent do you find our customer service?” Instead, ask, “How would you rate our customer service?”
2. Choose the right scale length
   Whether you use a 5-point, 7-point, or 10-point scale affects how respondents perceive their choices. A five-point scale is standard and easy to understand, while a seven-point scale can capture more nuance.
3. Ensure response options are balanced and clear
   If you have an “Agree” option, include a corresponding “Disagree” option. Avoid skipping important anchors. Unbalanced scales can skew your results.
4. Maintain consistency
   If you’re using a 5-point scale in one question, stick to the same scale for all or most of your survey, so respondents don’t get confused.

60 rating scale question examples

Here are 60 examples of rating scale questions. They are grouped into four categories:

• Customer service experience
• Product quality and performance
• Pricing and value for money
• Customer loyalty and brand perception

Each can be adapted to fit different rating scale formats, such as a Likert scale or a numeric rating.

Rating scale questions for customer service experience

Customer service plays a crucial role in shaping customer satisfaction and loyalty. These rating scale questions look at various parts of the customer service experience. They cover response times, professionalism, and empathy.

1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with our customer support response time?
2. Please rate how courteous our customer service representatives were during your interaction.
3. How effectively did our support team resolve your issue on a scale from “Not at all effective” to “Extremely effective”?
4. Rate your agreement with this statement: “The customer service process was straightforward and easy to follow.”
5. How would you rate the professionalism of our support staff?
6. On a scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent), how would you assess the knowledge level of our customer service representatives?
7. How clear were the instructions provided by our support team?
8. Rate your experience with the waiting times on our phone support line.
9. How likely are you to contact our customer service again if you need assistance?
10. How would you rate the empathy our support staff showed during your interaction?

Rating scale questions for product quality & performance

Product quality and performance significantly impact customer satisfaction and long-term brand loyalty. The questions below help evaluate factors such as durability, ease of use, and reliability.

11. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the overall quality of our product?
12. How durable is our product compared to alternatives on the market?
13. Rate your level of agreement with the statement: “The product performs consistently over time.”
14. How effectively does the product fulfill its advertised functions?
15. How would you rate the ease of use for our product features?
16. Evaluate how the product’s design meets your aesthetic preferences.
17. How satisfied are you with the product’s reliability?
18. How does the product’s performance match your initial expectations on a scale from “Far below expectations” to “Far above expectations”?
19. How would you rate the range of functionalities offered by our product?
20. How likely are you to continue using this product based on its performance so far?
21. Rate the clarity of the product’s instructions or user guide.
22. How intuitive do you find the interface or controls of the product?
23. Evaluate the product’s packaging quality on a scale from “Very poor” to “Excellent.”
24. Rate how quickly you were able to set up the product after purchase.
25. How satisfied are you with the product’s speed or processing time?

Rating scale questions for pricing & value for money

Customers often evaluate products and services based on their cost relative to perceived value. The following questions gauge how customers feel about pricing fairness, affordability, and transparency.

26. On a scale of 1 to 7, how fair do you perceive our pricing to be?
27. How would you rate the overall value for money of our product/service?
28. Compare our pricing to that of competitors: “Much cheaper,” “About the same,” or “Much more expensive.”
29. Rate your agreement with this statement: “I believe the quality justifies the price.”
30. How likely are you to purchase this product/service again at the current price?
31. How satisfied are you with any discounts or promotions offered?
32. Rate the transparency of our pricing information.
33. How would you evaluate the payment options we provide (e.g., installment plans)?
34. On a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much), how do you feel about the overall affordability of our product/service?
35. How likely are you to recommend our products at their current price to others?
36. Evaluate the cost-to-benefit ratio of using our product/service.
37. How competitively priced do you find our product/service in the current market?
38. Rate the clarity of any additional fees or charges associated with our product/service.
39. How do you perceive the value you receive for the subscription cost?
40. Rate your agreement with this statement: “The product’s benefits outweigh its cost.”

Rating scale questions for customer loyalty & brand perception

Brand perception and customer loyalty are key indicators of long-term business success. These questions show how customers feel about your brand. They reveal trust levels and how likely customers are to recommend your products or services.

41. How likely are you to recommend our brand to a friend or colleague on a scale of 0 to 10? (Classic NPS question)
42. Rate your agreement with the statement: “I feel a strong sense of loyalty to this brand.”
43. How strongly do you associate our brand with innovation on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)?
44. How would you compare our brand’s reliability to that of other brands you use?
45. How often do you consider our brand as your first choice in this category?
46. Rate your level of trust in our brand to deliver high-quality products/services.
47. How satisfied are you with our brand’s ethical or social responsibility efforts?
48. Compare your perception of our brand’s reputation to its actual performance.
49. Rate how well you think our brand communicates its values and mission.
50. How likely are you to try new products/services from our brand in the future?
51. On a scale of “Not at all likely” to “Extremely likely,” how inclined are you to engage with our brand on social media?
52. Rate your agreement with the statement: “This brand treats its customers fairly and respectfully.”
53. How do you perceive the brand’s overall leadership in the industry?
54. Evaluate the emotional connection you feel with the brand’s marketing or messaging.
55. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your overall satisfaction with this brand?

Additional examples

In addition to the categories above, the following questions can help further assess customer experience, product impact, and competitive positioning.

56. How would you rate the ease of navigating our website or app?
57. To what extent has our product improved your daily routine?
58. Rate your agreement with the statement: “I find the brand’s advertising campaigns appealing.”
59. How likely are you to switch to a competitor if they offered a similar product/service at a lower price?
60. On a scale of 1 (very negative) to 5 (very positive), what is your overall sentiment toward our company?

Feel free to modify these questions based on your survey’s specific objectives. You can also adjust the scales — from 1–5, 1–7, or 0–10 — depending on how nuanced you want your results to be.

Simplify survey creation with Jotform

Collecting feedback and analyzing data from rating scale questions is much easier when you have the right tools. Get the answers you need with Jotform. Whether you’re conducting research or gathering feedback, you can create engaging online surveys with our free drag-and-drop survey maker. Just add your own questions, set up conditional logic, and share your custom survey online to start collecting responses instantly.

You don’t have to start from scratch, either. You can customize ready-to-use over 10,000 form templates with Jotform’s drag-and-drop form builder. Or, if you prefer, you can create your own customer exit survey from a blank canvas in minutes. If you need advanced calculations in your survey, just add the Form Calculation widget. It can perform mathematical operations in real time, tally results, or even generate a final rating from multiple inputs automatically.

Once responses start rolling in, it’s easy to track and manage them with Jotform Tables. This all-in-one workspace lets you filter, sort, and analyze your survey data. And if you’re on the go, Jotform Mobile Forms ensures you can collect data offline, making it perfect for field research or events where internet access might be limited.

Jotform makes it easy to collect feedback. Whether you’re launching a new product, checking workplace morale, or running a customer satisfaction survey, we simplify the process for you. With an intuitive interface, powerful features, and many templates, you can focus on insights — not technical hurdles.

Your path to smarter surveys and better decisions

Rating scale questions are key in quantitative research. They help measure things like brand perception and employee engagement. Choose the right rating scale and create clear, unbiased questions. This way, you get reliable data. Reliable data helps you make better decisions.

If you want to improve a product, increase customer satisfaction, or better understand your audience, rating scale questions can help. They show what’s working and what needs improvement. The ability to translate subjective experiences into measurable data is invaluable for any organization seeking to grow and adapt.

Ready to take the next step? Explore Jotform’s survey tools to start building forms with rating scale questions. Combine best practices in survey design with a platform that streamlines feedback collection, and you’ll be well on your way to making informed, data-driven decisions that positively impact your business or research project.

Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter ScoreSM and Net Promoter SystemSM are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto