How to Add More Than Seven Options to a Microsoft Forms Likert Question
Question details
The user wants to add eight or more scale options to a Likert question, but the form builder restricts the number of choices.
- Product
- Microsoft Forms
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating a complex survey or questionnaire that requires an extensive scale beyond standard survey sizes.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Forms strictly limits the Likert question type to a maximum of seven options, preventing any further additions to the scale.
Before proceeding, review your survey requirements to see if a standard seven-point Likert scale can effectively fulfill your research needs, as it is considered a universal best practice for data reliability.
Use a standard Choice question as an alternative
Since Microsoft Forms enforces a hard limit of seven options for Likert matrix scales, using a standard 'Choice' question with a dropdown or list is the most effective immediate workaround.
While it loses the matrix grid format, a standard choice question allows you to add as many rating options as you need for a single statement.
Open your survey in Microsoft Forms, click on 'Add new', and select 'Choice' instead of 'Likert'.
Type the specific statement you want respondents to evaluate in the question field.
Click 'Add option' to manually type out your 8 or more scale options as individual radio button choices.
To save visual space on your form, click the three dots (More settings) at the bottom right of the question and select 'Drop-down'.
Submit a feature request to Microsoft
If a true Likert matrix with eight or more options is essential, submitting or voting for a feature request helps inform Microsoft of user demand.
Enhance Your Document and Data Management with WPS Office
While Microsoft Forms handles basic surveys but limits features like Likert scales, you will still need a powerful office suite to analyze the exported survey data. WPS Office is a lightweight, all-in-one alternative that lets you process survey results in spreadsheets and compile professional reports.
- 1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the Free Download button.
- 2. Install the application: Run the downloaded installer file and follow the quick setup wizard.
- 3. Open your survey data: Export your Microsoft Forms data to Excel, then open it directly in WPS Spreadsheet to begin your analysis seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft Forms limit Likert questions to seven options?
Microsoft limits the Likert scale to seven options based on standard survey methodology best practices. Studies suggest that giving respondents between five and seven choices provides the most reliable data without causing respondent fatigue or confusion.
Can I use branching logic with a Likert question in Microsoft Forms?
You can apply branching logic to navigate users to different sections based on the Likert question as a whole, but Microsoft Forms does not support branching based on specific responses to individual statements within the Likert matrix.
Is there a way to merge multiple Likert questions to look like one large scale?
No, Microsoft Forms visually separates each added question. You cannot seamlessly stitch two different Likert questions together to simulate a single matrix with more than seven options.
