In this article, we will show you how to do ranking in Google Forms in just a few clicks. Read on to learn more.
As of writing this article, Google Forms does not have a built-in feature specifically for ranking, which typically allows respondents to rank their preferences (first choice, second choice, third choice, etc.) in an election or survey.
However, there is a workaround you could use to simulate ranked choice voting in Google Forms. Simply follow the steps below.
Create a new question in your Google Form, and choose the "Multiple Choice Grid" from the list of question types. This grid allows respondents to rank their preferences across multiple rows (options) and columns (rankings).
In the rows of the multiple choice grid, input the names of the candidates or options that participants will rank. In the columns, input the ranking scale (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). Make sure the ranking scale matches the number of options you provide, if you wish for every option to be ranked.
To demonstrate, let's walk through an example of how you might set up a ranked choice voting system in Google Forms to elect a class president.
For simplicity, we will assume there are four candidates: Alex, Taylor, Jordan, and Casey.
This option ensures that participants provide a complete set of responses. Without requiring a response in every row, they may accidentally skip some options. This could lead to incomplete or biased results.
To do this, click on the three vertical dots (More options) at the bottom-right of the question box and select "Limit to one response per column." This is to make sure that each participant can only assign each rank to one option and cannot duplicate rankings.
Provide clear instructions on how to complete the ranked choice voting. Explain that they should select their first preference for the first rank, second preference for the second rank, and so on, with each preference being unique.
For our example, we can write in the description: "Please rank each candidate for Class President from your most preferred (1st Choice) to your least preferred (4th Choice). You must assign a unique rank to each candidate."
To show the description, click on the three vertical dots again and select "Description."
Click on the preview mode (looks like an eye) located at the upper-right corner of the editor to test the form.
Fill out the form yourself to make sure that everything works as expected. Check if the ranking works properly and if the instructions are clear enough. It’s important to ensure the form is intuitive and easy to use for participants.
Here's what our example looks like:
We hope this article has helped you and given you a better understanding on how to do ranking in Google Forms. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our article on how you can close a Google Form or our article on how to edit a Google Form. We also suggest checking out our article on how to get email responses from Google Forms.
