How to add rating questions in Microsoft Forms (steps & more)

When it comes to collecting feedback through surveys and online forms, the way you ask a question matters as much as what you ask.

Rating questions are one of the most widely used question types in modern survey design, and for good reason. Research on survey methodology consistently shows that well-structured closed-ended question types, such as rating scales, produce lower item nonresponse and more reliable data than open-ended alternatives.

In this article, you'll learn everything about rating questions and how to use them effectively in Microsoft Forms, plus a smarter alternative if you need more flexibility.

What is a rating question?

A rating question is a question type that asks respondents to evaluate something, a product, experience, or service, on a defined rating scale. Instead of typing a long answer, participants simply pick a value that best reflects their opinion. This makes rating questions one of the fastest and most consistent ways to collect feedback.

Types of rating scales

Not all rating questions look the same. The format you choose shapes how respondents interpret and answer your question. Here are the most common types:

⭐ Star Rating

The most familiar format. Respondents select between 1 and 5 (or more) stars.

🔢 Numeric Scale

A simple numbered range, typically 1–5 or 1–10. Works well when you want precision or when your audience is less familiar with icon-based formats.

😊 Emoji / Smiley Face Scale

A visual, approachable format, great for quick pulse surveys or younger audiences.

📊 Likert Scale

A Likert scale is technically a type of rating scale focused on measuring agreement.

When to use

Rating questions fit naturally into many different contexts. Here are the most common use cases:

How to add rating questions in Microsoft Forms

Microsoft Forms makes it relatively straightforward to add a Microsoft Forms rating scale to any form or survey. Follow these steps to set one up from scratch:

1. Add a rating question

Click ‘+Quick start with’ and select the ‘Rating’ option

Once you have created a form, click + Quick start with and select Rating from the list of Microsoft Forms question types. A default 5-star scale will appear. Type your question text directly into the question field.

2. Set levels and choose a symbol

Set ‘Levels’ and choose a ‘Symbol’ for your question

Use the Levels drop-down list to set how many points your scale will have (between 2 and 10). Then use the Symbol drop-down list to pick your icon style.

You can also click the three-dot menu for optional extras like a subtitle or endpoint labels, for example, labeling the low end "Poor" and the high end "Excellent" to make the scale immediately clear to respondents.

3. Configure settings and appearance

Check the ‘Style’ and the ‘Settings’ tabs to adjust your form

Click the gear icon in the upper right corner to control your form's behavior. From here, you can set a start and end date, shuffle the question order, and customize the thank-you message respondents see after submitting.

Press the palette icon to adjust your form's theme and colors.

4. Preview and share your form

Preview your form and click ‘Collect responses’ to check sharing options

Before sharing, click the Preview button to see exactly how your form will appear to respondents.

Once you're happy with it, click Collect responses to access your sharing options, including a direct link, QR code, embed code for websites, or a direct email send.

Explore a better alternative

Microsoft Forms covers the essentials, but as outlined in the limitations above, it leaves some gaps, particularly around customization, conditional logic, and per-question comment fields. If those gaps matter for your use case, forms.app is worth a look.

To add your rating question to forms.app, simply head to the Fields tab within the Build section and scroll down until you see the Star Rating field. You can also choose the Opinion Scale, Ranking, and Selection Matrix fields, each serving a different business need.

Star Rating field

The Star Rating field works like a standard rating question but with noticeably more flexibility. You can increase or decrease the number of rating options freely, and set a default answer for unanswered questions

You can also add custom labels to each star and upload an image or video to the question. You can also swap the star icon for something else entirely, such as a smiley face or a heart, depending on the tone of your form.

Opinion Scale field

The Opinion Scale is a numeric scale field where respondents choose a number to express their opinion on a given matter. You can adjust the range, set a default answer, add labels to the start, middle, and end of the scale to reduce ambiguity, and upload supporting media.

Conclusion

Rating questions are simple to answer, produce clean and consistent data, and work across a wide range of contexts, from customer satisfaction to course evaluations. When designed well, they are one of the most efficient feedback tools available.

In this article, we walked through what rating questions are, the different scale types, and how to add and customize them in Microsoft Forms. We also covered the platform's key limitations and how forms.app offers a more flexible alternative. Whichever tool you choose, rating questions are a solid foundation for any feedback strategy.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)