Survey Design
Question Types
range

The range question type lets respondents pick a number within a defined minimum and maximum. In rtSurvey's web form, this renders as a standard number input — the enumerator types a value directly. The start, end, and step parameters define the valid range and are enforced as constraints.

Basic XLSForm Specification

typenamelabelparameters
rangesatisfactionHow satisfied are you with the service?start=1 end=5 step=1

The parameters column defines the slider bounds and step size:

ParameterDescriptionDefault
startMinimum value (inclusive)0
endMaximum value (inclusive)10
stepIncrement between valid values1

For more details on the standard range question type, see the XLSForm specification (opens in a new tab).

Uses

Range questions are commonly used for:

  1. Satisfaction or rating scales (e.g., 1–5 or 0–10)
  2. Likert-style numeric scales
  3. Collecting measurements where only discrete values are valid
  4. Age brackets or score ranges where a slider improves usability over a text field

Example Usage

Basic rating scale

typenamelabelparameters
rangeoverall_ratingOverall rating (0–10)start=0 end=10 step=1

Decimal step

typenamelabelparameters
rangeweight_kgWeight (kg)start=0 end=200 step=0.5

Using the value in a calculation

typenamelabelparameterscalculation
rangescoreTest score (0–100)start=0 end=100 step=5
calculategradeif(${score} >= 90, 'A', if(${score} >= 80, 'B', if(${score} >= 70, 'C', 'F')))
notegrade_noteYour grade is: ${grade}

Best Practices

  1. Always set meaningful start, end, and step values — do not rely on defaults.
  2. Label the ends of your scale in the hint column (e.g., hint: 0 = Very dissatisfied, 10 = Very satisfied) to give respondents context.
  3. For 5-point Likert scales, use start=1 end=5 step=1 rather than 0–4, since respondents expect "1" to mean the lowest.
  4. Use range instead of integer + constraint when the bounded nature of the input is part of the question design (slider communicates the scale visually).

Limitations

  • There is no slider widget in the rtSurvey web form — value entry is a plain number input. For a visual slider experience, use a mobile client that supports the range widget.
  • For very wide ranges (e.g., 0–10000), a plain integer with a constraint is equally effective and more user-friendly.
  • Fine step values (e.g., step=0.1) work as constraints but have no slider precision concern in the web form.
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