---
url: "https://questionstar.com/help/question-types/single-choice/"
title: "Single Choice question type"
description: "Learn everything about the \"Single Choice\" question type in QUESTIONSTAR — including layout variants, settings, and helpful tips for putting it to work."
lastmod: "2026-07-08"
type: "help"
---

# Single Choice question type

## About the Single Choice question type

Single Choice is one of the most frequently used question types. It lets respondents **select a single answer from several options**. It's especially well suited to classic single-choice questions such as:

- Your highest level of education?
- What is your gender?
- How did you hear about our offering?
- Which age group do you belong to?
- How satisfied are you with …?
- Which of the following statements applies most to you?
- …

Single Choice offers a total of five variants that differ in the layout of the answer options. This allows flexible design — depending on content, target audience, or the space available in the questionnaire.

## Variants of the question type

You can select the specific variants of the "Single Choice" question type via the "**Question Type**" tab in the right-hand settings panel, or change them later at any time.

👉 More info: [Changing the question type later](/help/creating-surveys/create-new-question#fragetyp-nachtraeglich-aendern)

**Vertical, Left**
 The answer options are displayed one below the other, with the selection points (radio buttons) **to the left of the text**.
 This is the **default display** and suits most classic single-choice questions.

*[Interaktiv:  — siehe HTML-Version der Seite]*

[ Open preview in a new window](https://app.questionstar.com/preview-panel/5e36fd96-ce12-45b1-993c-0424fd5f12df/d528a893-7da7-491e-b0e3-d644145593b1)

**Vertical, Right**
 As with the variant above — but the selection points are **to the right of the text**. This display is especially suitable:

- With very **short answer texts** such as "Yes", "No", "Don't know" — the focus rests more on the text.
- With **long answer texts or multi-line labels** — visually more pleasant, since the text stays left-aligned.
- For a **more accessible display on mobile devices**.

*[Interaktiv:  — siehe HTML-Version der Seite]*

[ Open preview in a new window](https://app.questionstar.com/preview-panel/5e36fd96-ce12-45b1-993c-0424fd5f12df/d528a893-7da7-491e-b0e3-d644145593b1)

**Horizontal**
 The answer options are displayed **side by side in a single row**. This variant is especially suited to **short scale labels** such as numbers from 1 to 5.
 It's especially space-saving and looks visually compact.
 In the settings, you can additionally show **labels for the scale poles** (e.g. "very dissatisfied" – "very satisfied").

*[Interaktiv:  — siehe HTML-Version der Seite]*

[ Open preview in a new window](https://app.questionstar.com/preview-panel/5e36fd96-ce12-45b1-993c-0424fd5f12df/ca96fd4c-f125-4fee-b9bb-cc0e0c08ef7c)

**Rows**
 The answer options are displayed **row by row** — i.e. the label to the right of the radio button.
 Unlike the horizontal variant, **long lists are automatically wrapped across multiple rows**.
 This variant is especially handy on **mobile devices**, since it takes up little vertical space while still ensuring a clear display.

*[Interaktiv:  — siehe HTML-Version der Seite]*

[ Open preview in a new window](https://app.questionstar.com/preview-panel/5e36fd96-ce12-45b1-993c-0424fd5f12df/5a70f6f0-c353-40dc-af86-5dfbce888b78)

**Columns**
 The answer options are **distributed across multiple columns** — ideal when there are a great many choices.
 You can set the number of columns individually in the **question settings**.

*[Interaktiv:  — siehe HTML-Version der Seite]*

[ Open preview in a new window](https://app.questionstar.com/preview-panel/5e36fd96-ce12-45b1-993c-0424fd5f12df/4a384249-9e63-448b-9448-686fc398ca89)

## Question-type-specific settings

The available settings vary slightly depending on the chosen layout. As a rule, the following settings can be made across all variants:

![Question Settings](/api/media/file/1.-Eigenschaften-der-Frage.png)

1. **Randomized options enabled**
 Enable or disable the random ordering of the answer options to avoid response tendencies based on position.
 → More info: [Randomized order](/help/branching-and-display-logic/random-order)
2. **Field Prefix / Field Postfix**
 Here you can optionally specify text that is displayed before or after each answer option — e.g. "approx.", currency symbols, or units of measure.
3. **Display Mode**
 The display of the selection boxes (e.g. classic radio buttons or modern selection buttons) is generally set in the survey's layout settings.
 However, you can deliberately override this display for individual questions — via the setting in that question's settings panel.

### Additional settings depending on the layout variant

4.

![Scale labels](/api/media/file/2.-Skalelabels.png)

**Show Scale Labels** *(horizontal layout only)*
 With the horizontal display, an additional label for the scale poles can be shown — e.g. "Very dissatisfied" and "Very satisfied" on a 1–5 scale.

*[Interaktiv:  — siehe HTML-Version der Seite]*

**Note:** Use these labels sparingly. As a rule, labeling the two ends of the scale is enough. Don't try to label every scale point individually — that can quickly look cluttered.
5.

![Number of columns](/api/media/file/3.-Anzahl-Spalten.png)

**Number of Columns** *(column layout only)*
 With the column variant, you can set how many columns the answer options should be split into — e.g. 2, 3, or 4 columns, depending on the length of the list and the space available.

## Answer option settings

Each answer option can be configured individually via the gear icon in that option's helper menu.

👉 More info: [Helper menu for options](/help/creating-surveys/edit-question#hilfsmenue-fuer-alternativen)

![Helper menu](/api/media/file/4.-Hilfsmenue.png)

The following settings are available:

![Option properties](/api/media/file/5.-Eigenschaften-der-Alternative.png)

1. **Highlight element**
 Adds a colored background highlight to the answer option — e.g. to visually emphasize a particularly important choice.
2. **Enabled by default**
 Marks this answer option as pre-selected when the questionnaire is opened. This can be helpful when there is a typical or expected choice (e.g. "No answer" or "Yes" as a default).
3. **Value (code)**
 Answer options are numbered automatically (1, 2, 3 …). In most cases this is sufficient.
 A custom value can be assigned manually, for example:When the answer options represent measurable values (e.g. "€10", "25 m²", "100 kg")When specific text values should be stored for nominal answers (e.g. "green", "yellow", "red")
4. **Prefix and postfix text**
 By default, prefixes or postfixes for all answer options can be defined centrally in the question-type settings.
 But if only certain options should receive such additional text (e.g. only for a unit like "minutes" or "people"), this can be set individually here.
5. **Add text field**
 Adds an extra free-text field to the answer option — ideal for "other" answers where respondents can enter their own input.
6. **Text field entry for "other" required**
 When this option is enabled, the free-text field must be filled in once the corresponding answer is selected.
 Disable this option if you want to allow respondents to select "Other" without a text answer as well.
7. **Text field placeholder**
 A hint text that appears in the free-text field while it is empty — e.g. "Please enter" or "e.g. minutes".
 This text serves only as guidance and is not stored.