Creating a great survey takes time, effort, and often, money. The last thing you want is for all that hard work to go to waste because your survey is too long, people give up before finishing.

Someone taking the time to complete your survey means they want to help. But if you overwhelm them with question after question, it's natural for them to get tired and quit.

There needs to be a perfect balance between getting all the information you need and keeping people interested. Survey length is a factor that determines both.

This article sheds light on how long should a survey be based on research and real-world data.

Let’s find out.

The impact of questionnaire length on survey completion rates

When people begin a survey, they often do so with the intention of completing it. However, not everyone actually gets to the end. The percentage of people who exit the survey before finishing it is called a survey dropout rate. 

Before I talk about how long should a survey be, you should know what makes people lose interest in surveys. Well, it's not rocket science. People are busy. They have lives. So, if a survey takes too much time, they'll probably skip it.

Some other factors that cause people to abandon surveys include:

• Boredom: A lengthy survey can be boring, especially if the questions are repetitive or don't seem relevant to the respondent. If people lose interest, they’re likely to abandon the survey halfway.

• Lack of interest in the topic: If the survey's subject doesn't resonate with respondents, they may not feel motivated to finish it. Without an engaging topic, even a short survey can feel tedious.

• Complex questions: Questions that are difficult to understand or require significant thought frustrate respondents and lead them to quit the survey altogether.

• Survey fatigue: Respondent fatigue is a real problem. People frequently bombarded with surveys may start to feel overwhelmed and less willing to participate, especially if they encounter multiple lengthy surveys over a short time span.

• Wrong Timing: Timing is crucial when it comes to surveys. Expecting employees to complete surveys late at night, after a long day of work, is unrealistic. Similarly, sending out surveys on public holidays can result in poor completion rates. You can read this article to know the best time to send surveys for the highest responses.

Research on survey length

BMC published a research study in 2011 comparing two different questionnaires. The longer version was 24 A4 pages and included seven sections, while the shorter one was condensed into six sections and 15 A4 pages. 

The length of questionnaire was the most significant factor affecting the response rate: participants were about 50% more likely to respond to the shorter questionnaire than the longer one.

Now, the attention spans of respondents are shorter than ever. Most people today won’t even complete the 15-page questionnaire. 

Last year, Hubspot asked 100 customers across the US to determine how long should a survey be, and the majority mentioned the ideal survey length was between 10–14 minutes. A good percentage of people also voted for 3–6 minutes and 6–10 minutes. 

The State of Surveys report for 2024 shows that last year, nearly half (48.8%) of surveys in the U.S. were one page or shorter, compared to 46.5% worldwide. For longer surveys, 29.4% in the US extended to six pages or more, whereas globally, this figure was higher at 32.9%.

In light of research, the ideal survey length that gets the best combination of survey responses, insightful data, and the least dropout rates is between 5–15 minutes. 

How many questions should a survey have?

We know long surveys are bad news. But how do you figure out exactly how many questions should a survey have? Unfortunately, there’s no magic number. Finding how long should a survey be involves trial and error. 

To figure out the perfect number of questions, you need to think about how long it takes to answer each one. 

Some questions (mostly closed-ended) are quick and easy, like "On a scale of 1–10, how satisfied are you with our customer service?" But others (open-ended) take longer, such as asking someone to write a paragraph about their experience. 

So, do a little math. Estimate how long each question will take to answer and add up the time for all your questions. If the total survey timing adds up to more than 15 minutes, you want to cut back.

Here's an example:

• 5 multiple-choice questions that take 30 seconds each = 2.5 minutes
• 3 rating scale questions that take 30 seconds each = 1.5 minutes
• 3 checkbox questions that take 40 seconds each = 2 minutes
• 2 open-ended questions that take 2 minutes each = 4 minutes

Total survey time: 

2.5 minutes + 1.5 minutes + 2 minutes + 4 minutes = 10 minutes 

Total number of survey questions: 

5 multiple-choice + 3 rating-scale + 3 checkbox + 2 open-ended = 13 questions

In most cases, a survey with 10–20 questions gets the most number of responses while gathering enough intel to make a decision based on it. 

Keep respondents interested by making engaging surveys

Okay, we've talked about how long should a survey be, but let's be real: even a short survey can be a drag if it’s not engaging enough. 

Here are some techniques you can try out to create engaging surveys. 

Personalize the survey experience

Personalization makes respondents feel valued and more engaged. When participants feel like the survey speaks to them directly, they are more likely to complete a survey. 

If possible, address respondents by their names in the survey. It makes the survey feel more personal and less like a generic form. You can start with something as simple as "Hi [Name], thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us."

Also, use survey logic features such as logic branching to tailor questions based on previous answers. For instance, if someone says they use your product daily, follow up with questions about their daily experience. Using skip logic, skip these questions for people who don’t mention using the product daily. 

Use gamification techniques

Gamification turns a standard survey into an enjoyable experience that encourages people to complete it. Here’s how you can use gamification to keep respondents interested:

• Incorporate Progress Bars: Show respondents how far they’ve come with a progress bar to give them a visual cue of their progress and motivate them to complete a survey. 

• Offer Rewards: Provide incentives for completing the survey, like gift cards or discounts. You can also use virtual rewards like badges or points.

• Use Interactive Elements: Add interactive features like sliders or drag-and-drop questions. For example, instead of a traditional rating scale, use a slider that respondents can move to indicate their level of satisfaction. 

Spice it up with visuals

Adding visuals and multimedia elements can make surveys more engaging for respondents. 

Include relevant images to break up text and make the survey more visually appealing. Images can also help clarify questions. Embed short videos or infographics that explain complex questions or provide additional context.

For instance, you may include an image of a new product design and ask, "What do you think about the design of our new product?”

Keep the survey mobile-friendly

Many respondents will complete your survey on their mobile devices. Ensure your survey is designed to adjust to different screen sizes. Test the survey on various devices to check its appearance and functionality.

Simplify the layout and avoid clutter. Use larger fonts and buttons to make it easy for mobile users to navigate and answer questions.

Try to keep questions and options visible without requiring excessive scrolling. 

Experiment with creative question formats

Boring questions make for boring surveys. Instead of the same old survey question types, try something different.

Include questions that require more than just clicking an answer. For instance, use drag-and-drop options where respondents can sort items in order of preference. 

Similarly, instead of asking people to rate their satisfaction with a service on a scale, show them a series of pictures representing different levels of satisfaction or ask them to insert a relevant emoji.

Make engaging surveys with Formaloo

How long should a survey be is a major determinant of creating a survey that people actually want to complete. 

You increase your chances of getting valuable responses when you:

• Understand how length impacts survey completion rates
• Use creative techniques to make it interesting 

With Formaloo, you can easily design surveys that are both engaging and fun. 

From personalized experiences and gamification to interactive elements and branching logic, Formaloo has everything you need to build surveys that people love. 

Plus, the user-friendly drag-and-drop interface makes it super easy to create surveys that look great on any device.

Sign up for Formaloo today to get started!