Likert Scale Examples: Design Better Surveys and Analyse the Results
By upGrad
Updated on Nov 10, 2026 | 7 min read | 5.91K+ views
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Quick Insights
- A Likert scale helps people share their opinions and feelings about something. They can choose from different answer options instead of just saying yes or no.
- There are different types of Likert scale, for example the 5-point Likert scale is widely used in surveys. It gives people five options to share their views, from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
- Likert scale questions help measure customer satisfaction, employee opinions, product quality and more.
- This blog covers different Likert scale examples, types of scales, tips for writing better survey questions and ways to understand the results.
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You can see, the image shows a five-point Likert scale used to collect survey responses, along with charts that help organise and analyse feedback.
What Is a Likert Scale? Meaning and How It Works
A Likert scale is a survey tool that helps measure people's opinions, feelings and experiences. It gives people different answer options instead of limiting them to a simple yes or no.
For example, imagine asking a customer, "How satisfied are you with our service?" They can choose an answer ranging from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. This helps you understand how they actually feel about the service.
How Does a Likert Scale Work?
A Likert scale follows a simple process:
- The researcher asks a question or shares a statement.
- People taking the survey choose an answer from the given options.
- Each answer shows a different level of agreement, satisfaction or opinion.
- The researcher collects the answers to understand what people think.
For example, here is a 5-point Likert scale that measures agreement:
| Score | Response |
| 1 | Strongly disagree |
| 2 | Disagree |
| 3 | Neither agree nor disagree |
| 4 | Agree |
| 5 | Strongly agree |
Likert Scale vs Likert-Type Questions
However, a Likert item and a full Likert scale are not exactly the same.
- Likert item: A single statement with a set of answer options. For example, "I am happy with the service."
- Full Likert scale: A group of related statements used to understand a person's opinion about one topic.
- People often use the term "Likert scale" for both in everyday surveys.
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10 Practical Likert Scale Examples for Different Surveys
Likert scales can be used in different types of surveys. The answer options depend on what you want to know. For example, you can use agreement options to collect opinions, frequency options to understand habits and satisfaction options to collect feedback about an experience.
Here are 10 Likert scale question examples that you can use in your own surveys.
1. Agreement Likert Scale Example
This scale helps you understand whether people agree or disagree with a particular statement.
Statement: The product is easy to use.
Answer options:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
Use: Businesses can use this scale to understand what customers think about their products or services.
2. Customer Satisfaction Likert Scale Example
This scale helps businesses understand how happy customers are with their services.
Question: How satisfied are you with our customer support?
Answer options:
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
Use: Businesses can use these responses to understand customer satisfaction and find areas that need improvement.
3. Employee Satisfaction Likert Scale Example
Companies can use this scale to understand how employees feel about their workplace.
Statement: I am happy with my current work environment.
Answer options:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
Use: HR teams can use this feedback to understand employee opinions about their work environment.
4. Frequency Likert Scale Example
A frequency scale helps you understand how often someone does a particular activity.
Question: How often do you use our mobile application?
Answer options:
- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
Use: Businesses can use these responses to understand how frequently customers use their products or services.
5. Importance Likert Scale Example
This scale helps you understand how important a particular feature or service is to people.
Question: How important is fast delivery when shopping online?
Answer options:
- Not at all important
- Slightly important
- Moderately important
- Very important
- Extremely important
Use: Online stores can use these responses to understand what customers look for when shopping.
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6. Quality Likert Scale Example
A quality scale helps people rate the quality of a product or service.
Question: How would you rate the quality of our product?
Answer options:
- Very poor
- Poor
- Average
- Good
- Excellent
Use: Businesses can collect feedback about product quality and understand where they need to improve.
7. Likelihood Likert Scale Example
This scale helps measure how likely someone is to take a particular action.
Question: How likely are you to recommend our service to a friend?
Answer options:
- Very unlikely
- Unlikely
- Neither likely nor unlikely
- Likely
- Very likely
Use: Businesses can use this feedback to understand whether customers are willing to recommend their services to others.
8. Education Likert Scale Example
Schools and colleges can use this scale to understand how students feel about their learning experience.
Statement: The study material is easy to understand.
Answer options:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
Use: Teachers and educational institutions can use these responses to improve study materials and teaching methods.
9. Product Experience Likert Scale Example
This scale helps businesses understand how easy or difficult customers find a product to use.
Question: How easy was it to set up the product?
Answer options:
- Very difficult
- Difficult
- Neither easy nor difficult
- Easy
- Very easy
Use: Product teams can use this feedback to find problems customers may face while setting up or using a product.
10. Event Feedback Likert Scale Example
Event organisers can use this scale to understand how people feel about an event.
Question: How satisfied are you with the organisation of the event?
Answer options:
- Very dissatisfied
- Dissatisfied
- Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
- Satisfied
- Very satisfied
Use: Organisers can use these responses to understand what attendees liked and what needs to be improved.
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Types of Likert Scales: 3-Point, 4-Point, 5-Point and 7-Point
Likert scales can have different numbers of answer options. Some have three choices, while others have five or seven. The right scale depends on what you want to ask and how much detail you need from the responses.
3-Point Likert Scale
A 3-point Likert scale gives people three options to share their opinions.
Answer options:
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
This scale works well for short surveys where you only need a basic understanding of people's opinions.
4-Point Likert Scale
A 4-point Likert scale gives people four answer options.
Answer options:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
Unlike a 3-point scale, it does not have a neutral option. People must choose whether they agree or disagree with a statement.
5-Point Likert Scale
A 5-point Likert scale is one of the most commonly used formats. It gives people five options to express their opinions.
Answer options:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
This scale is easy to understand and includes a neutral option for people who neither agree nor disagree.
7-Point Likert Scale
A 7-point Likert scale gives people seven answer options. It is useful when researchers want more detailed feedback.
Answer options:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
For example, someone who only slightly agrees with a statement can choose "Somewhat agree" instead of "Agree." This helps researchers understand opinions in more detail.
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5-Point vs 7-Point Likert Scale: Key Differences
Both formats are commonly used in surveys. The main difference is the number of answer options they offer.
| Factor | 5-Point Likert Scale | 7-Point Likert Scale |
| Answer options | 5 | 7 |
| Neutral option | Yes | Yes |
| Ease of answering | Quick and simple | Requires more thought |
| Feedback | Basic level of detail | More detailed opinions |
| Best for | General surveys | Surveys that need more detailed feedback |
A 7-point scale gives people more choices, but that does not always make it better. Choose a scale that is easy for your audience to understand and answer.
Real Life Likert Scale Example:
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How to Design a Better Likert Scale Survey and Analyse the Results
A good Likert scale survey starts with clear questions and suitable answer options. You also need to understand how to read the responses and use them to make better decisions. Here are some simple ways to design a survey and analyse its results.
How to Write Good Likert Scale Questions
The way you frame a question can affect how people answer it. Keep these points in mind when creating your survey:
- Keep questions simple: Use clear and familiar words so people can understand each question easily.
- Ask one thing at a time: Avoid combining two ideas in one statement. For example, "The app is fast and easy to use" asks about two different things.
- Use balanced options: Include both positive and negative answer choices so people can share their actual opinions.
- Keep answer options consistent: Follow the same order of responses throughout the survey wherever possible.
- Choose the right number of options: Use a 5-point or 7-point scale based on how much detail you need.
- Test your questions: Ask a small group to answer the survey before sharing it with everyone. This can help you find unclear questions.
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How to Analyse Likert Scale Results
Once people complete your survey, the next step is to understand their answers. You can follow these steps to analyse the results:
- Assign scores: Give each answer a number. For example, strongly disagree = 1 and strongly agree = 5.
- Count the responses: Find out how many people selected each answer.
- Calculate percentages: Work out what percentage of people selected each option.
- Look for patterns: Check whether most people gave positive, negative or neutral responses.
- Present the results: Use tables or bar charts to make the findings easier to understand.
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Example: Analysing Customer Satisfaction
Suppose an online store asks 100 customers, "Are you satisfied with our online shopping experience?" The responses are:
| Response | Number of customers |
| Very satisfied | 30 |
| Satisfied | 40 |
| Neutral | 15 |
| Dissatisfied | 10 |
| Very dissatisfied | 5 |
What do these results tell us?
- 70% of customers are satisfied or very satisfied with their shopping experience.
- 15% have a neutral opinion.
- 15% are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
This gives the store a clear idea of how customers feel about their shopping experience. It can use this feedback to find out what is working well and what needs improvement.
<text color="secondary" size="xs">Note: For individual Likert scale questions, it is useful to show how many people selected each answer and the percentage for each option. Do not depend only on average scores, as the difference between answer options may not always be equal.</text>
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Advantages and Limitations of Likerts Scale
Likert scales are useful for collecting and understanding people's opinions, but they also have some limitations. Let's look at their main advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Using a Likert Scale
Likert scales are widely used in surveys because they make it easier to collect and understand people's opinions.
- Easy to answer: People can choose from ready-made options instead of writing long answers.
- Organised responses: Answers follow a clear format, making them easier to study.
- More detailed feedback: They offer more choices than simple yes-or-no questions.
- Easy comparison: Researchers can compare responses from different groups.
- Useful in different fields: They can be used in customer feedback, employee surveys and academic research.
Limitations of a Likert Scale
Although Likert scales are useful, they also have a few limitations:
- Limited answer choices: Fixed options may not cover every opinion a person has.
- Neutral responses: Some people may choose the middle option even when they have a clear opinion.
- Unclear questions: Poorly written questions can lead to confusing or inaccurate answers.
- Limited explanation: A Likert scale shows what people think, but it may not explain why they feel that way. A follow-up question can help collect more details.
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Conclusion:
A Likert scale helps you understand what people think and feel about a product, service or experience. Choose the right scale, ask clear questions and look at all the responses to understand the results. A well-planned Likert scale survey can help businesses and researchers collect useful feedback and make better decisions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the 5-point Likert scale?
A 5-point Likert scale gives respondents five options to share their opinions. These usually range from strongly disagree to strongly agree, with a neutral option in the middle. It is commonly used in customer feedback, employee surveys and academic research.
2. What is a 10-item Likert scale?
A 10-item Likert scale usually refers to a survey with 10 related statements or questions. Respondents answer each one using the same set of options, such as strongly disagree to strongly agree. Researchers study these answers to understand people's opinions about a particular topic.
3. How do you solve a 5-point Likert scale?
To analyse a 5-point Likert scale, first assign a score from 1 to 5 to each answer. Then count how many people selected each option and calculate the percentage. Finally, look at the responses to understand whether most people agree, disagree or have a neutral opinion.
4. Is a Likert scale always 7 points?
No, a Likert scale does not always have seven points. It can have 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or more answer options. The 5-point and 7-point formats are commonly used, but the choice depends on the survey and the level of detail required.
5. What is the difference between a Likert scale and a rating scale?
A Likert scale uses a set of ordered options to understand people's opinions, feelings or level of agreement. A rating scale is a broader term that includes different ways of giving a rating, such as stars, numbers or labels. A Likert scale is one type of rating scale.
6. What are the most common Likert scale options?
Some common Likert scale options include strongly disagree to strongly agree, very dissatisfied to very satisfied and never to always. You can also use options such as very unlikely to very likely. The choice depends on what you want to understand through your survey.
7. When should you use a Likert scale?
Use a Likert scale when you want to understand what people think or feel about something. It is useful for measuring customer satisfaction, employee opinions, student feedback and product experiences. It also helps collect responses in an organised format.
8. What is a neutral option in a Likert scale?
A neutral option allows respondents to share that they neither agree nor disagree with a statement. It is usually placed in the middle of a 5-point or 7-point Likert scale. This option is useful when someone does not have a positive or negative opinion.
9. What is the difference between a 5-point and a 7-point Likert scale?
A 5-point Likert scale gives respondents five answer options, while a 7-point scale gives them seven. The 5-point format is simpler and quicker to answer. The 7-point format offers more choices and helps respondents share their opinions in greater detail.
10. Can a Likert scale have an even number of options?
Yes, a Likert scale can have an even number of options, such as four or six. These formats do not include a neutral option in the middle. This means respondents must choose an option that shows whether they lean towards agreement or disagreement.
11. What are the limitations of a Likert scale?
A Likert scale has fixed answer options, so respondents may not always find an option that matches their exact opinion. It also shows what people think but does not explain why they feel that way. Adding an open-ended question can help collect more detailed feedback.
12. How do you present Likert scale results?
You can present Likert scale results using tables, percentages and bar charts. Show how many people selected each answer to make the results easy to understand. This helps readers identify common opinions and compare responses.
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