How to Pilot test a survey?

What You'll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:

• Understand what a pilot survey is and why it is important to run pilot testing.
• Identify the advantages and disadvantages of pilot surveys.
• Create better surveys with the insights gained from running pilot surveys.

1. What is a Pilot Survey?

A pilot survey runs before conducting the main survey. It is a dry run for the real thing.

You ask the same set of questions you plan to use in the main survey. Some pilot surveys add a few feedback questions after the main questionnaire.

You do not need a large audience. Even a smaller group of people is enough to surface the areas that need improvement.

A pilot survey shows you both the weaknesses and the strengths of the main survey.

Compared with the main survey, a pilot is inexpensive and quick to run. A full survey on a large group costs time, money, and effort. Running one on a small group of people (maybe around 10) stays easy and inexpensive.

2. Why is Pilot Testing important in Surveys?

Pilot testing is a working step in survey development, not an optional extra.

It lets you identify and address potential issues before they affect the accuracy of your survey responses. It also gives you a chance to measure respondent satisfaction, so you learn whether the survey is easy and engaging to take.

If a survey asks the wrong questions or collects too few responses, it can fail outright.

A pilot survey can improve nearly every part of your survey. It helps you do the following:

• Write better survey questions.
• Increase your survey responses.
• Improve the quality of response data.

If you create surveys for your organization and want them to succeed, running a pilot first is one of the most reliable ways to get there.

3. Advantages Of Pilot Survey

A pilot test gives you several concrete advantages.

The main one is that it helps detect elements of the survey that have a negative impact. Catching those early pays off, because you can fix the main survey before it goes out.

It also helps you identify the survey's bad design. When respondents are reluctant to take the survey, that usually points to a design problem, which you can then correct for the main survey.

Most of us have hit a survey with questions that are hard to understand. When questions are difficult to follow, the response rate drops, people abandon the survey partway, and the whole thing falls flat. A pilot makes those poorly asked questions easy to detect.

Surveys cost money, and a failed main survey wastes it. No company can afford to burn its budget on a poorly built survey. A pilot surfaces the flaws early, which helps the creator save financial resources.

4. Disadvantages Of Pilot Survey

A pilot survey has clear advantages, but it comes with a few drawbacks too.

A successful pilot is not a sure indicator that the main survey will be a success. The pilot's response rate does not directly predict the response rate of the full survey. Because you run the pilot on a smaller audience group, it cannot guarantee success at large scale.

A pilot can also make inaccurate predictions at times. Keep that in mind before you run your main survey.

5. Types Of Pilot Survey

The External pilot survey runs with people who are not part of your main survey, such as friends, relatives, and co-workers. Use it to test your instructions and questions.

The Internal pilot survey is a preliminary study that runs just before your main study. Its results feed into your main study, and its respondents count as your first participants. If the internal pilot reveals something really wrong with your survey, those results are left out of the study.

The Participatory pilot survey runs with people who know they are part of the pilot survey. Since they understand this is not the main study, you can ask them directly about the pilot itself, such as how difficult the questions were or how long the survey took to complete.

The Undeclared pilot survey runs with people who do not realize they are part of a pilot study. They focus on the content rather than the design of the survey. Because respondents are never told, the results of an undeclared pilot tend to predict the main survey results well.

6. Sample Questions For Your Pilot Surveys

Here are a few questions you can add to your pilot survey questionnaire.

• How was the opening of the survey?
• How long did it take to complete the survey?
• How difficult was it to answer survey questions?
• Were there any terms or words you did not understand?
• Did you like the design of the survey?
• Did you like answering the survey?
• Were you engaged till the completion of the survey?

Ask questions along these lines to get the most out of your pilot survey.

Test Your Knowledge

Key Takeaways

• Pilot Testing allows you to identify and address potential issues.
• Pilot Testing is inexpensive and easy to run compared to the main survey.
• A Successful Pilot Survey is not a sure indicator of the main survey's success.

Continue learning: see how to craft survey questions, improve response rates, and start from a survey template.

Congratulations! You have completed this lesson.