Survey vs Questionnaire vs Poll vs Quiz: The Simple Difference

A questionnaire, a survey, a poll, and a quiz can all look the same on your screen: just a list of questions. The difference is not how they look. It is what each one is for. Here it is, with one example to make it stick.

What is the difference between a survey, questionnaire, poll, and quiz?

A questionnaire is the list of questions. A survey is the whole job of asking them and studying the answers, so a survey contains a questionnaire. A poll is a single quick question. A quiz is the odd one out: it tests what you know and gives you a score.

See it with one example

Say you run a small gym, and you want to know what your members think.

The questionnaire is the set of questions you write down, like "how often do you visit?" and "which class do you enjoy?"

The survey is the whole thing: you send those questions to all your members, collect the replies, and work out what to change. The questionnaire is just one part of it.

A poll is the quick version: one question, like "which time suits you, 6 am or 7 am?", and you count the votes.

Where does the quiz fit?

The quiz is the only one that is not about opinions. It tests knowledge and gives a score, with right and wrong answers. At the same gym, a short "how much do you know about healthy eating?" round, marked out of ten, is a quiz.

Which one should you make?

• For detailed feedback from a group, make a survey.
• For a quick vote, make a poll.
• To test knowledge and give a score, make a quiz.
• You do not make a questionnaire on its own. It is just the questions inside your survey or form.

Make any of them, free

SurveyHeart lets you build forms, surveys, polls, and quizzes in one place, free. Write your questions once, share a link, and watch the answers arrive with charts. It is built by SurveyHeart LLP and works on the web, Android, and iOS.

Pick the one you need and start now. Create a survey, poll, or quiz, free.