Matching and Sorting Questions

In the Matching & Sorting or Ranking Question , the user is asked to match a set of Items with a set of Options. If the options represent ranks , this counts as a Ranking Question.

We start creating our question (as in all questions) by typing our question in the Title of the Question section.

Matching Items and Options

In this case, items and a common options pool are created. The user matches each item with the options in the common options pool. It is possible to set up to how many times each item added to the common options pool can be matched with one item.

Example

Matching Countries with Capitals:

• For example, our items are 3 countries: France , Germany and Italy.

• Let’s add 3 capitals to the common options pool : Paris, Berlin and Rome . Since we want each option to be matched 1 time, let’s set the Maximum Usage Number of the choices to 1.

• In this way, three countries (items) are listed to user and the user is asked to match each with one of the three capitals (options pool). By opening the preview we can view the question we created.

• Since we set the Max. No. of Use of each option as 1 in the options pool , if the user matches Italy with Rome, he/she will no longer see Rome again in the next matching.

• If you want an option to be re-selected, you can increase the Maximum Usage of the choice in the common options pool.

Matching Items with Unique Options

In this case, while the items are created, unique options are added to each item. In this case, we do not use the Common Options Pool.

Example

Matching Countries with Another Neighboring Country

• As in the previous example, let’s create 3 countries as items: France , Germany and Italy.
• This time, however, we will add unique options to each item. For example, we add the following unique options for France: Belgium , Austria and Bulgaria

• Similarly, for Germany, let’s add the following unique options: Austria , Austria and Turkey
• Similarly, let’s add the following unique options for Italy : Switzerland , Romania and Bulgaria
• Let’s open the Preview of the questions. As you can see, the user will now be able to match each item to one of the unique options:

Restricting Matches

You can offer many items to the user, but you may require selection for only some of these items

• Maximum Matching: Determines the maximum number of matches the user can make.
• Minimum Matching: Determines the minimum number of matches the user can make.

For example, you might want to create five items, each one to be a Country, and only match two with one of the two options: My first option, My second option.

• Let’s create 5 items: Germany , France , Turkey , Belgium and Italy
• Let’s add 2 options to the common options pool: My first option and My second option
• Let’s open our preview and check our question. The user will only be able to match for 2 items (countries).

Contribution & Success Rates

After preparing your question, you can determine how much the success rate will be increased for each item, when the user makes the match . For this, we will add the Automatic Scoring Rule to each item. If the user performs the relevant matching, the Success Effect Rate that we will express in this rule is added to the Success Rate that the user will obtain from the question.

In the screen below; If the User matches the German item with My First Option, we ensure that the system achieves the user full success (100%) from this question

DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF NON-MATCHED ITEMS ON SUCCESS RATE

In the matching & sorting question, you can determine how the respondent’s success rate will be affected if he/she does not match anything for an item. To do this, use the Success Effect Rate of the Item Left Blank feature.

We determine how the success rate will be affected when the person answering the question makes a matching for an item, with the Automatic Scoring Rule. Similarly, we determine how the success rate will be affected by the Success Effect Rate of the Item Left Blank if he/she does not match anything for the item.

Example:

• In the example we did above, we added options for France, Germany and Italy to the Common Option Pool as Paris, Berlin and Rome.  
• Let’s assume that the candidate makes a matching for the items France and Germany, but not for the item Italy.

• As we can see, the user has not made any matching for the item Italy. If we want the success rate of the user to be automatically affected in a positive or negative way, we use the Success Effect Rate of the Item Left Blank feature for the item Italy.

• Using the Success Effect Rate of the Item Left Blank feature, we wanted the item to be described as “false” if no match was made for the item Italy, and we determined a negative success effect rate of -33% for the item.
• Thus, the user will receive the success effect rate determined by the Automatic Scoring Rule from these items according to the matches he/she made for France and Germany items. However, since he/she did not make any match for the item Italy, it will be identified as “false” and will receive a negative success effect rate. In this case, the user’s success rate will drop as much as the designated negative success effect rate.

• We apply the same process for the other 3 items and define a -10% success effect rate using the Success Effect Rate of the Item Left Blank for each item.
• After determining the success rate for all items with the Automatic Scoring Rule as 25% and the Success Effect Rate of the Item Left Blank as -10%, the screen where we edit the items should appear as follows.

• Now we open the Preview of the question and match the first 3 items with the correct options, and leave the last item blank. We then look at the Preview of the score to find out the success rate the user will get from the question in this case.

• According to this example, since the user answering the question matches the first 3 items with the correct options , he/she gets a 25% success effect rate  from each item, which we have determined by the Automatic Scoring Rule. Thus, the success rate increases to 75%.  However, since the user leaves the last item blank, he/she achieves the success effect rate of -10%, which we have determined with the Success Effect Rate of the Item Left Blank. Thus, the success rate drops to 65%.
• If the user answering the question in this example makes correct matching for the first 2 items and leaves the other 2 items blank, this time the success rate will be 50%, as each of the first 2 items will get a 25% success rate. However, since the user leaves the other 2 items blank, he/she achieves a -10% success effect rate from each of these items and the success rate drops to 30%.

WARNING

Note that the matching question is perceived by the system as 1 question! Keep this in mind when determining Success Effect Rates and Question Points!

For example, in the question below, we added 4 countries as items and then we entered 3 choices for all. The user chose the right option for all items. Now how do we ensure that the user achieves Full Success (100%) from this question and what should be the point of this question?

In this question, we will add one Automatic Scoring Rule for each item and the Success Effect Rate of all will be 25%. This way the user will get 100% if he/she chooses the right option for all 4 items.

• For France item, 25% to Belgium option
• For Germany matter, 25% to Austria option
• For Italy matter, 25% to Swiss option
• For Portugal item, 25% to Spain option

Finally, we make the point value of this question 4 because this question actually has 4 matches. Of course, you can also set the point of the question as 1 , but in this case, as a result of the matches in this question, you can earn at most 1 point. To learn more about scoring, check the Point and Categories page.