Data types for assessments

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Data types for assessments

    This document outlines the data types available for use in assessments within ServiceNow, highlighting their compatibility with different methods and explaining how each type functions in questionnaire contexts. Understanding these data types helps customers design effective assessment metrics tailored to user inputs and scoring needs.

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    Data Types and Their Uses

    • Attachment: Allows users to attach one or more files to a question in questionnaires.
    • Checkbox: Users select or clear a checkbox next to a statement. The Scale definition can be set to High if a checked box indicates a positive score.
    • Choice: Users select one option from a list of custom answers. Each option requires a separate metric definition.
    • Date: Users select a date value.
    • Date/Time: Users select a date and time value.
    • Duration (Script): Populates Duration and Scaled values on the Metric Result form using variables from a script.
    • Likert Scale: Users select from a custom scale of radio-button options, each tied to a metric definition. For reusable answer series, use the Template data type instead.
    • Number: Users enter a numeric value. In Script Assessment, values are populated via script variables.
    • Percentage: Similar to Number, users enter a number representing a percentage; script populates values when used in Script Assessment.
    • String: Users enter text input, with field size adjustable depending on the string option selected.
    • Template: Users select from predefined answer options represented by radio buttons. Requires at least one template defined for use.
    • Yes/No: Users select either Yes or No. The Scale definition can be set to High if Yes corresponds to a better score.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    Selecting the appropriate data type for each assessment question enables accurate data capture and scoring. Metric definitions must be created or updated to correspond with the chosen data type, especially for Choice, Likert Scale, and Template types which require individual metric definitions per answer option. Script-based data types allow automated population of metric results, facilitating advanced assessments.

    Understanding these data types empowers customers to design assessments that align with their scoring logic, improve data quality, and enhance the user experience in collecting assessment responses.

    Metric data types have functions that depend on the method that you select.

    Table 1. Assessment data types
    Data type Compatible methods Description
    Attachment Assessment

    On questionnaires, users attach one or more files to a question.
    Checkbox Assessment
    On questionnaires, users select a check box next to a statement or leave it cleared.
    Figure 1. Check box
    Check box

    Set the Scale definition field to High if a selected check box equates to a good score.
    Choice Assessment On questionnaires, users select a value from a list of custom answer options. Create a metric definition for each answer option.
    Figure 2. Choice
    Choice
    Date Assessment On questionnaires, users select a date.
    Figure 3. Date
    Date
    Date/Time Assessment On questionnaires, users select a date and time.
    Figure 4. Date/Time
    Date/Time
    Duration Script When the script runs, the system populates the Duration value and Scaled value fields on the Metric Result form with the appropriate values from the actual_result and scaled_result variables in the metric script.
    Likert Scale Assessment On questionnaires, users select a value from a custom scale of answer options. Create a metric definition for each answer option, which is represented by a radio button on the scale. A Likert scale metric that evaluates an application's ease of use might have the metric definitions Easy, Average, and Difficult.
    If you want to reuse a series of answer options for multiple metrics, create a metric template and use the Template data type instead of the Likert Scale data type.
    Figure 5. Likert Scale
    Likert Scale
    Number Assessment, Script Assessment: On questionnaires, users enter a number.
    Figure 6. Number
    Number

    Script: When the script runs, the system populates the Actual value and Scaled value fields on the Metric Result form with the appropriate values from the actual_result and scaled_result variables in the metric script.
    Percentage Assessment, Script
    Assessment On questionnaires, users enter a number.
    Figure 7. Percentage
    Percentage

    Script When the script runs, the system populates the Actual value and Scaled value fields on the Metric Result form with the appropriate values from the actual_result and scaled_result variables in the metric script.
    String Assessment
    On questionnaires, users enter text. The size of the string field depends on the String option you select:
    Figure 8. String
    String
    Figure 9. String single line wide data type
    String single line wide data type
    Figure 10. Additional comments
    Additional comments
    Template Assessment On questionnaires, users select a value from a predefined series of answer options. There must be at least one template defined to use this data type. For a template, there is a template definition for each answer option, which is represented by a radio button.
    Yes/No Assessment

    On questionnaires, users select Yes or No from a list.

    Figure 11. Yes/No
    Yes/No

    Set the Scale definition field to High if selecting Yes equates to a better score.