Single Session tests support two ways to design the tester experience:
Simple Instructions: you write instructions, testers complete the test on their own, mark it complete, and answer a wrap-up survey.
Step by Step: you build the whole session as an ordered process of tasks and questions that testers complete in a single sitting.
Note: Step by Step mode is currently available only to select clients based on plan type. Contact us if you'd like it enabled for your team.
Choose your design mode
When setting up a Single Session test, the Test Instructions step asks "How do you want to design your test?" Pick the option that fits your study:
Simple Instructions works best for open-ended exploration, where feedback at the end of the session is enough.
Step by Step works best for structured flows like onboarding, checkout, or a specific feature, where you want feedback captured at each step along the way.
About Simple Instructions
Simple instructions uses one rich-text field that you can use for any instructions you have. See this article for the types of things you may want to put there.
About the Step by Step Test Process
When you select Step by Step, your test includes a single Test Process that you build in the survey editor. You can combine:
Tasks for testers to perform
Questions of any type: multiple choice, rating scales, short and long text, rankings, file and screen recording uploads, and more
When you choose "Step by Step", you design your test within Step 4 (Test Process) after configuring your test recruiting requirements.
Note: You can also use the Task type for any text or introduction you want to provide.
Place questions between tasks to capture feedback in context, right after the tester completes each part of your flow.
Use Preview (at the bottom of the survey builder) at any point to see exactly what testers will experience. When you launch the test, your Test Process is published automatically, so there's nothing extra to distribute.
What testers experience
Simple instructions:
Instructions -> Indicate Completion -> Get Survey
Testers receive the Instructions and a simple 1 question survey to confirm their completion
Then they receive the final survey you designed
Step by Step
Once accepted into your test, testers are taken directly into your survey (aka Activity) that you designed.
They complete each task and question in order, in one sitting. Their responses appear in your test results just like survey responses, including individual answers, response summaries, and AI insights.
You can define when designing the activity if you want testers to see all tasks/questions at once, or one-at-a-time.
Switching between modes
In short - Only switch before you've built out your test. Switching will delete any content you created in the other mode (i.e. questions or tasks).
You can switch between Simple Instructions and Step by Step to explore, but keep in mind:
Switching modes resets your test content to a fresh starting point: a blank Test Process for Step by Step, or the standard survey for Simple Instructions. Choose your mode before building out your content.
Once testers have started submitting responses, the mode can no longer be changed.
Questions?
Reach out to your account management team and we're happy to help. We're happy to help you decide which design mode fits your test, or to enable Step by Step for your account.