Test Mode toolbar

You can preview changes to a specific question in context without having to complete the entire survey.

If you test your survey from a computer, you can use the Test Mode toolbar at the top of the page to navigate to any question in the survey. The Test Mode toolbar works with the same browser types and versions that are supported for responding.

Considerations and limitations

Survey testing:
  • The Test Mode toolbar is ideal when you want to quickly review changes to specific questions. It is not a substitute for thoroughly testing your survey logic from beginning to end.
  • The Test Mode toolbar lets you navigate to any survey element in the Questionnaire tree, including instructions or termination points with instructions.
  • You cannot navigate to hidden questions.
  • To test a question that contains piping or masking, you must first answer the referenced question.
  • Scripting between questions only works if you use the Previous and Next buttons to proceed through the place in the survey where the script action is located. If you use the menu or arrow buttons on the Test Mode toolbar, you bypass the execution of these scripts which are outside the selected question.
  • To mark yourself as Complete or Disqualified, you must click Next in the screen that appears before completion or disqualification occurs. If you proceed directly to the termination point, your status remains Incomplete.
  • You can use the arrow buttons in the Test Mode toolbar to return to the previous screen when you encounter a completion, disqualification, or termination point. However, if the termination point redirects you to a new website, you cannot return to the test survey.
Note: Ad blocker software may prevent visual question types from rendering in Test Mode.
Test data:
  • Your answers are not saved as test data when you use the arrow buttons on the Test Mode toolbar to proceed through the survey. Your answers are only saved as test data when you use the Previous and Next buttons in the survey itself to proceed through survey questions.
  • Because the Test Mode toolbar lets you answer questions randomly, your test data may be inaccurate or incomplete.
  • Before you perform an automated test run (ATR), you should clear any test data that may have been collected as a result of using the Test Mode toolbar to ensure accurate and complete data.