Data types for assessments

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Data types for assessments

    This content outlines the various data types available for assessment metrics in ServiceNow, specifically for use in questionnaires. Each data type corresponds to different input methods and scoring approaches, enabling customers to design assessments that capture diverse types of user feedback and responses effectively.

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    Data Types and Their Use Cases

    • Attachment: Allows users to attach one or more files to a question.
    • Checkbox: Users select or clear checkboxes; the scale definition can mark a checked box as a high (good) score.
    • Choice: Users select a value from a custom list; each choice requires a metric definition.
    • Date: Users select a date.
    • Date/Time: Users select both date and time.
    • Duration (Script): Populates duration and scaled values via a script using variables actualresult and scaledresult.
    • Likert Scale: Users select from a custom scale of options represented by radio buttons; metric definitions are needed per option. For reusable scales, create a metric template and use the Template data type instead.
    • Number: Users enter numeric values; also supports script-based population of actual and scaled values.
    • Percentage: Similar to Number, users enter percentages; scripting can be used to populate values.
    • String: Users enter text; size varies based on string option selected (single line, wide, or comments).
    • Template: Users select from predefined answer options defined in a template; requires at least one template.
    • Yes/No: Users select Yes or No; the scale can mark Yes as a high score.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    Understanding these data types is essential when creating assessment metrics and questionnaires in ServiceNow. Selecting the appropriate data type ensures accurate data capture and scoring aligned with your assessment goals. For example, use the Likert Scale data type for scaled responses or Template data type to reuse answer sets.

    Script data types (Duration, Number, Percentage) allow advanced metric calculations and automated value population, enhancing flexibility in assessments.

    Scale definitions (e.g., marking certain choices as high scores) help in interpreting questionnaire responses meaningfully for reporting and decision-making.

    Next Steps

    • Create assessment metric definitions tailored to your chosen data types.
    • Update metric minimum and maximum values as needed to align with templates.

    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.