> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.honestly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How do I give participants a "Not applicable" answer on a scale question?

> Learn how to offer a neutral "Not applicable" answer on Ranked Single Select questions and how it affects your results.

[Go to Surveys ↗](https://webapp.honestly.de/app#/surveys) · Opens the webapp — please log in first

Not everyone can answer every rating question — for example when they have no contact with the topic being rated. So they don't have to guess, you can offer an extra **Not applicable** answer on **Ranked Single Select** questions.

### Turn the option on

1. Open your survey and go to the **Questions** tab.
2. In the list on the left, click the **Ranked Single Select** question.
3. On the right, switch **Required** off if it is on.
4. Switch **Add 'Not applicable' option** on.

![](https://mintcdn.com/honestly/VMRjyUj_k3T5egLO/images/cfbc1121ebf7.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=VMRjyUj_k3T5egLO\&q=85\&s=ad0060d40d38f848e037430bbc3d0b3b)

Use the **Preview** to check how the question looks to participants.

### When the option is available

* **Only on Ranked Single Select.** **Stars**, **Smiley faces**, **Net Promoter Score (NPS)** and the other question types don't have the toggle.
* **Not together with Required.** While **Required** is on, **Add 'Not applicable' option** is locked — and the other way round. A question that must be answered allows no way out.
* **Not when branching makes the question mandatory.** If a [branching condition](https://help.honestly.com/help/surveys/add-branching.md) uses **make the following mandatory** on the question, **Not applicable** is not shown to those participants.

### What participants see

An extra **Not applicable** button appears below the answer options. Its text is fixed and can't be edited. It is shown automatically in the language the person takes the survey in.

When someone chooses **Not applicable**, no answer is saved for that question. Any answer option they had clicked before is cleared.

### How it affects your results

**Not applicable** counts like a skipped question. It is not included in the average, the median or the distribution of answers, and it doesn't appear as an answer of its own in your results.

> [!NOTE]
>
> This way, people who can't judge a question don't distort the result — for instance by picking the middle of the scale for lack of a better choice.

### Related articles

* [How do I create a new survey?](https://help.honestly.com/help/surveys/create-new.md)
* [How can I add branches to my survey questions?](https://help.honestly.com/help/surveys/add-branching.md)
* [How can I give my employees the chance to add their own answer to a single/multi select question?](https://help.honestly.com/help/surveys/custom-answer-option.md)
* [How can I test my survey?](https://help.honestly.com/help/surveys/test-survey.md)


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