Run the study · Administrator

Test your survey before launch

Compare preview, manual test responses, and live testing mode, then prepare a clean dataset for your study.

Updated October 14, 2026

Screenshots illustrate the controls below. Layouts and labels may vary with your survey configuration. Select an image or “View full size” to open it in a new tab.

Test and reset Round 2 without losing Round 1

Keep Round 1 and its collected data intact. Record the current survey settings and export the data you need before making changes.
Create the rehearsal Round 2 using Start New Round (No Answers) when fresh submissions are required.
Use a test participant to check the entire Round 2 journey: previous answers, feedback, results, comments, hidden or locked items, and page navigation. Save pages and confirm that Round 2 responses and progress update.
Review the test records under View Responses → Round 2, including all relevant pages.
When the rehearsal is finished, delete Round 2 only and recreate it with Start New Round (No Answers). Never delete Round 1. This reset is suitable only if there is no live Round 2 data or later-round data to preserve.
Check the clean Round 2 starting state and participant feedback before inviting the panel.

Within an existing subscription, you can practice in a separate survey with Testing in Progress enabled. Responses submitted while this setting is enabled do not consume purchased response allowances. The setting can be switched only when the current round has no responses; do not clear live study data merely to enable testing. The closed-survey Test Survey route is another testing option described below.

Deleting a test round removes its response data. It does not undo edits to shared question wording, choices, or matrix structure.

Choose the right testing route

Route	Use it for	Important behavior
Preview Page	Inspecting layout and runtime controls.	Preview does not replace a test of invitations, saving, or exports.
Test Survey	Submitting manual test responses while the survey is Closed.	Choose the participant account to test. The documented test route does not consume response allowances.
Testing in Progress	Testing the live participant journey within a subscribed account.	Supports up to seven test participants in the documented workflow and no response-allowance consumption while enabled.

Survey testing is part of an existing account workflow. It is different from trial or sandbox access for a prospective customer. Calibrum does not offer trial or pre-purchase sandbox accounts.

Configure survey testing before inviting the full panel. View full size (opens in a new tab)

More screenshots and examples (1)

Generated test responses can be reviewed in the testing workflow. View full size (opens in a new tab)

Test the complete journey

Use a small participant group and identifiable test records.
Check the invitation or registration link, including re-entry.
Answer and save each question type; inspect validation and required comments.
Test consent, hiding, branching, randomization, languages, and device changes.
Check feedback before and after the minimum-answer threshold and at the intended round.
Check progress, To Do, Chat, and the closing instructions.
Export known answers and verify labels, scores, missing values, and non-ratings.

The manual response tool lets you select the user for whom a test response is generated. View full size (opens in a new tab)

Leave testing mode safely

Changing Testing in Progress requires the current round to contain no responses. Clear test data deliberately before switching the setting. Test records contribute to displayed analytics while present, so do not interpret them as study results.

The documented Launch Survey behavior clears flagged manual test responses and the question trash, while keeping live responses. Verify the Test column and the intended testing route before launch. Do not assume every answer entered during a rehearsal will be recognized as a manual test response.

Export anything you need from the rehearsal before deleting it. Use test-only participants and data, and confirm the clean live starting state before inviting the real panel.

Detailed instructions: Test Survey

To be able to test the survey before you launch it is an important part of the surveying process. You have multiple options for running tests:

1) Enable "Testing in Progress" in Survey Settings

When this setting is switched on for your survey, up to 7 panelists can enter your survey and test it. While the "Testing in Progress" option is enabled, responses submitted for the survey are not counted toward your available responses. You can use this option to test your survey live as it would be when it is launched. There are no restrictions only to the number of panelists. To be able to switch on/off the Testing in Progress option, you must first delete all responses from your current survey round (from the View Responses page). For more information visit Survey Settings > Survey Details Tab.

2) From "Test Survey" Page

The Test Survey page is only accessible if the survey is Closed. It is not visible for Open surveys. Submitting test responses from under the Test Page will not use existing responses, so it will not go toward your response quota. Click on the large green "Submit Manual Test Response" button to start testing.

It will bring up the panelist selector window:

You will need to select one of the responses whose account you will be testing the survey under:

The survey will function as a real-life survey. The only difference is that you will not be able to log off with the "Exit" button at the end, or you will not be able to test out the survey link sent in the invitation email. But other than that, everything works just like in the live version.

When you start a Closed survey, all test responses are automatically deleted for you, so you won't have to manually clear up your survey before launch. You may Close and Launch a survey at any time and as many times as you need. On each Launch, all test responses are deleted.

Test responses work just like real responses. They are evaluated, fed back to panelists. Surveylet does not make any distinctions between test and real responses when analyzing data and displaying results. On the Test Response page, all test responses are shown. No real responses are shown on the Test responses page.

The View Responses page displays both live and test responses. A column called "Test" will mark each test response with "Yes".

Test responses are also carried over from round to round if you do not delete them, or if you do not launch the survey.

Common questions

Can I delete Round 1 after testing Round 2?

No. Deleting Round 1 also deletes subsequent rounds. For a rehearsal-only Round 2, delete Round 2 only and recreate it with Start New Round (No Answers), after checking that there is no live or later-round data to preserve.

Need help with a specific survey? Participants should contact their study team. Administrators can contact Calibrum.

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