Tasks: An Overview

 

At a Glance Tasks are steps that contributors must take to complete a session. This article provides an overview of the different tasks you can use when building your test.

 

Overview

While completing tasks, we ask contributors to speak their thoughts aloud to understand the thought process and reasoning behind their actions.

An example of a task is "Use Google to research Bluetooth headsets" or "After using this webpage, how do you feel about this company?"

Notes about tasks:

• There is no limit to the number of tasks in a test (however, tests should take 15 to 20 minutes to complete).
• Tasks should not require contributors to provide any sensitive Personally Identifying Information (PII). If you are a covered health entity and have signed a BAA with UserTesting, you may collect Protected Health Information (PHI); read our article to learn more.
• Tasks appear on the top right corner of a contributor's screen in the form of a widget.
  • The task widget can be moved around so that it's not in the way.
• Contributors can select the Next button on the screen recorder to proceed to the next task.
  • When all tasks are completed, contributors will see Done in place of the Next button.

Pro Tip: Get more accurate time on tasks by separating related questions from the tasks. Because they're recorded, you can skip directly to the answer in the video. You'll also be able to make great clips for your highlight reel.

Learn more about tasks in the sections below.

• Camera Task Section
• Assets
• Task Groups
  • Camera Tasks
  • Balanced Comparison
• Tasks and Questions
  • Task
  • Verbal response
  • Multiple choice
  • Rating Scale
  • Written Response
  • Popular Tasks
• Editing Tasks

Camera Task Section

Use the Camera task section when conducting mobile tests to understand your customer's environment and context better. We'll add a screener question and instructions to make it clear to contributors that they will need to engage the rear-facing camera when completing the test. Click and drag your tasks and questions into the Camera task section.

Note: When you build your audience, you will need to indicate that contributors should use a smartphone; this will activate the Camera task section for you to put in your test plan.

Learn more: Creating Camera Tasks for Mobile Tests

Assets

You can show your test contributors an image (PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, and PDF) during a test.

You can also add a URL asset for contributors to visit.

Native video and audio can be shared in a website or prototype study. Please read more about this asset here.

• Learn more about URL Assets
• Learn more about Image Assets  
• Learn more about Native Video and Audio Assets

Task Groups

Grouped tasks and results help streamline the test creation process and organize contributor answers for at-a-glance discoveries. Use findability, content, and visual appeal for pre-configured sets of tasks to help you solve your specific business challenge. Use custom grouped tasks to create your own and reuse for future tests.

Read more: How to Use Grouped Tasks and Results

Camera Tasks

Use the Camera task section when conducting mobile tests to understand your customer's environment and context better. We'll add a screener question and instructions to make it clear to contributors that they will need to engage the rear-facing camera when completing the test. Click and drag your tasks and questions into the Camera task section.

Note: When you build your audience, you will need to indicate that contributors should use a smartphone; this will activate the Camera task section for you to put in your test plan.

 

Learn more: Creating Camera Tasks for Mobile Tests

Balanced Comparison

Balanced comparison reduces the bias associated with presenting designs in a certain order. It adds two task group sections to your test plan for you to populate.

Learn more: Using the Balanced Comparison Feature

 

Task and Questions

The following are the different types of tasks available when creating a study.

Task

You can add a general Task that allows you to ask a question or instruct a contributor to perform an action you'd like them to complete.

Contributor view:

 

 

Task Groups

Grouped tasks and results help streamline the test creation process and organize contributor answers for at-a-glance discoveries.

Five Second Test

The Five second test function will show the URL listed in the Starting URL field to your contributors for five seconds only. Afterward, we'll ask them three questions to recall their impressions and understanding of the page.

• What do you remember?
• What can you do on this site?
• Who's this site for?

The Five second test will always be the first task, and the three questions cannot be changed. Once the test contributor has answered the three questions, they'll see the Starting URL again. For a walkthrough, see our Quick Tip course on how to use the Five Second Test.

Notes:

• The Five second test is only available for desktop website tests that use the Chrome browser.
• If you are using the Invite Network, running a mobile or prototype test, or asking users to use a browser other than Chrome, do not include the Five second test.
• The test Preview feature also will not reflect the Five second test, although you can still include it in your test.

Verbal Response

Verbal response questions prompt contributors to provide a spoken answer, which correlates with where a contributor is at in the study. Since they're recorded, you can skip directly to the answer in the video. They make great clips for your highlight reel!

To add a verbal response question to your study, select Verbal response, then type in your question or instruction.

Multiple Choice

Contributors will select one or more answers from a given list of possible responses. You need to set whether they must choose one answer, or may select more than one answer.

Rating Scale

Rating scale tasks are a great way to extract data quickly during your test. Choose from a variety of rating scales, or create your own and customize the endpoints.

For more information, visit Using Rating Scale Questions.

Written Response

Written response tasks are excellent for getting test contributors to use their own words when describing the experience. contributors will type their answers into the provided text box. Please note that this can be more cumbersome during mobile tests.

 

Learn more: Written response questions 

Popular Tasks

If you can't think of a task, you can draw from our task bank of common and popular tasks. To choose from a list of our most popular tasks, select View Examples.

Next, filter by category to view the available tasks. Click on the task to add that task to your study.

 

Editing Tasks

You can edit the study details for sessions that have yet to be picked up by going to the session details of your test and selecting Edit test details under the Actions menu.

From the next screen, you'll be able to edit:

• Starting URL
• Scenario
• Tasks
• Post-study questionnaire

 

The changes you make will affect all unfilled sessions within that test. Note that you're not permitted to make changes to one individual session in a test with multiple sessions.

Note: You can also change the screener questions within a test after it is launched, but if you would like to change contributor demographics, you'll need to create a new study.

 

Learn More Need more information? Read these related articles. Setting Up Tasks Writing Great Tasks How Long Should a Test Be? Want to learn more about this topic? Check out our University courses. How to Structure Your Tests Managing Test Length

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