Constant Sum (ALLOC)

A question type where respondents distribute a fixed total (e.g., 100) across multiple items to indicate relative importance.

ALLOC (Allocation / Constant Sum) is a question type where respondents distribute a fixed total across multiple items. It's especially useful for capturing relative importance, budget, or share.

When to use it

  • Budget allocation (e.g., marketing spend across channels)
  • Time allocation (how a day breaks down across activities)
  • Relative importance (distribute 100 points across criteria)
  • Purchase share ("Out of your last 10 purchases, how many were Brand A?")

Configuration

  • Total value — the sum that all inputs must equal (default: 100)
  • Unit — %, hours, currency, points, etc.
  • Per-choice min / max — prevents excessive allocation to a single item
  • Required / optional

Validation

  • If the sum does not equal the target total, the respondent cannot proceed
  • The UI shows real-time running total and remaining value so the respondent can adjust easily

Example

Q. Distribute 100 points across the items below based on how important each is to you

ItemPoints
Price40
Quality30
Design20
Support10
Total100
Constant Sum (ALLOC) question preview — numeric inputs per item that must sum to 100%

Design tips

  • 4–6 items is the sweet spot; more items make allocation tedious
  • A total of 100 is easiest to interpret as percentages
  • Use the min value to decide whether "all zeros" is allowed for a choice