Training Survey Questions: Free Excel Template and Examples
Free training survey template: 29 questions for the end of training and a 30 to 60 day follow-up. It builds the survey and flags answers to act on.
A training survey collects feedback on the learning experience and reported use at work. It does not by itself prove learning or improved job performance.
- Choose questions that inform a decision, ask one thing at a time, and label rating scales consistently. Allow a skipped or not-applicable response when needed.
- Include an open question so people can explain a rating. A high average can still conceal a serious concern.
- This workbook flags averages below 3.5 or at least 20% disagreement as review priorities. These are illustrative thresholds to adapt, not benchmarks.
- Gather feedback near the end of training and follow up after staff can use the learning. Compare reported experience with suitable assessments, observations or work records.
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A training survey asks the people who took the training what worked, what didn't and whether they've used it since. The answers tell you what to keep, change or drop next time.
Below are 29 training survey questions grouped by purpose, with a free Excel template for choosing questions and summarising responses. Use it for feedback at the end of training and a later check on what people have used at work.
I'm the COO of Coursebox, and I run our team in Perth. Coursebox makes training management software for running training and reporting on who has done it.
Five listed the survey beside other course deliverables; none asked for a later follow-up. These requests show what people included when asking for a course, not all the evaluation they may have planned elsewhere.
The worked example is a fictional safety induction for 30 new warehouse staff. Its survey results suggest changes to practice time, session length, equipment and manager support. The last two need a workplace response as well as a review of the training.
Download the blank template to build your own survey from the question bank and read the answers. The example file has the warehouse induction's survey, both sets of results with the questions to act on, the seven common survey mistakes, and ready-made surveys for a compliance module, a software rollout and a leadership workshop, one per tab.
Open the example workbook preview at full size
Ten questions to start with
If you need a survey today, start with these ten. They're the warehouse induction's end-of-training survey: eight ratings from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) and two open questions.
| No. | Question | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The training was relevant to my job. | Perceived relevance to the respondent’s job |
| 2 | The examples matched situations I deal with at work. | Whether the content feels real |
| 3 | I had enough time to practise. | Whether the respondent felt there was enough practice |
| 4 | The trainer explained things clearly. | The delivery, one idea at a time |
| 5 | I can do what the training covered without help. | Confidence, which is not the same as skill |
| 6 | I plan to use what I learned in the next two weeks. | Intent to apply |
| 7 | The session length was about right. | Format and pace |
| 8 | I would recommend this training to a colleague. | An overall verdict |
| 9 | What is one thing you will do differently at work after this training? | A stated intention, not observed behaviour |
| 10 | What would you change about this training? | The reason behind a low score |
What a training survey can and can't tell you
A survey records what people think and say. That's useful for some questions and misleading for others.
| What you want to know | Can a survey show it? | What to use as well |
|---|---|---|
| Did people find it relevant and well run? | Yes, at the end of the training | Comments and access feedback can explain concerns |
| Did they learn it? | Self-report can show perceived learning; it does not establish achievement | A quiz, a practical check or an observation |
| Are they using it at work? | Partly, at a follow-up | Their manager's view and work records |
| Did it change results for the business? | No | The business measure, such as incidents or errors |
Kirkpatrick’s behaviour level asks whether people apply the intended behaviours at work. Plan the follow-up around when learners will have a chance to use them. This example uses 45 days; 30 to 60 days is a starting window to adapt, rather than a requirement of the model.
Read about the Kirkpatrick evaluation model.
When to send each survey
| Survey | When | Who answers | Example starting length |
|---|---|---|---|
| End of training | In the last five minutes, before people leave | Everyone who took part | 8 to 12 |
| Follow-up | After an opportunity to apply it; example: 30 to 60 days | The same people | 4 to 6 |
| Manager follow-up | At the same time as the follow-up | Each person's manager | 2 or 3 |
Questions before the training, such as what people already know, belong to a training needs analysis or a pre-training assessment.
Training survey questions by purpose
The bank includes rating, yes-or-no and open questions. Choose the ones that inform a decision you can make. For the agreement items, use the same labelled scale: 1 strongly disagree, 2 disagree, 3 neither agree nor disagree, 4 agree and 5 strongly agree. Allow people to skip an item or choose not applicable when they cannot answer it.
Questions for the end of the training
| Purpose | Question | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | The training was relevant to my job. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Relevance | The examples matched situations I deal with at work. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Relevance | The training was at the right level for my experience. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Content | The training covered what I expected from its description. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Content | The materials were easy to follow. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Practice | I had enough time to practise. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Practice | The practice tasks were like the real work. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Trainer | The trainer explained things clearly. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Trainer | The trainer answered my questions. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Learning | I can do what the training covered without help. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Learning | I know where to find help if I get stuck. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Intent to apply | I plan to use what I learned in the next two weeks. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Intent to apply | My manager knows what I learned. | Yes or no |
| Format | The session length was about right. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Format | The online platform worked without problems. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Format | The room was set up well for the training. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Overall | I would recommend this training to a colleague. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Overall | This training was a good use of my time. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Open | What is one thing you will do differently at work after this training? | Open |
| Open | What would you change about this training? | Open |
| Open | What, if anything, was confusing? | Open |
Questions for the follow-up
| Purpose | Question | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Use at work | I have used what I learned in my work since the training. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Use at work | I had the equipment I needed to apply what I learned. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Use at work | My manager has talked with me about using what I learned. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Use at work | Looking back, the training was worth the time it took. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Use at work | Give one example of when you used what you learned. | Open |
| Use at work | What got in the way of using it, if anything? | Open |
| Manager | I have seen this person use what the training covered. | Rating 1 to 5 |
| Manager | What would help this person use it more? | Open |
Send the manager questions separately, with an appropriate explanation of how their feedback will be used. Ask about the same behaviours as the learner follow-up. The workbook has two learner-survey result sheets; collect and review manager responses separately.
How to build and read a training survey
The steps follow the fictional warehouse induction: a half-day session on manual handling and the forklift zone, for 30 new staff. Its sample responses illustrate how to interpret a survey; they are not results from a real training programme.
Step 1: Decide what you might change
Write down what the answers could change: practical activities, the length of talks, explanations or follow-up support. Keep questions about a fixed venue if the answers could reveal an access or safety problem; they may inform an adjustment even when you cannot move the session.
Step 2: Choose a short set of questions
For this example, ten questions cover relevance, practice, the trainer, confidence, intent to apply, pace and an open response. Six questions go in the follow-up. Around 8 to 12 can be a useful first draft for an end-of-session survey; test how long it takes rather than treating that range as a rule.
The first five questions in the example survey
Example: Fictional warehouse induction: 30 invited staff, 24 initial respondents.
- 1. Selected view: The full workbook survey has ten end-of-training questions and six follow-up questions.
- 2. Before sending: Check wording, accessibility and actual completion time.
Open this workbook preview at full size
Step 3: Check the wording
Ask one thing per question. Pew Research Center calls a question that asks about more than one concept double-barrelled, and recommends splitting it (Pew Research Center). "The trainer was knowledgeable and engaging" is two questions, and a 3 tells you nothing about either.
The template flags a rating question with "and" or "or" in it, and leading words such as "enjoy" or "excellent". When I built the bank, it caught two of my own: "the room and equipment" and "the time and equipment".
Step 4: Add a way to explain the ratings
One person brought us the results of a real survey. A programme that trains volunteers, about 700 in its last round, asked one question after the training: how prepared people felt, from "fully prepared" down to "need deeper training".
40% chose one of the lower options. With no open question, nobody could tell which topics or situations needed more work, so the only finding was that 40% was too many. Two of the four options also mixed two judgements in one label.
An open question such as “What would you change about this training?” gives people space to explain a score. Include one or two where the answers can help you act; you do not need a separate comment box after every rating.
Step 5: Send it before people leave
Put the survey link on screen or hand it out near the end of the session, with time to answer privately. In the fictional example, 24 of the 30 invited staff respond, giving an 80% response rate.
Step 6: Read the results
Enter one row per respondent, matching the selected question order. Keep the selection fixed once you collect answers: changing it relabels the existing columns. Enter whole-number ratings from 1 to 5, or leave a blank/use NA where appropriate. The template excludes missing ratings, flags invalid entries, and summarises up to 50 responses per wave.
Two questions to investigate
Example: Fictional warehouse induction: 30 invited staff, 24 initial respondents.
- 1. Practice time: 2.7 average, 46% disagree.
- 2. Session length: 3.2 average, 29% disagree.
- 3. Interpretation: Read comments and investigate before deciding what to change.
Open this workbook preview at full size
In this workbook, an average below 3.5 or at least 20% disagreement triggers “Act”. These are illustrative priorities for review, not validated cut-offs. A serious issue in one comment still deserves attention even if the question’s average is high.
Of the 11 fictional comments about changes, seven mention more practice and five mention fewer slides or shorter talks; a comment can fit both themes. Together, they support shortening the talks and allowing more supervised practice with the approved handling method.
The workbook marks fewer than five valid ratings “Too few to read”. That limits the summary; it does not make five responses anonymous or make a smaller group’s concern unimportant. Review concerns privately, remove identifying details from comments and combine results only when that is appropriate.
Step 7: Follow up after people can use the learning
In the example, the follow-up goes to the 24 initial respondents after 45 days, and 15 reply: 63% of those invited, or half the original training group. In practice, decide whether to invite the whole cohort so that people who missed the first survey can still report their experience.
Fourteen of the 15 respondents say they have used the learning, about 93%. Equipment averages 2.9 and manager follow-up 1.9. Those are reports from respondents, not proof that everyone is using the procedures correctly.
The open answers explained both. Three people said there weren't enough trolleys, and two said their manager never mentioned the training.
These comments point to equipment availability and manager support. Check them with the site manager and staff before deciding on a response. More course content alone would not supply the missing trolleys or put follow-up conversations into managers’ schedules.
Step 8: Tell people what changed
Tell people what changed because of their answers, and explain anything you could not change. They can then see how their feedback was used.
You can add a Survey block to the end of a Coursebox course with multiple choice, open answer and star rating questions, or embed a SurveyMonkey survey. Turn on Force Completion and learners answer before they move on. Answers are tied to each learner, not anonymous, and Coursebox doesn't send follow-up surveys, so send the 30 to 60 day survey yourself.
Sample training surveys
These three are ready to copy, and each is a tab in the example file.
A compliance module
A 20-minute online privacy module. 6 questions at the end, 3 at 45 days.
| No. | Question | Type | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The examples matched situations I deal with at work. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 2 | I know what to do if I send personal information to the wrong person. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 3 | The module was the right length. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 4 | The online platform worked without problems. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 5 | This training was a good use of my time. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 6 | What, if anything, was confusing? | Open | End of training |
| 7 | Since the module, I have checked the recipient before sending personal information. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 8 | I know who to tell about a privacy breach. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 9 | What got in the way of following the policy, if anything? | Open | Follow-up |
A software rollout
Training on a new rostering app for 40 team leaders. 7 questions at the end, 4 at 30 days.
| No. | Question | Type | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The training was relevant to my job. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 2 | I had enough time to practise in the app. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 3 | I can build a week's roster without help. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 4 | I know where to find help if I get stuck. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 5 | The trainer answered my questions. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 6 | I would recommend this training to a colleague. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 7 | What would you change about this training? | Open | End of training |
| 8 | I now build every roster in the app. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 9 | The app saves me time compared with the old way. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 10 | Looking back, the training was worth the time it took. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 11 | What do you still do outside the app, and why? | Open | Follow-up |
A leadership workshop
A one-day feedback workshop for 12 new managers. 8 questions at the end, 5 at 60 days, plus 2 for their managers.
| No. | Question | Type | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The examples matched situations I deal with as a manager. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 2 | The practice conversations were like the real thing. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 3 | I had enough time to practise. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 4 | The facilitator explained things clearly. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 5 | I feel ready to give feedback on a performance problem. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 6 | I plan to use the feedback model in the next two weeks. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 7 | This workshop was a good use of my time. | Rating 1 to 5 | End of training |
| 8 | What is one conversation you will have differently? | Open | End of training |
| 9 | I have used the feedback model in a real conversation. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 10 | My own manager has asked how I am applying the workshop. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 11 | Looking back, the workshop was worth the time it took. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 12 | Give one example of when you used the model. | Open | Follow-up |
| 13 | What got in the way, if anything? | Open | Follow-up |
| 14 | (Their manager) I have seen this person give feedback using the model. | Rating 1 to 5 | Follow-up |
| 15 | (Their manager) What would help this person use it more? | Open | Follow-up |
Seven training survey mistakes
| Mistake | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Two questions in one | The trainer was knowledgeable and engaging. | Ask one thing per question: 'The trainer explained things clearly.' Engaging is a second question, if you need it. |
| Leading wording | How much did you enjoy this excellent session? | State it neutrally and let the scale do the work: 'This training was a good use of my time.' |
| Questions you won't act on | Rate the catering. | Ask what can inform a decision, including access or safety adjustments. |
| Too long | 30 questions after a full day. | Keep it focused and test the completion time with a learner. |
| Only one survey, on the day | Asking whether people will use it, but never whether they did. | Add a short follow-up 30 to 60 days later on use at work, and what got in the way. |
| Mixed scales | Some questions 1 to 5, others 1 to 10, one with 1 = best. | Use one scale, 1 to 5 with 5 = strongly agree, for every rating question. |
| Calling a 1 to 5 question NPS | 'I would recommend this training' on 1 to 5, reported as a Net Promoter Score. | NPS needs a 0 to 10 scale and its own calculation. On 1 to 5, report the % who agree (4 or 5) instead. |
Writing useful training feedback
If you're the one filling in the survey, specific answers help most. Say what helped, what didn't, and one thing to change:
- "The practice with the trolley was the most useful part; I'd cut the safety video in half."
- "The examples were from a different site, so the forklift zone rules didn't match ours."
- "I'd have liked a printed checklist to keep at my station."
Where a training survey fits
- Before the training: find out what people need with a training needs analysis questionnaire.
- The method: the survey is one part of evaluating a training program.
- The cost case: to weigh the results against the cost, see training ROI.
- Where to build it: this comparison of Microsoft Forms and Google Forms covers two free options.
The template is version 1.1, reviewed on 22 October 2026 and tested in Excel for Windows. Other spreadsheet applications are untested. The PDF is a static reference.
Building your training survey
Decide what the feedback should inform, then choose a short set of clear questions with room for comments. Read each question’s results alongside the comments, investigate concerns and follow up when staff have had an opportunity to apply the learning.
To add the survey to the end of your course and track who has completed it, start with Coursebox's training management software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ask whether the training was relevant, whether there was enough practice, whether the trainer explained things clearly, how confident people feel and whether they plan to use it. Add one open question about what to change, and a follow-up 30 to 60 days later on what they've used.
"The training was relevant to my job." "I had enough time to practise." "The trainer explained things clearly." "I plan to use what I learned in the next two weeks." "What would you change about this training?"
Use a focused set that answers the decisions you need to make. Around 8 to 12 is a starting point for an end-of-session draft; test the time with a learner and shorten it where possible. A later follow-up may need fewer questions.
Offer time near the end of training for immediate feedback. Follow up after learners have had a realistic chance to apply it; this example uses 45 days, within a suggested 30-to-60-day window.
Only with its own 0 to 10 scale and calculation: the share who score 9 or 10, minus the share who score 0 to 6. If your recommend question uses 1 to 5, report the share who agree (4 or 5) instead.
Alex Hey
Alex Hey is a technical marketer with 10 years of hands-on growth and digital marketing experience. He cofounded Coursebox together with Travis Clapp who he met online when looking for a cofounder to build a globally impactful software product. He works in the Perth, Western Australia office as the COO. He built the world's first automated funnel for patient recruitment before building Coursebox. After launching Coursebox in mid 2023, he drove +400k organic sign ups for Coursebox. Alex leads the marketing and digital growth of Coursebox and works with the product development team bringing a passion for data-driven product decision and exceptional user experience. Alex is determined to build the world's easiest way to build the perfect course.
