A step-by-step guide to writing an effective usability test script

Usability tests are crucial when you’re introducing or updating a product. You need to find out what kind of experience actual users will have.

A usability test script is one of the best tools for this. In this guide, we’ll look at what usability test scripts are, why they are so important, and how to write one effectively.

A usability test script outlines what will be covered in a usability test. It sets the parameters for the test so that everyone is clear about the goals and methods to be implemented.

The script covers every aspect of the test, including all the tasks test subjects will perform. There are usually several parts:

• Introduction

• Warm-up questions

• Tasks and prompts

• Follow-up questions

• Closing

You might be wondering if a user testing script is really needed, but there are several reasons why you shouldn’t neglect this crucial step.

Promotes clarity

Testing needs to be very precise. You want to be sure your team has a clear idea of what to test. A script ensures you don’t leave anything out and that every task and question is relevant. It makes collaboration between team members and other stakeholders easier. People know where to look when they need to learn something about the test.

Ensures consistency

For a test to be valid, every participant must receive the same questions under the same conditions—including time limits. Even slight variations in wording can make a big difference.

The script sets the conditions precisely to ensure the test is consistent.

Helps make the test reproducible

If you’re testing a feature that is regularly updated, you may need to create similar tests in the future (although some elements may need to be changed).

Tests should be as similar as possible to measure results accurately, and you can easily replicate a good script.

Maximizes efficiency

You can fine-tune the test as you create the script to make it as streamlined and efficient as possible.

Eliminate redundant tasks or questions. If any part of the test is confusing, rewrite it to improve clarity.

The usability test script outlines the tasks participants will complete, and there are several types of usability testing. Consider what kind of test will work best for your product.

Remember that usability test types don’t have to be mutually exclusive. For example, tests may have both qualitative and quantitative elements. Both remote and in-person tests can be either moderated or unmoderated.

Let’s get into the common types of usability tests.

Remote vs. in-person

In-person tests have many advantages. Participants are more focused and won’t face the distractions they might have at home. Researchers can also observe test subjects up close and see their facial expressions and body language.

The most in-depth type of testing can be done in a lab setting. A well-equipped lab can track behavior such as eye movements.

On the other hand, it’s more costly to bring people to a dedicated space. Remote testing, using video apps such as Zoom, is a helpful, more economical option. These allow you to find test subjects from a wider geographical area. While you can’t see them up close, you can still observe their body language and facial expressions.

Another benefit of remote testing is that users are in a more natural environment—at home, for example, where they would typically use the product in real life.

For some tests, you might combine in-person and remote testing. You ask people who live locally to participate in person and interview those from further away remotely.

Moderated vs. unmoderated testing

In a moderated test, users are guided by a researcher who carefully observes the process while taking notes. In contrast, an unmoderated test is unsupervised. Users complete tasks on their own.

Moderated tests are good for collecting qualitative data but are more expensive to run. You can carry out unmoderated tests with many test subjects cheaply.

Quantitative vs. qualitative testing

Quantitative testing measures data that can be counted, such as how long it takes a user to complete a task. It may involve asking yes or no or multiple-choice questions such as, “On a scale from 1 to 5, how easy or difficult was the task?”

Qualitative testing asks open-ended questions such as “What is your overall impression of the product?” or “Was there anything that felt challenging or confusing while using the app?” 

While qualitative testing provides more in-depth data, it’s more costly and time-consuming to implement.

Follow the steps below to create an effective usability testing script.

Preliminary steps

Take these preliminary steps before creating your script:

• Set clear objectives. What are the most important features or functions you want to test? Make sure the tasks are set up to effectively accomplish your goals

• Get feedback from team members and peers. You may want to adjust test questions based on helpful recommendations.

• Set a time limit. You don’t want the test to last for too long, as participants may get bored, tired, or unfocused. Try to aim for a 30-minute time limit if possible.

• Have a team member run through the test. Having a knowledgeable user do the test can expose problems before you give it to usability testers.

Introduction

During a usability test introduction, it’s important to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for participants.

Start by introducing yourself, the team, and the test’s purpose, making it clear that the goal is to evaluate the product, not the participant.

Provide a brief overview of the session, including the tasks to be completed, the expected duration, and how feedback will be used. Explain any recording or data usage policies to reassure participants about confidentiality. Outline details of compensation if applicable.

Encourage participants to think aloud and let them know they can take breaks or stop at any time. This sets a positive tone and helps participants feel at ease, ensuring valuable and authentic feedback.

Warm-up questions

You’ll need to gather some background information about your participants before they get started. You probably already have data on them based on the criteria you used to select them. However, having them answer warm-up questions right before taking the test is also helpful. This makes it easier to interpret the results.

Here are some questions you might ask:

• Relevant background: ask about their familiarity with the product category or similar tools.

• Current processes: understand how they currently address the task or problem the product solves.

• Expectations and assumptions: explore what they hope the product will do and their assumptions about its features.

• Goals and motivations: identify their key objectives and what success looks like for them.

• Pain points: learn about any frustrations or challenges they have encountered with similar products.

Usability tasks

This is where participants complete the usability tasks. Here are some guidelines for creating the tasks:

• Decide on the number of tasks. Most tests feature approximately three to eight tasks. Consider the scope of what you want to test and how long each task is likely to take. If you feel participants should undertake over eight tasks, consider separating them into multiple tests.

• Make the test as close to normal usage as possible. Don’t provide guidance that your typical customers wouldn’t have access to when using the product independently.

• Make questions as concise as possible. Adding unnecessary details can distract users.

Observe users

Test results can provide you with many valuable insights. However, you can also gain equally helpful information by simply observing users as they take the test.

In a lab setting, close observation is fundamental to the process. However, you can still observe subjects even with less structured testing, including video interviews. Tests done by phone or sent via email are less helpful in this regard.

• How long are users spending on each task? If certain tasks are taking longer than expected, this may suggest there’s an issue.

• Watch body language and other behavior. People may frown, chuckle, shake their heads, or provide other clues as to how they are feeling. Don’t read too much into a single individual’s mannerisms, but watch out for patterns that provide valid insights.

• Observe the task flow. Look at whether people are moving smoothly from one step to the next or getting stuck at certain points.

Question participants after the test

The period immediately after a test provides a great learning opportunity. Ask open-ended questions such as:

• “Were any of the tasks or instructions unclear? If so, which ones and why? Was there anything that would have made the process clearer for you?”

• “Can you walk me through the steps you took to complete this task? What were you thinking as you went through each step?”

• “Were there any moments where you thought about doing something differently or hesitated before making a choice?”

• “Now that you’ve completed the tasks, how would you describe your overall experience with the product?”

Concluding questions and feedback

After you ask some questions about specific tasks, it’s time to get feedback on the test as a whole. Here are some sample questions:

• “How do you feel about the product now that you’ve used it?”

• “If you have used this product before, has your opinion of it changed after this test? If so, how?”

• “Is there anything else you would like to share?”

Closing

A closing paragraph in a usability testing script wraps up the session by thanking the participant and providing important information. It typically includes a brief “thank you,” a recap of the session’s purpose, details about any compensation, information on how the participant can contact the researcher in the future, and a polite farewell.

Your user testing script will largely determine how effective the test will be at informing you about any issues with the product. Here are some guidelines to help you maximize the benefits you get from the script:

Identify your most pressing needs

Decide what you want to learn from the test, bearing in mind that you may need to conduct multiple tests.

It’s better to focus on one or two key elements for each test. Trying to accomplish too much can be confusing for both researchers and participants.

Recruit the right test subjects

Who are your ideal test subjects? As much as possible, these should mirror your customers or target audience.

Be clear about practices

Be transparent about all test conditions and ask for permission to record the session. This protects you legally and also informs participants about what to expect. You don’t want them to be distracted if they notice a video camera recording them.

Put research participants at ease

Most people feel anxious about taking tests. They might associate them with school or work, where tests are graded with significant consequences.

You don’t want anxiety to adversely affect your test subjects. Take the time to reassure them that they aren’t being graded. Remind them that the goal is to create a better product and that they should just do their best and not worry about making mistakes.

Don’t be too helpful

You want the test to mimic natural usage as much as possible. Test subjects should be able to ask questions if they need guidance, but you shouldn’t volunteer any information that will make the task easier. Providing hints, shortcuts, or helpful advice defeats a key purpose of the test—to see how well users fare on their own.

Make sure tasks are consistent with user goals

One challenge of testing is that it’s an artificial environment. When actual users or customers are navigating a product, they aren’t usually focused on a single feature. They have a goal in mind, and the app, website, or product is simply a tool they use to reach it.

Your goal is to replicate the typical user’s experience. Providing detailed instructions can sometimes undermine this goal.

For example, suppose you want to test whether a call-to-action button is easy to find. Instructing test subjects to find the CTA button might seem logical, but customers won’t actively search for the button in the real world. Instead, give them a broader task, like researching products and choosing one to buy. They will need to find the CTA for this, but it will be an organic process.

Minimize bias

Bias is a factor in any type of research. You’ll need to do everything in your power to eliminate or at least minimize bias.

Bias is usually unconscious, so you might not even be aware of it. For this reason, it’s best to have multiple team members look at test procedures.

Here are some examples of common types of bias that can enter testing:

Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to place more emphasis on evidence that aligns with your beliefs. For example, suppose you are testing a certain feature that you believe works well. You may unknowingly make the test too simple, making it seem more user-friendly than it actually is.

Leading questions

Leading questions are worded in a way that makes a certain answer more likely. This may accompany confirmation bias if researchers are hoping for positive feedback.

Even a seemingly objective question like “Did you find the task easy and straightforward?” is worded in a positive way. To avoid leading the respondent, ask the following instead: “Would you say the task was easy or hard?” or “On a scale of 1 to 5, how difficult was the task?”

Social desirability bias

Social desirability bias occurs when people give the response they think is desirable or “correct.” For example, some people feel uncomfortable being critical, especially when talking to someone in person. The best defense is emphasizing that you want honest feedback, not praise for your product.

Sampling bias

Choosing the right test subjects is critical because sampling bias can occur if your test subjects aren’t representative of your target audience. For example, if your subjects are very tech-savvy, they may not notice problems that your average customers might encounter

The results you get from your tests are largely determined by the kind of questions you create. Usability test questions fall into four general categories.

• Screening: these are the questions you ask to screen potential testers, identifying those who are in your target market. Choosing the right participants is essential if you want to get meaningful test results.

• Pre-test questions: there will be diversity among test subjects even after your screening process. These are background questions about participants that enable you to identify patterns based on demographics and other information.

• In-test questions: these usability task questions are the main part of the test.

• Post-test questions: these follow-up questions give you insights into the user’s experience taking the test.

Use a template

Developing a structured template—or using one of the many templates available—can simplify developing new usability test scripts. You can create your own templates tailored to specific needs or choose from commonly available ones such as prototype, mobile app, feature, and website testing.

While each script should be customized for your specific objectives, you’ll need to include the typical sections discussed above. However, you can adjust them to fit your research.

Some templates also provide sample questions—but again, modify them to suit your needs.

Using a template can also help structure your findings and turn them into actionable insights for stakeholders.

To illustrate the process, let’s look at a sample script. For this example, the product is a gaming app that is being updated. We’ll only highlight one task.

Introduction

“Thanks for participating in our exercise. My name is Alex, and this is my partner Ashley. We’ll be leading the interview session today.

“As you move through the exercise, just relax and try to pretend you’re playing the game as you would at home. We want your honest feedback. There are no right or wrong answers. Your responses are only for research purposes, and your personal information won’t be shared.”

Opening questions

“Do you have any experience playing this game? Have you played similar games? How many hours per week do you generally play computer games?”

Starting the exercise

“Start by choosing your avatar. Your objective is to make it through the forest, collect as many tools as you can, and avoid being captured by trolls. You’ll have fifteen minutes to complete the task.

“Just relax and play the game as you would on your own. Don’t be concerned about how high you score or how fast you move. We’re assuming you are a beginner. The goal is to just enjoy the game and give us your feedback. Afterward, we’ll have some follow-up questions.”

After the exercise

“Now that you’ve finished, we have some questions. How did you find the test? How was your experience navigating the environment with your avatar? Were there any places where you got stuck and didn’t know what to do?

“Let’s finish with some final wrap-up questions. Based on your experience today, would you want to play this game again? Can you think of any changes that would have made the game more fun? This might include adding, removing, or changing any elements.

“Thanks again for your time. We’ll give you our contact information in case you think of any additional feedback you’d like to provide.”

A script is always helpful for testing. Even for simple or unmoderated tests, a brief script ensures you stay on track.

The test script is the first step toward creating a helpful usability test. A good script provides a clear outline for researchers. Test subjects will be given clear instructions and know exactly what they need to do. A poorly written script, on the other hand, can lead to confusing tasks that don’t accurately test the feature or product, resulting in skewed results.

Put yourself in the user’s shoes and create tasks that they are likely to perform in real life.

The answer depends on your priorities and how complex and time-consuming the tasks are. Between three to eight is a general guideline. If you have more than this, consider creating additional tests.

When creating a script, it’s best to consult with people from different backgrounds. Depending on the size of your organization, a team might include designers, executives, and UX specialists.