Cognitive and Usability Testing Results of the 2023 Census Test Instrument in English and Spanish

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Working Paper Number: rsm2025-10

Abstract

The 2023 Census Test is the first iteration of the Small-Scale Response Testing (SmaRT) program that is part of the Census Bureau’s Small-Scale Testing Initiative. In preparation for the 2023 Census Test, the Center for Behavioral Science Methods (CBSM) at the Census Bureau carried out cognitive and usability testing of the online questionnaire. Seventeen participants provided feedback during the pretesting, and the online questionnaire was tested in English and Spanish. The questionnaire was programmed in Qualtrics and followed the 2020 Census online questionnaire design with few exceptions. The research questions included observing any issues related to a redesigned address collection screen, observing for any issues with a new question related to whether respondents are answering the census questionnaire for their entire household, and observing for any cognitive or usability issues related to the flow of the questionnaire, especially for reporting vacant housing units. In this paper, we present our findings and recommendations based on respondent feedback and spontaneous reactions, as well as observational, behavioral, and satisfaction data.

Page Last Revised - July 7, 2025