Vark Questionnaire, Version 7.0

THE VARK QUESTIONNAIRE, VERSION 7.0

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This questionnaire is designed to tell you about your preferences for how you work with information. Choose answers that explain your preference(s). Check the box next to those items. For each question, select as many boxes as apply to you. If none of the response options applies to you, leave the item blank.

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  1. You are helping someone who wants to go to your airport, town center, or railway station. You would:
    1. a. go with her.
    2. b. tell her the directions.
    3. c. write down the directions (without a map).
    4. d. draw a map or give her one.
  2. You are not sure whether a word should be spelled “dependent” or “dependant.” You would:
    1. a. see the words in your mind and choose by the way they look.
    2. b. think about how each word sounds and choose one.
    3. c. find it in a dictionary.
    4. d. write both words on paper and choose one.
  3. You are planning a holiday for a group. You want some feedback from them about the plan. You would:
    1. a. describe some of the highlights.
    2. b. use a map or Web site to show them the places.
    3. c. give them a copy of the printed itinerary.
    4. d. phone, text, or e-mail them.
  4. You are going to cook something as a special treat for your family. You would:
    1. a. cook something you know without the need for instructions.
    2. b. ask friends for suggestions.
    3. c. look through a cookbook for ideas from the pictures.
    4. d. use a cookbook where you know there is a good recipe.
  5. A group of tourists want to learn about the parks or wildlife reserves in your area. You would:
    1. a. talk about, or arrange a talk for them, about parks or wildlife reserves.
    2. b. show them Internet pictures, photographs, or picture books.
    3. c. take them to a park or wildlife reserve and walk with them.
    4. d. give them a book or pamphlets about the parks or wildlife reserves.
  6. You are about to purchase a digital camera or mobile phone. Other than price, what would most influence your decision?
    1. a. trying or testing it
    2. b. reading the details about its features
    3. c. thinking that it is a modern design and looks good
    4. d. hearing about its features from the salesperson
  7. Remember a time when you learned how to do something new. Try to avoid choosing a physical skill (e.g., riding a bike). You learned best by:
    1. a. watching a demonstration.
    2. b. listening to somebody explaining it and asking questions.
    3. c. referring to diagrams and charts, e.g., visual clues.
    4. d. reading the written instructions, e.g., a manual or textbook.
  8. You have a problem with your knee. You would prefer that the doctor:
    1. a. give you an online source or written materials to read about your problem.
    2. b. use a plastic model of a knee to show what was wrong.
    3. c. describe what was wrong.
    4. d. show you a diagram of what was wrong.
  9. You want to learn a new program, skill, or game on a computer. You would:
    1. a. read the written instructions that came with the program.
    2. b. talk with people who know about the program.
    3. c. use the controls or keyboard.
    4. d. follow the diagrams in the book that came with it.
  10. You like Web sites that have:
    1. a. things you can click on, shift, or try.
    2. b. interesting design and visual features.
    3. c. interesting written descriptions, lists, and explanations.
    4. d. audio channels where you can hear music, radio programs, or interviews.
  11. Other than price, what would most influence your decision to buy a new nonfiction book?
    1. a. thinking it looks appealing
    2. b. quickly reading parts of it
    3. c. hearing a friend talk about it and recommend it
    4. d. its real-life stories, experiences, and examples
  12. You are using a book, CD, or Web site to learn how to take photos with your new digital camera. You would like to have:
    1. a. a chance to ask questions and talk about the camera and its features.
    2. b. clear written instructions with lists and bullet points about what to do.
    3. c. diagrams showing the camera and what each part does.
    4. d. many examples of good and poor photos and how to improve them.
  13. You prefer a teacher or a presenter who uses:
    1. a. demonstrations, models, or practical sessions.
    2. b. question and answer, talk, group discussion, or guest speakers.
    3. c. handouts, books, or readings.
    4. d. diagrams, charts, or graphs.
  14. You have finished a competition or test and would like some feedback:
    1. a. using examples from what you have done.
    2. b. using a written description of your results.
    3. c. from somebody who talks it through with you.
    4. d. using graphs showing what you had achieved.
  15. You are going to choose food at a restaurant or café. You would:
    1. a. choose something that you have had there before.
    2. b. listen to the waiter or ask friends to recommend choices.
    3. c. choose from the descriptions in the menu.
    4. d. look at what others are eating or look at pictures of each dish.
  16. You have to make an important speech at a conference or special occasion. You would:
    1. a. make diagrams or get graphs to help explain things.
    2. b. write a few key words and practice saying your speech over and over.
    3. c. write out your speech and learn from reading it over several times.
    4. d. gather many examples and stories to make the talk real and practical.

Source: The Vark Questionnaire, Copyright Version 7.1 (2011) is held by Neil D. Fleming, Christchurch, New Zealand. Used by permission.

Scoring the VARK. Now you will match up each one of the boxes you selected with a category from the VARK using the following scoring chart. Circle the letter (V, A, R, or K) that corresponds to each one of your responses (A, B, C, or D). For example, if you marked both B and C for question 3, circle both the V and R in the third row.

Responses to Question 3: A B C D
VARK letter K V R A
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Count the number of each of the VARK letters you have circled to get your score for each VARK.

Scoring Chart

Question a Category b Category c Category d Category
1 K A R V
2 V A R K
3 K V R A
4 K A V R
5 A V K R
6 K R V A
7 K A V R
8 R K A V
9 R A K V
10 K V R A
11 V R A K
12 A R V K
13 K A R V
14 K R A V
15 K A R V
16 V A R K

Total number of Vs circled = _____ Total number of As circled = _____

Total number of Rs circled = _____ Total number of Ks circled = _____

Because there is more than one answer for each question, scoring is not a simple matter of counting. It’s like four stepping stones across water. Enter your scores from highest to lowest on the stones in the figure, with their V, A, R, and K labels.

image

Your stepping distance comes from this table:

The total of my four VARK scores is My stepping distance is
16–21 1
22–27 2
28–32 3
More than 32 4
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Follow these steps to establish your preferences.

YOUR TURN

Discuss

Did your VARK score surprise you at all? Did you know what type of learner you were before taking the test? If so, when did you discover that? How do you use your learning modality to your benefit? Be prepared to discuss your results and reflections with the class.

  1. Your first preference is always your highest score. Check that first stone as one of your preferences.
  2. Now subtract your second highest score from your first. If that figure is larger than your stepping distance, you have a single preference. Otherwise, check this stone as another preference and continue with step 3.
  3. Subtract your third score from your second one. If that figure is larger than your stepping distance, you have a strong preference for two learning styles (bimodal). If not, check your third stone as a preference and continue with step 4.
  4. Last, subtract your fourth score from your third one. If that figure is larger than your stepping distance, you have a strong preference for three learning styles (trimodal). You may also find that you prefer the four learning styles equally. Otherwise, check your fourth stone as a preference, and you have all four modes as your preferences!

Note: If you are bimodal or trimodal or you have checked all four modes as your preferences, you can be described as multimodal in your VARK preferences.