The Question Threshold is a setting on each standard in a template. It sets the minimum number of questions that must be answered before the standard can be rated and the assessment submitted, so assessors don't have to answer every single question in a large standard.
⚠️ Important: this applies to this template's use of the standard, not the standard itself. Other templates using the same standard from your Knowledge Bank keep their own, separate threshold.
What the threshold does
Both a rating with evidence and a Not Applicable count towards the minimum.
Scenario | Outcome |
A question is rated with evidence | Counts towards the threshold |
A question is marked Not Applicable | Counts towards the threshold, the same as a full rating |
The threshold is met | Remaining, non-mandatory questions in the standard can be left blank |
The field is left blank | Every question in the standard must be answered |
How to set a threshold
Open the standard's edit screen
Go to Quality Assurance, then Question Templates.
Open the template and click into the standard you want to change.
Set the threshold
Find Question Threshold (Optional) near the top of the screen.
Enter the minimum number of questions that must be answered.
Click Save changes.
🤓 Tip: leave the field blank if every question in the standard should always be required.
📌 Note: if any questions in the standard are marked Mandatory, the threshold can't be set lower than the number of mandatory questions, since those always need answering regardless of the threshold.
Good and poor practice
Good practice
Set a threshold on standards with a large number of optional or situational questions, so assessors aren't forced to answer every one.
Combine it with Mandatory questions to keep your must-answer items, like safeguarding checks, always required.
Review thresholds separately for each template using a standard, since they don't carry across.
Poor practice
Setting a threshold without checking whether any questions in the standard are marked Mandatory, which can produce a validation error when saving.
Assuming a threshold set on one template applies everywhere the standard is used.
Leaving thresholds unset after migrating from PAMMS and expecting old settings to have carried over. They have not.
Summary
The answer threshold lets a standard be rated once enough of its questions are answered, rather than requiring every single one. Set it from the standard's edit screen in Question Templates, and pair it with Mandatory questions to keep your most important checks in place.
See also: Mark specific questions as mandatory.