How to get numerical answers for categorical questions?

[Shubhreet1]

Hello,

I am looking for a way to get numerical answers from categorical questions in ArcGIS Survey 123. Please refer to the image below before I explain the whole scenario:

 I am supposed to collect data on normal and today's (current) staffing level in care homes. There are five categories of staffs: Nursing, Health Care Aides, Laundry, Dietary staff and activity workers. I need to calculate the ratio of today's to the normal staffing level separately for each category. 

For this purpose, I planned to have multiline questions (which is text based) for both these questions and to ask the submitters to answer for each category in separate line in the answer box. I further intend to calculate the ratios one by one after converting the text values into numerical ones. for example, to calculate ratio for nursing I should  get numerical form of 48 and divide it by numerical form of 50. 

Can anyone please suggest me on how to convert these text values into numerical for all categories and get the separate ratios displayed. OR if there is another solution for such scenario other than using multiline question, please guide me. 

Thanks in advance!

[jcarlson]

Is there a particular reason to use multiline questions? It seems awfully prone to user error.

[Katie_Clark · Accepted solution]

I agree with Josh, it sounds like a method very prone to user error, and I can't think of a benefit to having a multiline question here. I would recommend having unique questions in your survey that are integer or decimal type, and then you can use those fields in calculations in the survey to determine the ratio.