ATLASResearch
methods
Quantitative/ Measurement

System Usability Scale

Measure perceived usability with a standard scale

The System Usability Scale is a ten-item questionnaire assessing perceived usability after experience with a system. Alternating item polarity requires the standard scoring transformation, yielding a score from zero to one hundred. That score is not a percentage of users satisfied or tasks completed. Interpretation needs task, population and reference-context information alongside uncertainty.

WHEN IT FITS

Use SUS for a brief, standardised measure of perceived usability after relevant interaction, particularly when comparing versions or systems while also collecting task performance or qualitative diagnostic evidence.

Strengths

  • Brief and widely studied across interactive systems
  • Enables consistent perceived-usability measurement across iterations

Limitations

  • A total score does not locate interface problems
  • Comparisons depend on user experience, tasks and context

Know the boundary

SUS measures perceived usability, not objective task success, workload or learning gain.

USED ACROSS
Computer scienceEducationBusiness & MBA