Mentoring Surveys

Mentoring Surveys

Mentoring Surveys that Measure What You Need To know

To benefit youth, mentoring relationships have to be strong and lasting. With Dr. Michael Nakkula, I have written the chapters in both editions of the Handbook of Youth Mentoring about how to assess match quality. To put that theory into practice, Mike and I created the Match Characteristics Questionnaire (MCQ) and the Youth Mentoring Survey (YMS). These complementary mentor and mentee surveys assess key characteristics of match quality, match structure, and external factors that influence a match. The surveys are recommended by the National Mentoring Resource Center.

The YMS and the MCQ can help show how programmatic efforts influence participants' experience and how match characteristics promote mentee outcomes. They also can enhance existing match supervision tools. You can use them for free, whether you hire me or not. Simply fill out a survey request form and you will be directed to a page with everything you need to administer and score the surveys.

Comprehensive and Useful Tools

The Match Characteristics Questionnaire (MCQ) and the Youth Mentoring Survey (YMS) are the most comprehensive match quality surveys with published validity evidence. Both offer nuanced measures of relationship quality and match structure. The MCQ also measures the influence of external factors on the match. These currently are the only surveys that measure structure or external factors in association with quality.

Because they can be integrated into existing match supervision activities, the MCQ and the YMS can efficiently collect data for use by both practitioners and evaluators. They can provide consistency and structure that helps new staff get to know their matches thoroughly, and they can help experienced staff catch small problems before they become severe.

Both surveys are supported by strong validity evidence. Each correlates strongly with other measures of match characteristics (e.g., Mentor/Mentee Mattering Surveys). They intuitively reflect differences associated with mentoring models and individual participants. They also have been found to predict shifts in mentee outcomes and length of match.

Match Characteristics Questionnaire (MCQ)

The quality of mentoring relationships can determine how long they will last and how much children will benefit from them. The Match Characteristics Questionnaire (MCQ) is regarded as one of the strongest tools available to measure match quality from the adult's perspective. It has strong evidence of validity and reliability.
(Likert and short answer questions; adults; about 20 minutes)

Learn more about what the MCQ measures

Download a description of the MCQ

Download a sample of the MCQ

Request permission to use the survey and obtain materials

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Youth Mentoring Survey (YMS)

The Youth Mentoring Survey (YMS) is the youth-response companion to the MCQ. The YMS is regarded as one of the strongest tools available to measure match quality from the youth's perspective. It has strong evidence of validity and reliability among students 3rd grade and older.
(Likert and short answer questions; 3rd-12th graders; 10-15 minutes)

Learn more about what the YMS measures

Download a description of the YMS

Download a sample of the YMS

Download an administration guide for the YMS

Request permission to use the survey and obtain materials

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Surveys for Younger and Older Mentees

ARC has adapted the YMS for use with younger students (K-1st grade version, 2nd-3rd grade version). The surveys also are available for and with college mentors and mentees. These instruments have been piloted successfully and preliminary findings suggest they are are useful tools. However, they are not yet supported by validity evidence as strong as the YMS for 4th graders and up or the MCQ for youth mentees. If you are interested in the adapted versions please contact ARC directly.

Request Permission and Receive Materials

If you would like to use the MCQ or the YMS, please fill out the survey request form. You will automatically receive everything you need to administer and score the surveys.

This site was last updated 06/20/18