diff --git a/api/src/services/application-exporter.service.ts b/api/src/services/application-exporter.service.ts
index fd3bccef87..213c3e39bc 100644
--- a/api/src/services/application-exporter.service.ts
+++ b/api/src/services/application-exporter.service.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { join } from 'path';
 import { view } from './application.service';
 import { Application } from '../dtos/applications/application.dto';
 import { ApplicationCsvQueryParams } from '../dtos/applications/application-csv-query-params.dto';
+import { MultiselectQuestion } from '../dtos/multiselect-questions/multiselect-question.dto';
 import { ApplicationMultiselectQuestion } from '../dtos/applications/application-multiselect-question.dto';
 import { IdDTO } from '../dtos/shared/id.dto';
 import { User } from '../dtos/users/user.dto';
@@ -465,18 +466,18 @@ export class ApplicationExporterService {
     );
 
     if (forLottery) {
-      const preferences = multiSelectQuestions.filter(
-        (question) =>
-          question.applicationSection ===
-          MultiselectQuestionsApplicationSectionEnum.preferences,
+      const sortedPreferences = await this.sortPreferencesByOrdinal(
+        multiSelectQuestions,
+        queryParams.id,
       );
-      for (const preference of preferences) {
+
+      for (const preference of sortedPreferences) {
         await this.generateSpreadsheetData(
           workbook,
           mappedApps,
           columns,
           queryParams,
-          forLottery,
+          true,
           {
             id: preference.id,
             name: preference.text,
@@ -719,6 +720,44 @@ export class ApplicationExporterService {
     return res;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * 
+   * @param questions a collection of questions which can include more than preferences, the rest will be filtered out
+   * @param listingId the id of the listing
+   * @returns listing preferences sorted in ordinal order
+   */
+  async sortPreferencesByOrdinal(
+    questions: MultiselectQuestion[],
+    listingId: string,
+  ) {
+    const preferences = questions.filter(
+      (question) =>
+        question.applicationSection ===
+        MultiselectQuestionsApplicationSectionEnum.preferences,
+    );
+
+    // pull in the preference questions by ordinal
+    const listingPreferencesByOrdinal =
+      await this.prisma.listingMultiselectQuestions.findMany({
+        where: {
+          listingId: listingId,
+          multiselectQuestionId: {
+            in: [...preferences.map((preference) => preference.id)],
+          },
+        },
+        orderBy: {
+          ordinal: 'asc',
+        },
+      });
+
+    // get a sorted list of preferences via listing preference ordinal
+    return listingPreferencesByOrdinal.map((item) =>
+      preferences.find(
+        (preference) => preference.id === item.multiselectQuestionId,
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+
   // shared functions
   /**
    *
diff --git a/api/test/unit/services/application-exporter.service.spec.ts b/api/test/unit/services/application-exporter.service.spec.ts
index 4d76a14f26..e500ea3fa8 100644
--- a/api/test/unit/services/application-exporter.service.spec.ts
+++ b/api/test/unit/services/application-exporter.service.spec.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { Request as ExpressRequest, Response } from 'express';
 import { PrismaService } from '../../../src/services/prisma.service';
 import { ApplicationCsvQueryParams } from '../../../src/dtos/applications/application-csv-query-params.dto';
 import { User } from '../../../src/dtos/users/user.dto';
+import MultiselectQuestion from '../../../src/dtos/multiselect-questions/multiselect-question.dto';
 import { ApplicationExporterService } from '../../../src/services/application-exporter.service';
 import { MultiselectQuestionService } from '../../../src/services/multiselect-question.service';
 import { mockApplicationSet } from './application.service.spec';
@@ -381,4 +382,56 @@ describe('Testing application export service', () => {
 
     expect(readable).toContain('EST');
   });
+
+  it('should sort listing preferences by ordinal', async () => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers();
+    jest.setSystemTime(new Date('2024-01-01'));
+
+    const unsortedPreferences = [
+      {
+        ...mockMultiselectQuestion(
+          0,
+          new Date(),
+          MultiselectQuestionsApplicationSectionEnum.preferences,
+        ),
+      },
+      {
+        ...mockMultiselectQuestion(
+          1,
+          new Date(),
+          MultiselectQuestionsApplicationSectionEnum.preferences,
+        ),
+      },
+      {
+        ...mockMultiselectQuestion(
+          2,
+          new Date(),
+          MultiselectQuestionsApplicationSectionEnum.programs,
+        ),
+        options: [{ id: 1, text: 'text' }],
+      },
+    ] as MultiselectQuestion[];
+
+    const listingId = randomUUID();
+
+    prisma.listingMultiselectQuestions.findMany = jest.fn().mockReturnValue([
+      {
+        listingId,
+        multiselectQuestionId: unsortedPreferences[1].id,
+        ordinal: 1,
+      },
+      {
+        listingId,
+        multiselectQuestionId: unsortedPreferences[0].id,
+        ordinal: 2,
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    const sortedPreferences = await service.sortPreferencesByOrdinal(
+      unsortedPreferences,
+      listingId,
+    );
+    expect(sortedPreferences[0].text).toEqual('text 1');
+    expect(sortedPreferences[1].text).toEqual('text 0');
+  });
 });