Our personalities shape how we respond to the world & how we feel about ourselves. If we know ourselves well enough, we can learn more about what makes us happy & what careers may suit us best. While it's hard to pin down an accurate, scientific, measure of personality, it's still interesting gain insight into who you are (Think of it as a step up from those "Which Disney Princess Are You" tests). Here are 10 personality tests that can help you learn more about what makes you tick.
1. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
If you've been on the internet long enough, you probably know about the MBTI. While collectively dismissed by psychology community, it still gives you advice on what careers might suit you best & how to feed into your basic personality traits. This test gives you one of 16 different personality types, and measures four main traits: introversion vs. extroversion, sensing vs. intuition, thinking vs. feeling, and judgement vs. perception.
Time to Take: 15 minutes
2. The Enneagram of Personality
The Enneagram of Personality sorts test takers into 9 types, which are identified by numbers. These types focus on the main desires and fears that drive your behavior and shape how you interact with the world. Additionally, knowing your friends' Enneagram types can help you figure out what's important to them and how you can support them best.
Time to Take: 10 minutes
Bonus: Sleeping at Last wrote an album called "Enneagram". You can look up your type and find a song that is meant to speak to your personality type.
3. The Big Five Personality Test
This test is more widely regarded by the psychology community, as it presents personality traits on a spectrum rather than dividing them into specific types. It centers on five traits that are believed to drive thought & behavior: Extroversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
Time to Take: 10 minutes
4. Multidimensional Introversion-Extroversion Scales
So you've probably figured out by now whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, and that's all well and good, but aren't there situations when you act like the opposite type? People who are 100% introvert or extrovert simply don't exist. There are many situations where we feel more introverted or extroverted, and there are even more situations where we have to present a certain way to be accepted by our peers. That's where the Multidimensional Introversion-Extroversion Scales come in. This test breaks down introversion and extroversion into a variety of sub-traits, and takes you a bit more in depth on how your "social battery" works.
Time to Take: 15 minutes
5. Holland Code Test
This is a more professional personality test that employers and colleges use to match you up with projects & careers that suit you best. The test gives you insight into how you like to work & what fields may interest you the most. Each test produces a "Holland Code", which gives you a single trait to guide your career exploration.
Time to Take: 10 minutes
6. The Dark Triad
This one's definitely just for fun. The Dark Triad test ranks your tendencies toward traits widely regarded as evil: Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy. These three traits are linked to one another and can play off one another, but have distinct traits that set them apart from the others. It goes without saying that you definitely shouldn't take career or love advice based on your tendencies towards these traits.
Time to Take: 5 minutes
7. The DISC Assessment
The DISC assessment is widely used by employers to measure the personalities of their teams/potential hires. This test describes your actions in professional & group settings, and focuses on four main traits: Dominance, Influence, Compliance, and Steadiness.
Time to Take: 5-10 minutes
8. 5 Love Languages Quiz
What does it take for you to feel appreciated & loved? The 5 Love Languages Quiz is adopted from the book of the same name. This test gives you insight in how you like to receive love from your significant other, as well as friends & family. Additionally, if you figure out your significant other's top love languages, you can build a stronger relationship with them.
Time to Take: 5-10 minutes
9. The 300-Question Personality Test
This personality test even more in depth into personality by gathering as much data as it possibly can. It has you rank statements on how much you agree with them, then ranks your scores on 30 personality traits. It divides your personality into 5 major dimensions: cognitive style, organizational style, energy style, stress management style, and interpersonal style.
Time to Take: 30 minutes
10. The Temperament Test
Temperament is our responsiveness to stimuli. We develop our temperament at a very young age, and usually it stays with us for the rest of our lives. The Temperament Test works in tandem with the MBTI to give you insight into how you react to the world & which approach you take in most situations.
Time to Take: 10 minutes
