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16-type personality test · 60 statements · no time limit

Personality Test: Find Your 16-Type Code and How Rare It Is

This personality test sorts you into one of 16 personality types, using the four preference pairs from Carl Jung’s theory that Myers and Briggs made famous. Answer 60 short statements, with no time limit. You then see your four-letter type, how strongly you lean on each scale, and how common your type is. A full report on careers, compatibility and growth is optional.

Type spotlightRarest of the 16
INFJ1.5%of US adults

Introverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Judging

About 1 in 67 people, in the MBTI Manual’s US sample

Example resultBefore you pay
Introverted64%
Intuitive71%
Feeling58%
Judging55%

Your four letters, a % for each scale and how rare your type is.

60Statements
4 scalesA % for each
16 typesFrom Jung’s theory
~10 minNo time limit

This personality test at a glance

Statements
60 (15 for each scale)
Answers
5 options, from strongly disagree to strongly agree
Time limit
None (about 10 minutes at a steady pace)
Result
One of 16 four-letter types, with a % for each scale
Before you pay
Your type, your four scale scores and how common your type is
Optional report
5 PDFs: 32-page report, Career Matcher, Compatibility Map, 30-Day Growth Plan, certificate
Based on
Carl Jung, Psychological Types (1921)

An independent personality test. The statements and the descriptions on this page were written by IQ Metrics. This is not the official MBTI® assessment, and IQ Metrics is not affiliated with The Myers-Briggs Company or The Myers & Briggs Foundation. Your result describes preferences, not abilities, and it is not a clinical or hiring assessment.

Try it now

What the personality test questions look like

Here is an example of Myers-Briggs test questions in this format: one sample MBTI test question you can answer now. Each of the 60 statements works like this one. Pick the answer that fits you best, and the real test starts. This example is not one of the test statements, so it gives nothing away.

Personality evaluation questions: one example for each scale

  • S / N“When I learn something new, I want the concrete steps before the big idea.”Agreeing leans Sensing
  • T / F“When a friend asks for advice, I point out the weak spots in their plan first.”Agreeing leans Thinking
  • J / P“I feel calmer when my weekend is planned by Friday night.”Agreeing leans Judging

Like the statement on the right, these personality evaluation questions were written for this page and are not in the test.

After a long, busy week, I would rather spend Saturday night out with a big group than at home on my own.

Choose the option that best reflects you

Agreeing moves your score toward Extraverted (E); disagreeing moves it toward Introverted (I). “Neither” leaves it where it is.

The basics
Types of personality tests in psychology
  • Self-report questionnairesYou rate statements about yourself. Examples: this test, Big Five tests and the official MBTI.
  • Projective testsYou describe what you see in an unclear picture, such as the Rorschach inkblots, and a trained professional interprets it.
  • Ratings by othersPeople who know you well rate your personality, which helps check a self-report.
  • Performance tasksHow you act on a set task is scored, instead of how you describe yourself.

These are the main types of personality tests in psychology. Most personality tests online are self-report questionnaires. [1]

What is a personality test?

A personality test is a questionnaire about how you usually think, feel and act. You rate statements about yourself, and the test turns your answers into a profile: a type, a set of trait scores, or both. [1]

You may also see it called a personality assessment, a personality inventory or a temperament test. There are two main kinds. A personality type test sorts you into a category, such as one of 16 four-letter types. Trait tests give you a score on each of several scales, such as the five traits of the Big Five. This test does both: it gives you a type, and it shows the percentage behind each letter.

The 16 types come from Carl Jung’s 1921 book Psychological Types. [2] Jung described people by where they direct their energy and by how they take in information and make decisions. Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers later turned his ideas into a questionnaire, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). [3]

An online personality test cannot diagnose anything, and it does not measure how clever or capable you are. What it can do is give you words for your habits. That makes it easier to see why some tasks drain you, why some people are easy to work with, and where you might want to stretch.

Method
What is my type? Four scales, four letters

What is my type? The side you lean to on each scale. In this example: INFJ

Tips for an accurate result
  • Take the test when you are not rushed or upset.
  • Think about how you behave most of the time, at home as well as at work.
  • Use “Neither” only when both sides really fit you equally.

How does this personality test work?

You rate 60 statements, and each answer moves one of four scales a little to one side. Your four letters are the sides you lean toward.

  1. Answer 60 statements. Each one is a short sentence about everyday life. You choose one of five answers, from strongly disagree to strongly agree. There is no timer and no right answer.
  2. Each scale gets 15 statements. About half are worded one way and half the other way round. So agreeing with everything does not push you to one side, and careless answers stand out.
  3. Your answers are added up. A strong answer counts twice as much as a mild one, and “Neither” counts as zero. Each scale ends on one side, and that side gives you its letter.
  4. You see your type and your percentages. A score of 80% Introverted is a clear lean. A score of 52% is a close call, and the page tells you so.

Why 60 statements? This is not a quick MBTI test of 10 questions. Fifteen statements per scale give each letter enough answers to show a clear lean, and to show when a lean is a close call.

How long does it take? There is no time limit. At a steady pace of about 10 seconds a statement, the 60 statements take roughly 10 minutes. Go with your first honest reaction: answers you think about for a long time tend to describe who you would like to be, not who you are.

Your result

What do you get when you finish?

After the last statement you add your name and email. Your type then appears on screen. The detailed report is optional and paid.

Built on Jung’s types60 statementsA % for every letterHow rare your type is32-page reportCareer MatcherCompatibility Map30-Day Growth PlanPersonality certificateSources you can check
On screen, before you pay

Your personality type

  • Your four-letter type, such as INFJ or ESTP
  • A percentage for each of the four scales, so you can see clear leans and close calls
  • How rare your type is among adults

Five PDFs about your type

  • A 32-page personality report: strengths, blind spots, work style and relationships
  • A Career Matcher (6 pages) with work that suits your type
  • A Compatibility Map (13 pages) for partners, friends and colleagues
  • A 30-Day Growth Plan (16 pages)
  • A personality certificate in your name

What is my personality type? If you have wondered how to find your personality type, this is the short answer: answer the 60 statements, and your four letters appear when you finish. The sections below explain what each letter means, so you can check the result against your own experience.

See your own type in about 10 minutes

Answer 60 statements, and your four letters, your % on each scale and how rare your type is appear on screen before you pay.

Start the personality test 60 statements · about 10 minutes · your type before you pay
The four scales

What do the four letters mean?

This is a four letter personality test. Each letter is one side of a pair: E or I, S or N, T or F, J or P. Four pairs with two sides each give 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 16 types. The bars show how US adults split on each pair. [4]

E/IEnergy

Energy: where you get your energy

Extraverted (E) or Introverted (I). Extraverted people recharge through other people and action. Introverted people recharge with time alone and think before they speak. Most people use both; the test asks which comes more naturally.

You might lean E if a lively evening with friends leaves you buzzing. You might lean I if you need a quiet hour afterward.

E 49.3%I 50.7%
S/NInformation

Information: what you notice first

Sensing (S) or Intuitive (N). Sensing people trust what is concrete: facts, details and past experience. Intuitive people look for patterns, meanings and what could happen next.

Handed a new phone, an S might read the steps; an N might skip ahead and guess how it works.

S 73.3%N 26.7%
T/FDecisions

Decisions: how you decide

Thinking (T) or Feeling (F). Thinking people weigh logic, rules and consistency. Feeling people weigh values and the effect on the people involved. Both care about people and both can be logical.

Choosing who gets a promotion, a T starts with the numbers; an F starts with what is fair to each person.

T 40.2%F 59.8%
J/PStructure

Structure: how you organize your life

Judging (J) or Perceiving (P). Judging people like plans settled and work finished early. Perceiving people like to keep options open and often work best close to a deadline. Judging here does not mean judgmental.

Planning a trip, a J books the hotels in advance; a P books the first night and sees what happens.

J 54.1%P 45.9%

Introvert or extrovert test? The first letter is the one most people ask about. In the US sample, adults split almost evenly: 49.3% Extraverted and 50.7% Introverted. The other pairs are far less even. About 73.3% lean Sensing, so Intuitive types are the minority, and that is the main reason the rarest types all have an N. If you only wanted a quick introvert extrovert test, your first letter and its percentage are the answer.

What does the J in Myers-Briggs mean, and the T and F? J (Judging) means you like things decided; it has nothing to do with judging people. T and F are about what you weigh first when you decide, logic or people. Both sides are normal, healthy ways to run a life.

Your percentage matters as much as your letter. Two INTJs with 90% and 52% on the J/P scale are not the same: the second one is nearly an INTP. That is why this test shows the percentage behind every letter.

The chart

The 16 personality types chart, with the share of people

This is the classic Myers-Briggs type chart: introverts on the top two rows, extraverts below, Sensing types on the left and Intuitive types on the right. Each number is the share of US adults with that type. [4]

NT · Intuitive + ThinkingNF · Intuitive + FeelingSJ · Sensing + JudgingSP · Sensing + Perceiving

The figures come from the US national sample in the MBTI Manual (third edition, 1998): about 3,000 adults chosen to match the US population. We checked the type shares against the sample’s own letter splits. For example, the eight Sensing types add up to 73.4%, against a published 73.3% for Sensing. The shares are rounded, so all 16 add up to 100.3%.

Other countries, age groups and online samples give different numbers. Read the chart as a guide to which types are common and which are rare, not as exact counts.

How rare am I?

What is the rarest personality type?

The rarest personality type is INFJ, at about 1.5% of US adults, or 1 in 67 people. Next come ENTJ (1.8%) and INTJ (2.1%). The most common type is ISFJ, at about 13.8%, or 1 in 7. [4]

Rare types are rare mostly because of one letter. Only about a quarter of adults lean Intuitive, so every type with an N starts small. Among Intuitive types, Judging is the less common side: the four NJ types add up to 7.9%, against 19.0% for the four NP types. That is why INFJ, ENTJ and INTJ sit at the bottom. Sensing and Judging together are the opposite: the four SJ types add up to 46.4% of people.

So if you are looking for the rarest MBTI type, the answer from this national sample is INFJ, with ENTJ and INTJ close behind. Your result shows how common your own type is. A rare type is not better or worse than a common one. It only means you will meet fewer people who see the world the way you do.

Myers-Briggs types and percentages, most common to rarest
1ISFJIntroverted · Sensing · Feeling · Judging13.8%1 in 7
2ESFJExtraverted · Sensing · Feeling · Judging12.3%1 in 8
3ISTJIntroverted · Sensing · Thinking · Judging11.6%1 in 9
4ISFPIntroverted · Sensing · Feeling · Perceiving8.8%1 in 11
5ESTJExtraverted · Sensing · Thinking · Judging8.7%1 in 11
6ESFPExtraverted · Sensing · Feeling · Perceiving8.5%1 in 12
7ENFPExtraverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Perceiving8.1%1 in 12
8ISTPIntroverted · Sensing · Thinking · Perceiving5.4%1 in 19
9INFPIntroverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Perceiving4.4%1 in 23
10ESTPExtraverted · Sensing · Thinking · Perceiving4.3%1 in 23
11INTPIntroverted · Intuitive · Thinking · Perceiving3.3%1 in 30
12ENTPExtraverted · Intuitive · Thinking · Perceiving3.2%1 in 31
13ENFJExtraverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Judging2.5%1 in 40
14INTJIntroverted · Intuitive · Thinking · Judging2.1%1 in 48
15ENTJExtraverted · Intuitive · Thinking · Judging1.8%1 in 56
16INFJIntroverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Judging1.5%1 in 67
SJ types46.4%Sensing + JudgingISTJ · ISFJ · ESTJ · ESFJ
SP types27.0%Sensing + PerceivingISTP · ISFP · ESTP · ESFP
NF types16.5%Intuitive + FeelingINFJ · INFP · ENFJ · ENFP
NT types10.4%Intuitive + ThinkingINTJ · INTP · ENTJ · ENTP

By group: SJ types 46.4%, SP types 27.0%, NF types 16.5%, NT types 10.4% of US adults. The most common, ISFJ, is about 9 times as common as the rarest, INFJ.

Are you one of the rare types?

INFJ is about 1 in 67 people. Find your own type and see how common it is.

Find my type 60 statements · about 10 minutes · your type before you pay
The 16 types

The 16 personality types, in brief

The 16 personality types explained in a few lines each, grouped by their middle letters. There is no separate INFJ test, INTJ test or INFP test: an ENFP personality test or an ISTJ personality test is the same 60 statements, because every type is found the same way. If you think you know your type, take the test and check the percentages. Each one describes typical Each sketch describes typical preferences, not fixed rules: people of the same type still differ a lot.

NT types: Intuitive + Thinking (idea- and strategy-driven, 10.4% of people together)

INTJIntroverted · Intuitive · Thinking · Judging

Independent and strategic. INTJs build long-term plans, question rules that do not make sense and hold themselves to high standards.

  • Strengths: systems thinking, self-direction, clear goals
  • Watch out for: impatience with slower decisions; sounding blunt
  • Often enjoy work in: science, engineering, strategy, software architecture, research

About 2.1% of US adults (1 in 48).

INTPIntroverted · Intuitive · Thinking · Perceiving

Curious analysts. INTPs love ideas and models, notice the flaw in an argument at once and want to understand how everything fits together.

  • Strengths: original thinking, precise reasoning
  • Watch out for: overthinking; leaving projects unfinished once solved in their head
  • Often enjoy work in: research, programming, mathematics, data analysis, philosophy

About 3.3% of US adults (1 in 30).

ENTJExtraverted · Intuitive · Thinking · Judging

Bold, strategic organizers. ENTJs take charge, set ambitious goals and turn a vision into a plan with deadlines.

  • Strengths: leadership, long-term planning, efficiency
  • Watch out for: steamrolling others; impatience with slow progress
  • Often enjoy work in: executive roles, law, consulting, entrepreneurship, finance

About 1.8% of US adults (1 in 56).

ENTPExtraverted · Intuitive · Thinking · Perceiving

Inventive and quick-witted. ENTPs enjoy debating both sides, testing new ideas and turning problems into new ventures.

  • Strengths: brainstorming, adaptability, quick reasoning
  • Watch out for: arguing for sport; skipping the details
  • Often enjoy work in: entrepreneurship, law, consulting, product design, journalism

About 3.2% of US adults (1 in 31).

NF types: Intuitive + Feeling (meaning- and people-driven, 16.5% of people together)

INFJIntroverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Judging

Insightful, private and idealistic. INFJs look for meaning, read people well and hold on to a picture of how things could be better.

  • Strengths: long-range vision, empathy, writing and listening
  • Watch out for: burning out from carrying other people’s problems
  • Often enjoy work in: counseling, writing, teaching, psychology, nonprofit work

About 1.5% of US adults (1 in 67).

INFPIntroverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Perceiving

Thoughtful idealists. INFPs are led by their inner values, think in pictures and stories, and are drawn to causes they believe in.

  • Strengths: creativity, empathy, writing
  • Watch out for: delaying practical tasks; being hard on themselves
  • Often enjoy work in: writing, counseling, design, education, nonprofit work

About 4.4% of US adults (1 in 23).

ENFJExtraverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Judging

Warm, persuasive mentors. ENFJs help other people grow, rally a group around a shared goal and notice when someone is left out.

  • Strengths: communication, empathy, leadership
  • Watch out for: neglecting their own needs; getting over-involved
  • Often enjoy work in: teaching, coaching, human resources, public relations, counseling

About 2.5% of US adults (1 in 40).

ENFPExtraverted · Intuitive · Feeling · Perceiving

Enthusiastic idea-starters. ENFPs see possibilities everywhere, connect people with each other and bring energy to new projects.

  • Strengths: inspiration, creativity, communication
  • Watch out for: starting more than they finish; boredom with routine
  • Often enjoy work in: marketing, journalism, teaching, counseling, entrepreneurship

About 8.1% of US adults (1 in 12).

SJ types: Sensing + Judging (duty- and structure-driven, 46.4% of people together)

ISTJIntroverted · Sensing · Thinking · Judging

Practical, orderly and dependable. ISTJs trust facts they have checked, keep their promises and like to finish what they start.

  • Strengths: accuracy, follow-through, calm under routine pressure
  • Watch out for: brushing off a new method before giving it a fair test
  • Often enjoy work in: accounting, logistics, engineering, law enforcement, administration

About 11.6% of US adults (1 in 9).

ISFJIntroverted · Sensing · Feeling · Judging

Warm, loyal and quietly hard-working. ISFJs look after people in practical ways and remember the small details that matter to others.

  • Strengths: reliability, patience, care for the people around them
  • Watch out for: saying yes too often and avoiding needed conflict
  • Often enjoy work in: nursing, teaching, office management, social services

About 13.8% of US adults (1 in 7).

ESTJExtraverted · Sensing · Thinking · Judging

Organized, direct and responsible. ESTJs set clear rules, plan the work and make sure it gets done on time.

  • Strengths: decisiveness, planning, keeping standards
  • Watch out for: rigidity; overlooking how a decision feels to others
  • Often enjoy work in: management, operations, finance, the military, law

About 8.7% of US adults (1 in 11).

ESFJExtraverted · Sensing · Feeling · Judging

Sociable, caring organizers. ESFJs keep groups running smoothly, value harmony and like to know that everyone is looked after.

  • Strengths: cooperation, hospitality, reliability
  • Watch out for: needing approval; taking criticism hard
  • Often enjoy work in: teaching, health care, human resources, event planning, customer service

About 12.3% of US adults (1 in 8).

SP types: Sensing + Perceiving (action- and moment-driven, 27.0% of people together)

ISTPIntroverted · Sensing · Thinking · Perceiving

Calm, hands-on problem solvers. ISTPs like to take things apart, find out how they work and fix them, and they often stay cool in a crisis.

  • Strengths: troubleshooting, practical skill, steady nerves
  • Watch out for: losing interest in routine; keeping plans to themselves
  • Often enjoy work in: mechanics, engineering, IT support, piloting, emergency services

About 5.4% of US adults (1 in 19).

ISFPIntroverted · Sensing · Feeling · Perceiving

Gentle, observant and guided by their values. ISFPs live in the present and often show what they care about through action or art more than words.

  • Strengths: kindness, a good eye, easy adaptability
  • Watch out for: putting off planning; taking criticism very personally
  • Often enjoy work in: design, crafts, health care, veterinary and outdoor work

About 8.8% of US adults (1 in 11).

ESTPExtraverted · Sensing · Thinking · Perceiving

Energetic and action-first. ESTPs read a situation fast, enjoy a challenge and would rather try something than talk about it.

  • Strengths: quick decisions, persuasion, practical problem solving
  • Watch out for: impatience with long-term planning and theory
  • Often enjoy work in: sales, entrepreneurship, sports, skilled trades, emergency response

About 4.3% of US adults (1 in 23).

ESFPExtraverted · Sensing · Feeling · Perceiving

Lively and sociable. ESFPs bring energy to a room, notice what people need right now and make ordinary days more fun.

  • Strengths: warmth, spontaneity, people skills
  • Watch out for: putting off long-range goals; avoiding hard conversations
  • Often enjoy work in: events, hospitality, performing, sales, child care

About 8.5% of US adults (1 in 12).

Which of the 16 sounds like you?

Reading descriptions only gets you so far. The test places you on all four scales and shows the % behind each letter.

Find my type 60 statements · about 10 minutes · your type before you pay
Work

Which careers fit your personality type?

Your type suggests the kind of work you are likely to enjoy, not the jobs you can do well. People of every type succeed in every field. Use a personality test for career planning to choose settings and tasks, not to rule careers out.

Type results predict job performance poorly, and they swing on retest for close calls. [5] That is why the foundation behind the original indicator calls it unethical to screen job applicants by type. [9] A personality test for work is best used for what it is good at: helping you talk about how you like to work.

What the letters do say is useful. Introverts often prefer work with time to think alone. Sensing types often like clear, concrete tasks. Thinking types often enjoy analysis, and Judging types like planned, steady work. The sketches above list work each type often enjoys.

Most lists of MBTI careers, or careers by personality type, are built from counts of which types are common in each job. They show where a type often ends up, not where it does best. A career personality test like this one is a starting point; the report’s Career Matcher goes into detail for your own type.

  • NT types (10.4%) often enjoy strategy, science, engineering and building systems.
  • NF types (16.5%) often enjoy teaching, counseling, writing and work with a cause.
  • SJ types (46.4%) often enjoy management, health care, finance and running operations.
  • SP types (27.0%) often enjoy hands-on, fast-moving work: trades, sales, sports and design.
  • Testing your skills too? Aptitude tests measure what you can do. See the aptitude tests employers use.
What each letter often says about work
E
Energy from teamwork, meetings and talking ideas through
I
Energy from focused, quiet work with time to think
S
Concrete tasks, clear facts and proven methods
N
New ideas, patterns and long-range plans
T
Analysis, fair rules and logical decisions
F
Work that helps people and fits your values
J
Planned, steady work with clear deadlines
P
Flexible work that changes and leaves room to adapt
Relationships

MBTI compatibility: what the letters say about two people

MBTI compatibility, or personality type compatibility, is not a yes-or-no answer. Two types do not decide whether people get along. The letters show where two people are likely to see things differently, and that is useful to know early.

Each letter pair: what sharing it and differing on it often feels like
PairIf you share the letterIf you differOne habit that helps
E / IYou enjoy the same pace of social life.One recharges with people, the other alone. Plans can feel like too much or too little.Agree on social time and quiet time before the weekend starts.
S / NYou talk about the same things in the same order.One wants the facts and steps, the other wants the big picture first.Open with the big picture, then fill in the details together.
T / FYou argue in the same style.One decides by logic, the other by impact on people. Each can feel the other is missing the point.Say both out loud: what makes sense, and how it will feel.
J / PYou run a house or a project the same way.One wants things decided, the other wants room to change course.Fix the few things that must be fixed, and leave the rest open on purpose.

A Myers-Briggs compatibility chart, done honestly. Many charts online rank every pair from “ideal” to “challenging”. We found no solid research behind those rankings, so the chart below shows only what can be counted: how many letters two types share. Four is the same type. Zero means opposite on every scale, such as INFJ and ESTP.

Letters in common between any two of the 16 types
TypeISTJISFJINFJINTJISTPISFPINFPINTPESTPESFPENFPENTPESTJESFJENFJENTJ
ISTJ•323321221013212
ISFJ3•32232112102321
INFJ23•3123201211232
INTJ323•212310122123
ISTP3212•32332122101
ISFP23213•3223211210
INFP123223•312320121
INTP2123323•21231012
ESTP21013212•3233212
ESFP121023213•322321
ENFP0121123223•31232
ENTP10122123323•2123
ESTJ321221013212•323
ESFJ2321121023213•32
ENFJ12320121123223•3
ENTJ212310122123323•

same type3 letters2 letters1 letter0 letters

More shared letters usually means fewer daily misunderstandings. Fewer shared letters often means the pair covers more ground together. Couples, friends and teams of any mix can work well when each side knows where the other is coming from.

To use this as a personality test for couples, both of you take it, then find your two types on the chart and read the table above for each letter you do not share. There is no separate personality compatibility test or relationship personality test to buy: the same four letters do the job. The report’s Compatibility Map applies this to your own type, pair by pair.

Compare your type with someone you know

Take the test, share it with your partner or a friend, and read your letters side by side on the chart above.

Start the personality test 60 statements · about 10 minutes · your type before you pay
Growth

How do you make a personality development plan?

A good personality development plan keeps your strengths and practices the side of each scale you use least. Small daily steps work better than big resolutions. Here is a simple four-week plan you can start today.

Week 1

Notice

Each evening, write down one moment when your type helped you and one when it got in the way.

Week 2

Stretch

Pick your lowest-percentage letter. Once a day, do one small task the other side would do.

Week 3

Ask

Ask two people who know you well where your style helps them and where it makes things harder.

Week 4

Keep one habit

Choose the one change that felt most useful, and make it part of your normal week.

Want a personality growth plan written for your type? The optional report includes a 16-page 30-Day Growth Plan built around your own type and scores.

The evidence

How accurate are personality tests?

A type test is a fair snapshot of your preferences, not an exact measurement. In retest studies, about half of people got at least one different letter after just five weeks, mostly on scales where they scored near the middle. [5]

Read the percentage, not just the letter

Clear lean90% J
Close call52% J

A clear lean like 90% rarely changes on a retest. A close call like 52% can flip to the other letter, so read both descriptions and see which fits you.

How to know your MBTI type for sure
  1. Take the test once, honestly. Answer for how you usually are, not how you would like to be.
  2. Check each percentage. Well above 50% is a clear lean; close to 50% is a close call.
  3. Read both sides of every close call and keep the letter that fits your daily life.
  4. Ask someone who knows you well, or retake the test in a few weeks, and compare.
Is the MBTI test reliable? Three findings
~1 in 2

people got at least one different letter when retested after five weeks. [5]

4 of 5

Big Five traits line up with the four type scales, in a study of 468 adults. [6]

1949

the classic study in which people accepted one vague description as their own. [7]

So, is the MBTI test reliable? Reliable enough for understanding yourself, not for decisions about other people.

Spot a vague result: three quick checks
  • Does it show numbers? A % for each letter tells you how sure the result is.
  • Does it name downsides too? A description with only strengths could fit almost anyone.
  • Would a friend recognize you? Read it to someone who knows you well.

Scales work better than boxes. When psychologists compared the type scales with the Big Five, the four scales lined up with four of the five Big Five traits: E/I with extraversion, S/N with openness, T/F with agreeableness and J/P with conscientiousness. [6] The same study found that people do not fall into two clean groups on each scale. Most score near the middle. So the percentage behind your letter tells you more than the letter alone.

How accurate are personality tests like the MBTI? It depends on what you use them for. As a way to describe how you like to work and talk, many people find it helpful. As a way to predict job success, relationships or health, it is weak, and a Big 5 test, which scores five traits, does better. For a closer look at that model, see the Big Five personality traits explained.

Watch for the “that’s so me” effect. In a classic 1949 study, students rated one vague description as a close fit for their own personality. Everyone got the same text. [7] Good tests reduce this with specific statements and scores you can check. Read your result and ask: would this describe almost anyone?

What is the most accurate MBTI test? No online test can promise to match the official one, and researchers prefer trait measures for prediction. What makes any type test more trustworthy is easy to check: enough statements per scale, statements worded both ways, and a score shown for every letter. This test has all three. So the best MBTI test for you is one that shows those scores, not one that promises certainty.

So, are personality tests accurate enough to use? For understanding yourself and talking with others, yes. For decisions about other people, such as hiring, no.

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Every letter comes with its %, so you can see which ones are clear leans and which are close calls.

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Origins

Where do the 16 types come from? Jung, Myers and Briggs

The 16 types come from Carl Jung’s 1921 book Psychological Types, which was translated into English in 1923. [2] Jung described two attitudes, extraversion and introversion, and four functions: sensing, intuition, thinking and feeling.

  1. 1921Jung publishes Psychological Types
  2. 1923The English translation appears
  3. 1944Briggs and Myers publish their handbook
  4. 1956Renamed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
  5. 1975Publishing moves to Consulting Psychologists Press
Jung’s 8 cognitive functions
  • TeExtraverted thinking: organizes the outside world by logic and results.
  • TiIntroverted thinking: builds a consistent inner framework.
  • FeExtraverted feeling: tunes in to the group’s feelings and shared values.
  • FiIntroverted feeling: weighs choices against personal values.
  • SeExtraverted sensing: takes in the present moment and acts on it.
  • SiIntroverted sensing: compares the present with past experience.
  • NeExtraverted intuition: sees possibilities and links between ideas.
  • NiIntroverted intuition: senses where things are heading.

Jung paired each of the four functions with an attitude, extraverted or introverted, which gives eight. [2]

Katharine Cook Briggs had been sorting people into types of her own when she read Jung’s book. With her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, she built a questionnaire during World War II. Its handbook appeared in 1944, and it was renamed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in 1956. The pair added the J/P scale, which turns Jung’s ideas into four letters. [3] That is why any Jung personality test built on their work asks about the same four pairs.

What about cognitive functions? In Jung’s model, each type leads with one of eight “functions”, such as introverted intuition or extraverted thinking. Some websites offer a Jung cognitive functions test that scores all eight. This Jungian personality test scores the four scales instead, because that is what the research above tested. If you want to read about functions, start from your four letters: they tell you which functions your type is said to lead with.

Compared

How does this test compare with other personality tests?

The most popular personality tests measure different things. Pick the one that matches your question. The type test answers “what is my style?”; a trait test answers “how much of each trait do I have?”.

Famous personality tests side by side
TestWhat it sorts you byWhat you getBest used for
This personality test4 preference pairs from Jung’s theoryA four-letter type and a % on each scaleSelf-reflection and talking about differences
The official MBTI4 preference pairs from Jung’s theoryA four-letter type, usually with feedback from a certified practitionerCoaching and team programs that use the official tool
Big Five (OCEAN) tests5 traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticismA score on each traitResearch and prediction; see the Big Five traits explained
DISC4 work styles: dominance, influence, steadiness, conscientiousnessA main style and a blendTeam communication; see how the DISC model works
Enneagram9 types built around core motivationsOne of 9 types, often with a “wing”Personal growth groups
Type A / Type BPace and competitiveness, from heart research by Meyer Friedman and Ray RosenmanAn A or B labelA quick, casual self-description

Type A, B, C and D personality: a different idea

A Type ABCD personality test sorts people by habits linked to stress and health, not by the 16 types. Each label comes from medical research.

Type A

Driven, competitive and always short of time. The label comes from heart research published in 1959. [10]

Type B

Relaxed and patient: the calmer pattern described in the same research. [10]

Type C

Cooperative and calm on the outside, holding back anger and other negative feelings. Proposed in cancer research in the 1980s. [11]

Type D

“Distressed”: often worried, and holding back around other people. It is measured with a 14-item scale. [12]

Who is this test for? The statements are written for adults, and work for anyone curious about their own style, at home or at work. Students and older teens can take it too, but should read the result as a snapshot: a large review of long-term studies found that personality keeps changing through adulthood, most of all between ages 20 and 40. [8] A personality test for teens or a personality test for students works best as a conversation starter, not a label.

Looking for a Type A or Type B personality test instead? That label describes pace, drive and stress, and it is a different idea from the 16 types. Introverts who wonder whether their style affects how they think may also like what research says about introverts and IQ.

Personality and intelligence

Personality test vs IQ test: what is the difference?

A personality test describes how you like to act and decide. An IQ test measures how well you reason and solve problems. They answer different questions, and one does not predict the other well.

No personality type is smarter than another. Studies that look for links between type and IQ find small differences at most, mostly tied to openness to ideas. Our article on which personality type has the highest IQ walks through what those studies found.

Personality testIQ test
Measures

How you like to act and decide

How well you reason and solve problems

Answers

No right or wrong answers

Right and wrong answers

Result

A type, or a score on each trait

A score on a scale where the average is 100

Questions

Personality test FAQ

Short answers to the questions people ask most about this test, the 16 types and what the result means.

Ready for your four letters?

60 statements, no time limit, about 10 minutes.

Start the test
Already know your type?

Am I rare? Jump to your type’s profile to see how common it is, its strengths and the work it often enjoys.

Is this the official MBTI test?

No. This is an independent personality test built on the same four preference pairs from Carl Jung’s theory. The official Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is published by The Myers-Briggs Company, and IQ Metrics is not affiliated with it.

How long does the personality test take?

There are 60 short statements and no time limit. At a steady pace of about 10 seconds a statement, that is roughly 10 minutes. Answer with your first honest reaction; overthinking makes the result less clear.

How many questions are on the test?

Sixty statements, 15 for each of the four scales. About half of each set is worded the other way round, so agreeing with everything does not push you to one side.

What will I see when I finish?

After you add your name and email, you see your four-letter type, a percentage for each of the four scales and how common your type is. The full report is optional and paid: a 32-page report, a Career Matcher, a Compatibility Map, a 30-Day Growth Plan and a certificate.

What if I score close to 50% on a scale?

Then that letter is a close call. Read the descriptions for both sides and see which fits you better. Close calls are also the letters most likely to change if you take the test again.

Can my personality type change?

Your broad preferences tend to stay similar, but one letter can change between tests, especially a close call. Personality also keeps developing through adulthood, most of all between ages 20 and 40.

What is the rarest personality type?

INFJ, at about 1.5% of US adults in the MBTI Manual’s national sample, or about 1 in 67 people. ENTJ (1.8%) and INTJ (2.1%) come next.

What is the most common personality type?

ISFJ, at about 13.8% of US adults in the same sample, followed by ESFJ (12.3%) and ISTJ (11.6%).

Is MBTI accurate?

A type test is a fair snapshot of your preferences, not an exact measurement. In retest studies, about half of people got at least one different letter after five weeks, mostly on close calls.

Can I use my result to choose a career?

Use it to think about the kind of work and setting you enjoy, not to rule jobs out. People of every type succeed in every field, and type results should never be used to screen job applicants.

Is this personality test for teens?

The statements are written for adults. Older teens can answer them, but should read the result as a snapshot, because personality keeps changing through the late teens and twenties.

How is a personality test different from an IQ test?

A personality test describes how you like to act and decide. An IQ test measures how well you reason and solve problems. Neither predicts the other well, and no type is smarter than another.

Find your four letters

Take the personality test online: 60 statements, no time limit, about 10 minutes. Answer honestly, and see your personality type, your four scale scores and how rare your type is.

Start the personality test →
References

Sources

  1. Personality test. Wikipedia. Most personality tests are self-report questionnaires about how you usually think, feel and act.
  2. Psychological Types. Carl Jung, Rascher Verlag, 1921 (English 1923). The book that introduced extraversion and introversion and the four functions behind the 16 types.
  3. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Wikipedia. Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers built the questionnaire during World War II; the 1944 handbook was renamed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in 1956.
  4. MBTI Manual, 3rd edition: US national representative sample. Myers, McCaulley, Quenk & Hammer, CPP, 1998; letter splits as reported in a CPP technical brief. About 3,000 US adults: 49.3% Extraversion, 73.3% Sensing, 40.2% Thinking, 54.1% Judging.
  5. Cautionary comments regarding the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Pittenger, Consulting Psychology Journal 57(3), 210-221, 2005. Over a five-week retest, about half of people received a different result on at least one of the four scales.
  6. Reinterpreting the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator from the perspective of the five-factor model. McCrae & Costa, Journal of Personality 57(1), 17-40, 1989. In 468 adults, the four type scales measured four of the five Big Five traits, as scales rather than types.
  7. The fallacy of personal validation: a classroom demonstration of gullibility. Forer, Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 44(1), 118-123, 1949. Students rated one generic personality description as a close fit for themselves.
  8. Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course. Roberts, Walton & Viechtbauer, Psychological Bulletin 132(1), 1-25, 2006. A review of 92 long-term studies: personality traits keep changing in adulthood, most of all from age 20 to 40.
  9. MBTI Code of Ethics. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. The foundation calls it unethical to use type results to screen job applicants.
  10. Association of specific overt behavior pattern with blood and cardiovascular findings. Friedman & Rosenman, JAMA 169(12), 1286, 1959. The study that named the hurried, competitive Type A pattern and its calmer opposite, Type B.
  11. Personality, coping style, emotion and cancer: towards an integrative model. Temoshok, Cancer Surveys 6(3), 545-567, 1987. Describes the Type C coping pattern: cooperative, appeasing and holding back negative feelings.
  12. DS14: standard assessment of negative affectivity, social inhibition, and Type D personality. Denollet, Psychosomatic Medicine 67(1), 89-97, 2005. A 14-item scale for Type D, the "distressed" pattern: frequent worry plus holding back around others.

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