16 Personality Types Test
A 32-question test of four personality preferences that combine into one of 16 types, with a strength score for each.
Before you start
Answer based on how you usually are, not how you would like to be. There are no right or wrong answers.
This questionnaire is for self-reflection. It is not a diagnosis.
What it measures
- Extraversion or introversion
- Sensing or intuition
- Thinking or feeling
- Judging or perceiving
About this test
The idea of personality types goes back to Carl Jung, who described differences in where people direct their energy and how they take in information and make decisions. This test looks at four preferences: extraversion or introversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, and judging or perceiving. Your answers combine into one of 16 four-letter types. Because research shows these preferences run along a scale, your report also shows how strong each one is.
What the research says
Type ideas go back to Carl Jung. In a study of 468 adults, McCrae and Costa (1989) found that the four scales of a widely used type questionnaire measure four fairly independent dimensions rather than true either-or types, and that they line up with four of the Big Five personality traits. We built our 32 questions from the public-domain International Personality Item Pool, choosing items tied to those traits and, for thinking or feeling, an IPIP scale on emotion-based decision-making. This question set is our own and has not been validated as a type instrument, so we show how strong each preference is instead of only a letter.
Research behind this test
Found that four-letter type scales measure four fairly independent dimensions, not true either-or types, and that they line up with four of the Big Five traits. That is why our report shows how strong each preference is.
Oregon Research Institute
Described the International Personality Item Pool, which makes thousands of personality items free for anyone to use. All 32 questions in our 16 types test come from it.
These researchers and institutions are not affiliated with SelfAssessment.io and do not endorse it.
Questions about this test
Is this the Myers-Briggs test?
No. It uses the same basic idea of four preferences that combine into a four-letter type, but the questions are different and come from the public-domain International Personality Item Pool. We are not affiliated with the publisher of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which is a registered trademark of its owner.
Why do I get percentages and not just letters?
Research has found that these preferences run along a scale rather than splitting people into two clear groups. Many people score near the middle on one or more of them. The percentage shows how clearly you lean one way, so a result of 52% means you are close to balanced.
Can my type change?
Preferences tend to be fairly stable, but a letter can flip if you score close to 50% on it, or if you answer on an unusually stressful day. That's why it helps to look at the strength of each preference, not only the letters.
How is it scored?
Each preference has 8 statements, 4 pointing toward each side. Your answers are added up, and the side you lean toward gives the letter. The percentage shows how far you lean. A score exactly in the middle counts toward the first letter of the pair (E, S, T or J).