Personality
Big Five personality
50 questions · 13 min
This questionnaire looks at the “Big Five”, the most widely used way psychologists describe personality: how outgoing you are, how warm towards others, how organised, how emotionally steady and how much you enjoy ideas and imagination. Everyone has all five, just in different amounts, and none of them is better or worse than another.
With ten questions per trait, it gives a more detailed picture than a quick snapshot. Your scores show where you sit on each trait, not how you compare with any particular group.
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What it shows
Where you sit on five broad personality traits, each scored on its own.
What it doesn’t
A type label, a ranking against other people, or anything good or bad about you.
Who it’s for
This is for you if you’re curious about your personality and want more than a quick snapshot. It suits anyone who’d like a clearer sense of how they tend to think, feel and act, whether out of interest or to understand why some situations come easily and others take more effort.
Set aside around 13 minutes when you won’t be rushed. Answer as you usually are, not as you’d like to be, and the picture will be more useful.
Questions people ask
What does the IPIP Big Five test measure?
It measures five broad traits, each scored on its own: how outgoing you are, how you relate to others, how organised you are, how steady your emotions feel and how open you are to new ideas. Psychologists often call these extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and intellect or imagination.
How long does it take?
There are 50 short statements, ten for each trait. Most people finish in about 13 minutes.
How is it scored?
You rate how well each statement describes you on a five-point scale. Some statements are worded the opposite way and counted in reverse, then each trait gets its own score from 10 to 50. There’s no overall total.
Is there a good or bad result?
No. Every trait has strengths at both ends, and none is better than another. Your scores show where you sit on each trait, not a type label or a ranking against other people.
How often can I retake it?
Personality tends to be fairly stable, so there’s no need to retake it often. Once every six months or so is plenty if you’d like to see whether anything has shifted.
Who developed it?
Psychologist Lewis Goldberg built it in the 1990s from the International Personality Item Pool, an open collection of personality questions that anyone can use.
Where it comes from
Built by psychologist Lewis Goldberg in the 1990s from the International Personality Item Pool, a free collection of personality questions for everyone to use.
International Personality Item Pool Big Five markers
On iPhone or iPad?
Sprout is an app there too, and this link opens the test straight away if you have it.
Coming soon to the App Store