A free Big Five personality test based on public-domain research items
This personality test measures the Big Five — the five broad traits that most personality research today is built on: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability and Intellect (often called Openness). It uses the 50-item Big-Five Factor Markers from the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP), written by Lewis R. Goldberg and placed in the public domain so anyone can use them.
You rate 50 short statements, such as “I am always prepared” or “I get stressed out easily”, from very inaccurate to very accurate. Some statements are reverse-scored, which is why the questionnaire works even if you tend to agree with everything. Your answers are scored in your browser and turned into five bars with plain-language descriptions you can print.
It is a self-report questionnaire, not a clinical assessment, and it is not suitable for diagnosis or for hiring decisions. Nothing you answer is uploaded; answers are kept only in this browser so you can finish later.
How to use the Big Five Personality Test
- Read each statement (they all start with “I”) and pick how accurately it describes you as you generally are now — not as you would like to be.
- Answer all 10 statements on a page, then press Next page. Unanswered statements are highlighted so none are missed.
- After page 5, press See my results to see your score from 10 to 50 on each trait, with a short description of what that range usually means.
- Press Print results for a clean one-page summary, or Copy summary to paste your scores elsewhere.
- Use Change answers to revise, or Start again to clear everything from this browser.
Big Five Personality Test features
Published IPIP items
The 50 Big-Five Factor Markers in their published order and wording, ten per trait, so results can be compared with research that uses the same scale.
Correct reverse scoring
Negatively keyed statements are scored 6 minus your answer; 24 of the 50 are reverse-keyed, including 8 of the 10 emotional-stability items.
Honest results
Scores are shown on the 10–50 scale with lower, middle and higher ranges — not invented percentiles, since this page has no norm group to compare you with.
Printable profile
A print layout with five bars and descriptions that fits on one page, without the rest of the website.
Save and resume
Answers are stored only in your browser’s local storage as you go, so a refresh does not lose your progress. Clear them any time.
What the five traits mean
No end of any scale is “good” or “bad”. Lower agreeableness can suit negotiators, lower extraversion suits focused solo work, and so on. Traits are tendencies across situations, not fixed labels.
| Trait | Higher scores describe | Lower scores describe |
|---|---|---|
| Extraversion | Talkative, sociable, energised by company | Reserved, independent, energised by quiet |
| Agreeableness | Warm, trusting, cooperative, considerate | Direct, sceptical, competitive, tough-minded |
| Conscientiousness | Organised, dependable, careful, planful | Flexible, spontaneous, relaxed about order |
| Emotional stability | Calm, even-tempered, resilient | More prone to worry, stress and mood changes |
| Intellect / imagination | Curious, imaginative, enjoys ideas | Practical, concrete, prefers the familiar |
How the score is calculated
Each answer is worth 1 (very inaccurate) to 5 (very accurate). For a positively keyed statement such as “I start conversations” the points are added as they are; for a reverse-keyed statement such as “I keep in the background” they are flipped (5 becomes 1, 4 becomes 2). Each trait has 10 statements, so it ranges from 10 to 50, with 30 in the middle. Here 10–25 is shown as the lower range, 26–34 the middle and 35–50 the higher range — a description of where you sit on the scale, not a comparison with a population.
The IPIP items are free to use without permission. This page does not use any proprietary questionnaire and is not affiliated with the IPIP project. If you enjoy self-tests, the brain teaser test is a light-hearted set of logic puzzles; to turn insight into habits, try the study plan generator.
Big Five Personality Test FAQ
Is this Big Five personality test free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up, and is scored entirely in your browser. Answers are saved only in this browser’s local storage so you can resume; Clear my answers removes them.
Is this the same as the OCEAN personality test?
OCEAN is another name for the Big Five (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism). This IPIP version labels the fifth trait Intellect/Imagination and measures emotional stability, the opposite pole of neuroticism.
Why do some statements sound negative?
About half are reverse-keyed on purpose. Mixing positive and negative statements reduces the effect of simply agreeing with everything and makes the scores more accurate.
Can this personality test diagnose anything?
No. It is a self-report research questionnaire. It cannot diagnose mental health conditions or learning differences. If you are worried about stress, mood or anxiety, speak to a doctor or qualified professional.
Why are there no percentiles?
A percentile compares you with a specific population, which would need a large, representative norm sample. Rather than invent one, this test shows your raw score on the 10–50 scale.
Should employers use this test?
It is not designed or validated for hiring, and personality tests should never be the sole basis for decisions about people. It is meant for self-reflection, teaching and fun.