The Big 5 Personality Test

What are the Big Five personality traits?

Openness: curiosity and imagination

Openness describes how much you enjoy new ideas, art, feelings and experiences. People who score higher tend to be imaginative and curious. They like variety, notice beauty, enjoy abstract ideas and are drawn to the unusual. People who score lower tend to be practical and down-to-earth. They prefer the familiar, trust proven methods and care more about concrete facts than theories.

Neither end is better. Higher Openness helps with creative work and with learning brand-new fields. Lower Openness brings focus, realism and steadiness, and it keeps a group grounded when ideas run wild.

Facets measured in our full test: imagination, love of art and beauty, awareness of feelings, love of variety, love of ideas.

Openness to Experience: what high and low scores look like, plus a quick quiz →

Conscientiousness: organization and drive

Conscientiousness is about self-control, order and effort. Higher scorers plan ahead, keep things tidy, keep their promises, work hard and think before they act. Lower scorers are more spontaneous and flexible. They keep their options open and adapt quickly, but they may find routines and deadlines harder.

Studies have found that, on average, higher Conscientiousness goes with better grades and better job performance, which makes sense: turning up, planning and finishing all help. Lower scorers often shine where things change fast and improvising matters.

Facets measured in our full test: confidence in your skills, tidiness, keeping your word, drive, self-discipline, thinking before acting.

Conscientiousness: what high and low scores look like, plus a quick quiz →

Extraversion: social energy

Extraversion is about how much energy you get from people and activity. Higher scorers are talkative, sociable, assertive and lively, and they enjoy groups and excitement. Lower scorers, often called introverts, are quieter and more reserved. They enjoy time alone or with a few close people, and they prefer calm settings.

Introversion is not the same as shyness. Shyness is about fear of being judged, while introversion is about where you get your energy. Plenty of introverts are confident speakers who simply need quiet time afterward.

Facets measured in our full test: friendliness, love of groups, taking charge, busyness, thrill-seeking, cheerfulness.

Extraversion: what high and low scores look like, plus a quick quiz →

Agreeableness: warmth and cooperation

Agreeableness describes how you treat other people. Higher scorers are kind, trusting, helpful and modest, and they work hard to avoid conflict. Lower scorers are more frank, skeptical and competitive. They question other people’s motives, say what they think and are comfortable with disagreement.

Both ends have value. Warmth builds trust and holds teams together, while frankness helps with tough negotiations, honest feedback and standing your ground.

Facets measured in our full test: trust, fair play, helpfulness, keeping the peace, modesty, compassion.

Agreeableness: what high and low scores look like, plus a quick quiz →

Neuroticism: emotional sensitivity

Neuroticism is about how strongly you feel stress and difficult emotions such as worry, irritation and sadness. Higher scorers feel these more often and more intensely, and they may find pressure harder to shake off. Lower scorers tend to be calm, steady and quick to bounce back. The low end is often called emotional stability.

The name sounds harsh, but it is simply a research label for a normal trait that everyone has to some degree. A higher score is not a diagnosis of anything. Many people who feel things strongly are careful, caring and self-aware. On this site, this trait sets the fifth letter of your code: -A (Anchored) for a score under 50, -T (Tuned-in) for 50 or more.

Facets measured in our full test: worry, quick temper, low moods, self-consciousness, giving in to urges, feeling overwhelmed.

Neuroticism Test: what high and low scores look like, plus a quick quiz →

Where did the Big Five come from?

The Big Five grew out of a simple idea: if a difference between people matters, everyday language will have a word for it. Starting in the 1930s, researchers gathered thousands of English words that describe people, like talkative, careful and moody, and asked people to rate themselves and others with them. When the ratings were analyzed, the words kept falling into five broad groups. Later studies found similar groups in many other languages and with many kinds of questionnaires. Today the Big Five is the most widely used framework in personality research.

Should you use Big Five scores or personality types?

The Big Five uses scores on a scale, so it can show that you are a little outgoing or very outgoing. Type systems sort people into groups, which is easier to remember but loses detail. Researchers generally prefer traits for that reason. You get both here: your five scores, and a four-letter code built from four of them. For the most precise picture of yourself, look at the scores. For a quick way to talk about it, use the code. Browse the 16 personality types to see what each code means.

What about the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a different system. It sorts people into nine types by core motivation, and many people find it useful for self-reflection, but it is not a scientifically validated measure like the Big Five. If you are curious, try our free Enneagram test or read about the nine Enneagram types. For a scientifically tested profile, the Big Five is the one to use.

How is our Big Five test scored?

Each statement is rated from 1 (“Very unlike me”) to 5 (“Very like me”). Some statements count the other way, so agreeing lowers the score. The answers for each trait are averaged and turned into a number from 0 to 100. A score of 50 is the middle of the scale, not the average person, and we don’t convert scores into percentiles. The full method is on our How it works page.