Being self-aware is the most important skill to have in the workplace, says Peter Guber, Mandalay Entertainment CEO and New York Times best-selling author. Guber, who defines self-awareness as the ‘conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives and desires’, attempts to explain how getting to know your strengths and weaknesses, interests, motives, work styles, values and behavioural characteristics can help you become a successful professional.
But beyond the career realm, self-awareness is also key to leading a more fulfilling life.
Essentially, knowing what you are capable of is crucial in order to be equally successful in every aspect of your life and work. And that is what personality tests are for: to assess your behaviour and habits, provide you with a better image of yourself and, hopefully, help you make strategic decisions.
A quick search online will render you with numerous options, so to save you from the trouble of narrowing down the best ones, we did the work for you. These 15 best personality tests will help you discover your true self.
1. CareerHunter
Our very own career testing platform had to make it on to the list!
CareerHunter has an entire test dedicated to work personalities. This test measures your personality type against 29 different traits and behavioural preferences to generate your results. With it, you can identify which job roles are best suited to your personality and discover your ideal working style and environment.
You can try out the Work Personality test for free (along with some other tests), however, you’ll need to upgrade to get full insights and reporting. If you complete all six tests, you’ll also receive a detailed career report that encapsulates your top traits, industries and career matches, all of which are generated using CareeHunter’s unique and continuously evolving algorithm.
See CareerHunter in action:
2. 16Personalities
This is perhaps one of the most accurate personality tests out there. The 16Personalities test considers five key aspects in order to define your personality type: mind, energy, nature, tactics and identity. These aspects take into consideration how you interact with your surroundings, how you process information and cope with emotions, the way your approach work, your planning and decision-making skills, as well as your confidence in your own abilities.
Based on your personal preferences, the test determines your personality type and classifies you under your most accurate match, and you can also find out the percentage of people you share your personality type with.
3. Big Five Personality Test
The Big Five Personality Test helps you explore your personality type using the five-factor model that looks at your openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion and neuroticism. The Big Five model is said to be the basis of most modern personality research, and this questionnaire can evaluate your personality on each of these factors.
Truity’s Big Five test will help you understand traits relating to both your work and personal life, and provide you with in-depth knowledge of your key traits. The specific test consists of 60 questions and takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete, all at your own pace.
4. ColorCode
ColorCode was created by Dr Taylor Hartman and divides personalities into four colours: red (motivated by power), blue (motivated by intimacy), white (motivated by peace) and yellow (motivated by fun).
The test supports the idea that all people possess one of four driving core motives. It includes a 45-question test and can determine ‘your colour’ based on the answers you choose.
5. See My Personality
See My Personality follows the same principles as the Big Five Personality Test. With it, you can discover your most definitive traits, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.
Using a scale that is based on users’ results average, you can also learn which of your traits are considered normal and abnormal and use these findings as guidance for further self-growth and development.
You can also find out how others perceive you as a person and utilise this insightful information to increase your self-awareness and confidence as an individual.
6. TestColor
TestColor’s personality test is simple: all you need to do is select colours in your order of preference, et voilà! What is important about this method of testing is that it eliminates any social desirability bias, which often occurs when individuals attempt to present themselves in a desirable light, thus rendering their answers in question-based personality tests inaccurate.
TestColor is an emotion-based test that outlines your key personality characteristics based on your preferences. With this emotional behaviour model, the test relies on your unconscious and impulsive choices to reveal your defining characteristics.
7. DISC Personality Testing
DISC assessments are built on the four primary emotions identified by William Moulton Marston: dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness. According to Marston, a person can describe themselves using one or two of these elements and, all together, this creates 12 possible combinations. For example, there is the winner (D), the buddy (IS) and the perfectionist (CD).
The results of the DISC Personality Testing test are meant to help you understand your communication skills better and enable you to enhance your interpersonal abilities in order to be more successful in your personal and professional life.
The test consists of 12 short questions and provides you with insights and tips about your personal style.
8. MBTIonline
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is perhaps the most accurate personality test you can take. Based on over 70 years of research, this assessment provides you with a detailed breakdown of your personality type, making it easier to understand how this affects your approach to your wellbeing, career and relationships.
MBTIonline is the only official site to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment.
9. PersonalityPerfect
PersonalityPerfect wants to help individuals utilise their talents, understand the way they communicate with others and make career decisions with this knowledge in mind.
The PersonaliyPerfect test uses the MBTI and Jung theories as its foundation, so you can expect accurate results which will be sourced from the answers you provide for the 28 questions that make up this test.
10. The SAPA Project
SAPA is an acronym for Synthetic Aperture Personality Assessment, a term which described the way data is collected on The SAPA Project. This personality test is free and completely anonymous, and its main purpose is to conduct non-commercial scientific research.
Once you’ve submitted your answers, you’ll receive a complete personality profile that is customised to your unique responses. The test bases its findings on 6 main personality factors as well as 12 lower-order aspects.
11. CliftonStrengths
The CliftonStrengths assessment measures 34 themes such as ideation, analytical, individualisation and consistency. These 34 themes are divided into 4 broader categories: strategic thinking, relationship building, influencing and executing.
According to CliftonStrengths, the measurement of these themes compiles as your talent DNA and helps you understand how you can achieve your goals, work with others, and approach your life and work based on your individual strengths.
The test consists of 177 questions, but once you’re done, you’ll receive a greatly detailed report and resource recommendations that are meant to help you maximise your talents and abilities.
12. 123test
123test’s Personality Test is based on the Big Five Personality Test. However, the site offers a range of other assessments, including the Jung and DISC personality tests. The former is similar to the MBTI assessment and measures your ability to deal with and relate to others, process information, make decisions and construct your life.
The Jung typology model is ideal if you want to understand how you match up to a potential job and is often used by recruiters and companies to assess job candidates’ fitness to their organisation.
Depending on your needs, you can choose either of these tests, or complete all three for more thorough insights!
13. Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test
The Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test uses the Jung and Briggs-Myers type theory as its core. Once you’ve submitted your answers to the 64-question assessment, your results will include your personality type, along with a detailed description of your strengths and weaknesses. Humanmetrics also formulates a list of career recommendations that are suitable to your personality type as well as the most favourable learning style for you.
As an added bonus, you can use these results to check your compatibility with your partner by using this input to complete the Jung Marriage Test.
14. Crystal
Crystal’s free personality test lets you explore numerous aspects of your personality. The site lets you create a personality profile once finishing your test, which allows you to connect with friends and colleagues and form a better understanding about each other’s attributes.
Crystal uses four different frameworks: DISC, Enneagram, 16Personality, Core Values and Ideal Career. All your results will come together under your profile, which will act as your personality toolbox, helping you understand your skills, talents and behaviours even further.
15. TypeFinder Personality Test
Truity’s TypeFinder test uses the Myers-Briggs personality types to test your strengths and classify you under 1 of 16 personality types. All you have to do is indicate how well each statement included in the test describes you. After completing all 130 questions, you’ll receive a brief which summarises your results, and you’ll also have the option of unlocking a more thorough report if you decide to upgrade and learn more.
Final thoughts
Whether you want to make an informed career decision, understand your key attributes or just learn a bit more about yourself, these personality tests will render you with the information and insights you need to boost your career and amplify your work confidence.
Just make sure to answer the questions as honestly and subjectively possible to get the most accurate results!
Have you taken any of these personality tests before, or any career tests? Which one is the most accurate in your opinion? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
This article is an updated version of an earlier article published on 22 June 2017.