What Is A Career Personality Quiz, And Should I Take One?

Choosing a career may feel straightforward for some individuals. They might know what they want to do with their life from an early age. However, for others, the path might feel unclear. In these cases, taking a career personality quiz for some career guidance under the guidance of a career counselor or testing center could be beneficial. You can also often find these career aptitude tests online.

Test format

Many modern career tests are available online. Websites often offer quiz-form tests with multiple-choice formats. To take the test, click on your preferred answers among the two or more options available for each question. Some online tests are free, and others cost a small fee. Some require a large time commitment, while others take just minutes to complete.. 

In certain situations, you may take the test with pen and paper. When you finish, the results might be delivered to you or discussed by a career professional, such as a career counselor. If you are a university student or applying for a test through a career counseling organization, you may take this form of test. 

Who gives the tests?

You can find tests to take on your own online. Job sites, college staff, or vocational support professionals may also provide the test. If you're a prospective or current student, your school could have a counseling or disability center that offers career testing. In some cases, a therapist may offer a career test. Some tests are certified and studied tests. Others may be for fun. The best career test for you depends on what you hope to learn from the test.

What do the test results show? 

A personality test results page may show the following: 

• Potential career paths 

• Potential job roles and career recommendations within the career path

• Career matches to maximize career satisfaction

• Salaries for your suggested positions

• Educational options for your suggested positions 

• A personality assessment that may reveal the best career choices for your personality traits

• Your professional skills

• Tasks you might excel at 

You might also be given information on your communication style, interest areas, and personality.

Purpose of career personality tests

Often, a personality test's purpose is to narrow your list of careers. Narrowing your options down can be helpful if:

• You're getting ready to start college or trade school

• You're thinking of changing your major

• You're getting ready to enter the workforce for the first time

• You want to find your weak areas for career development

• You're considering a career change

• You're re-entering the workforce after not working for some time

How do organizations use the results?

In some cases, you might be asked to take a personality test when you apply for a job or are considered for a different position within your company. Some managers use a career test or personality test as a part of a team-building exercise or during conflict resolution. Often, these results determine how you would perform in the role, your overall work personality, and your experience. 

Types of career tests 

Below are some different types of career tests you might take. 

MAPP test

The Motivational Appraisal of Person Potential Assessment (MAPP test) is a 71-question online aptitude test that takes about 15-25 minutes. When you complete the test, you will receive a list of the top 20 careers you're best suited for and summaries of your aptitude, temperament, and interaction style. You will also learn your math, language, and reasoning abilities.

With the free online version of the MAPP, you will receive some of the results but not all. The top ten careers on your list will be blacked out, and you must pay to reveal them. 

Strong Interest Inventory

The Strong Interest Inventory helps you identify your interests in six areas: 

• Realistic 

• Artistic 

• Investigative

• Social

• Enterprising

• Conventional

The information from the test may then be related to the types of careers and leisure activities you might enjoy. The test divides test takers into six general categories according to their answers. These are:

• The organizers 

• The doers 

• The thinkers 

• The persuaders 

• The helpers 

• The creators

The Strong test may be given by a test proctor who is certified to offer the test. It may have a cost associated with it.  

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality test often used by employers and organizations to learn the personality type of their employees. According to the theory used in the test, there are 16 different personality types in the world.

After choosing an answer for each question, you receive results to show you which unique combination of the 16 personality types you most closely match. Although you can take free versions online, the official MBTI test is not free. You or your company will pay for the testing materials and results. The results reveal what general type of personality you have and correlate that to what jobs you might enjoy. 

DISC

DISC stands for the core areas of behavior: 

• Dominance 

• Influence 

• Steadiness 

• Conscientiousness 

The test costs about $30, and you can finish it in around 30 minutes. The DISC test offers vocabulary and tips for describing your strengths to potential employers in person and on your resume. It also offers information on potential careers to fit your needs. The DISC assessment is similar to the Keirsey Temperament Sorter which sorts people into four different Keirsey temperament types.

Gallup's CliftonStrengths 34 Assessment

The Gallup Clifton Strengths 34 is an assessment of your personality strengths. This online test sorts personality strengths into four categories: 

• Strategic thinking

• Executing 

• Influencing 

• Relationship building

The results from this test allow you to analyze and explore your career personality, strengths, and abilities. They offer plans for interested students, executives, management, and others. 

Are there free career tests? 

A paid personality career test can be expensive if you're on a budget or a student. However, you may be able to take a free career personality quiz if you don't have the cash to spend on a complete career test with detailed reports. Note that the results of a free online quiz may not be trustworthy or provide accurate results and do not replace the advice of a professional like a career counselor. However, free career tests are out there and may be worth exploring if you’re looking for more insight into your potential career path, career aptitude, and personality traits.

Princeton Review career quiz

The Princeton Review online allows you to take a free career personality quiz. It's a quick 24-question test with two options for each question. The test describes jobs or tasks and asks you to choose your preference.

The results of this test show up as your interests and your style. Your interest is a summary of the types of job responsibilities and jobs you might prefer and the careers that match up to them. Your style is a section discussing how you typically perform your job. Both sections are labeled with a color representing the general type of career that might fit your personality. 

CareerExplorer

The Career Explorer test is a free online test. They also offer free reports and insights generated from the test, which may vary from other online tests. It measures potential jobs, interests, history, and personality to give you a comprehensive overview of potential jobs and careers. It also offers suggestions for education. 

Random online career personality quiz

By searching for career personality tests, you can find a wide range of tests to choose from that are advertised as free. Whether these tests work or have valid results can vary. Looking at the average rating from other test takers can help you identify higher quality tests. Take these tests for fun, and be careful offering personal details online. While personality tests can give insight into your strengths and weaknesses, it may be safer to avoid giving any information that is too personal to a random online source. Additionally, consider avoiding career personality quizzes on social media sites, forums, blogs, or suspicious websites. 

Can you choose not to take a career test? 

According to the Myers-Briggs Foundation, it's unethical and may be illegal to require that a job applicant take the MBTI. In the US, organizations and companies must give equal hiring opportunities based on identity. As some individuals might be introverted due to a disability like anxiety, refusing to hire anyone who isn't extroverted could be a form of discrimination. You may decline if you do not want to take a career test to apply for a job.  

Should you take a personality test for jobs?

Whether you should take a personality test for jobs can be a personal choice. However, the personality test results can be a valuable and insightful way to learn more about your strengths, weaknesses, and abilities in a professional sense. You might learn something new about yourself or find a career path or work environment you didn't know existed. You may also gain a better understanding of which careers are best suited for different personality types. 

Career counseling 

Many people choose therapy to learn more about their strengths, weaknesses, problem-solving skills, and potential career paths. Some licensed therapists may have experience in counseling job candidates, students, or professionals and could be able to support you in finding a career or workplace that matches your personality. You can also go over your career test results with your counselor. 

If you are taking online tests and want a quick way to start career counseling, consider signing up for an online platform like BetterHelp. Through online counseling, you can talk to a therapist via live chat, video, or phone. These types of therapy are often more affordable than in-person counseling. Additionally, studies show that online counseling is often preferable to traditional therapy. For example, one study found that 71% of participants preferred online counseling and found that it successfully helped them manage mental health symptoms.