Ultimately, a personality test helps you understand yourself better.
In particular, it can help you:
- create a fulfilling career path,
- become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses, guiding you toward becoming the best version of yourself
When you are aware of these things, you can show yourself more compassion, commit to goals that align with you, and generally, live a happier and healthier life where you love yourself a little bit more.
Yet, there are various different types of personality tests.
Ideally, you likely want to consider completing a variety of tests so that you can get the most accurate representation of yourself. This is especially true since personality tests tend to have different measurements or aspects to them, some digging deeper and some approaching personality from different angles.
In this article, we’re going to examine four different personality tests, including Myers-Briggs, Archetypes Test, the Big 5 Personality Test, and the Enneagram Test. Let’s take a look!
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Uncovering the Best Personality Test
If you’ve got the time, take all four of the following tests.
You’ll discover different layers to your personality, as well as gain an even greater understanding of yourself. If you’re short on time, take your pick based on the descriptions and summaries below.
It’s also important to note here that not one single personality is better than others. More simply, each personality is different from one another.
1. The Myers-Briggs Personality Test – Enhancing Self-Awareness & Understanding Others
You’ve likely heard of this personality test before.
Essentially, the Myers-Briggs personality test sorts each person into 16 four-letter personality types, a combination of these markers that make your unique type:
- Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I)
- Sensing (S) or Intuitive (N)
- Thinking (T) or Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) or Perceiving (P)
Through this test, you’ll answer a range of questions that take about 15 minutes to complete. At the end, you receive a multi-page summary outlining your strengths, weaknesses, dislikes, likes, career preferences, and relationship preferences or compatibility.
Many scientists and clinical psychologists suggest that the Myers-Briggs is particularly useful if you are just starting your self-development journey. It can offer a starting point for understanding yourself further and create greater introspection.
2. The Archetypes Test – Insights into Your Personality, Behavior and Motivations
Before the creation of Myers-Briggs, the Archetypes Test already outlined 12 different personality types including:
- The Innocent
- Everyman
- Hero
- Outlaw
- Creator
- Explorer
- Ruler
- Magician
- Lover
- Caregiver
- Jester
- Sage
This personality test takes into account the choices you tend to make, the way you live your life, and how you handle yourself.
It arose from Carl Jung’s work where he assumed well-known archaic symbols arose from the collective unconscious. Many of these archetypes are main characters in stories and myths, leading Jung to believe that most individuals will fall within one archetype or another.
So, are you the Hero or the Outlaw?
Are you more of a Jester or Sage?
Take this test to find out what your overarching archetype is. And remember, this test, too, should be considered a stepping stone at the start of your self-discovery journey.
Personality tests don’t always get everything right. Yet, they can help you see what you’re missing and open up new perspectives for your mind’s eye.
3. The Big 5 Personality Test – A Broad Overview of Your Personality
The Big 5 Personality Test is the most empirically backed personality test.
Basically, this test measures the five core personality traits that psychologists have previously determined.
The Big Five include:
- Openness – Are you open to new experiences, concepts, and ideas?
- Conscientiousness – Are you goal-directed, organized, and persistent?
- Extraversion – Are you energized internally or externally?
- Agreeability – Do you put others or your own needs first?
- Neuroticism – Are you sensitive or resilient in the face of stress?
Essentially, the test measures where you fall on a scale compared to other people. For example, if you fall at the 51st percentile for openness, you are more open than 51 other people in a room of 100.
Additionally, this can be really insightful for those in a relationship to understand each other better. By comparing where you fall on this scale, you can see differences that may allow you to make space for what one another needs, as opposed to potentially finding fault in these differences.
4. The Enneagram Test – Insights into Your Emotions, Motivations & Values
The Enneagram Test helps uncover patterns regarding how you view the world and how you cope with your emotions.
This test categorizes individuals into nine different personality types, including:
- the Challenger
- the Peacemaker
- the Reformer
- the Helper
- the Achiever
- the Individualist
- the Investigator
- the Loyalist
- the Enthusiast
Each type is based on individual motivations and fears, which creates a lens regarding how each person sees the world. In other words, understanding your Enneagram can help you expand your horizons and views, moving beyond your limitations and set beliefs.
All in all, the Enneagram quiz can help you discover your core motivations and drivers in life, which can help when it comes to conflict resolution, gaining greater emotional intelligence, and working within teams or with other people.
Take a free enneagram test here and uncover more about yourself today!
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Understand Yourself on a Deeper Level
When it comes to understanding others, it all starts with understanding ourselves.
Once we get that piece of the puzzle out of the way, we open the doors to becoming more empathetic to others’ experiences and the ability to create more meaningful connections.
Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist, once said,
“There’s almost nothing better than character development. And aiming at having a good character is the highest aim, and it’s the aim that will provide the most meaning in your life.”
Begin your self-discovery journey today with the four personality tests above. What can you understand better about yourself? And most importantly, what can you do to continue to expand your horizons and achieve greater satisfaction all-around?
Editor’s note: This article was originally published Dec 18, 2021 and has been updated to improve reader experience.