Discover the very best MBTI test options, whether you’re looking for a free quiz or prefer to invest in a more thorough report, plus gain a frame of reference for understanding your results.
What is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)?
The Myers-Briggs type indicator® refers to a personality test created in the 1940s by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabell Briggs Myers. The test is based on a system of classification developed by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.
Who is the Myers-Briggs Personality Test For?
If you’re interested in personality testing, the Myers-Briggs personality test is one of the most popular personality tests available online and is popular amongst:
- Individuals
- Companies
What are the Benefits of the MBTI Test?
Once you have your personality type, there’s lots of valuable information to discover about:
- How you interpret the world
- What makes you tick
- How you relate to others
Having this deeper understanding can help in a variety of different ways:
For individuals, it can aid personal growth, personal relationships, and social interactions.
For companies it can be useful in the interview process and for structuring teams based on individual strengths, as well as for team building and supporting employee development based on individual differences.
Just before we come to the best places to find a free test or, if you prefer, one where you can pay a small fee for a detailed report, let’s first look at exactly how the Myers-Briggs assessment works and what you can learn from it…
The test is designed to assess and identify the individual as being more inclined toward one end or the other of each scale.
How Does the MBTI Work?
The framework of the test focuses on four different spectrums of personality traits:
- Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I)
- Sensing (S) or Intuiting (N)
- Thinking (T) or Feeling (F)
- Judging (J) or Perceiving
The Myers-Briggs test comprises of questions designed to assess and identify the individual as being more inclined toward one end or the other of each scale.
There are a possible 16 combinations of four-letter types of personality:
- ISTJ – The Inspector
- ISTP – The Crafter
- ISFJ – The Protector
- ISFP – The Artist
- INFJ – The Advocate
- INFP – The Mediator
- INTJ – The Architect
- INTP – The Thinker
- ESTP – The Persuader
- ESTJ – The Director
- ESFP – The Performer
- ESFJ – The Caregiver
- ENFP – The Champion
- ENFJ – The Giver
- ENTP – The Debater
- ENTJ – The Commander
The 4 MBTI Categories
There are no wrong answers in the MBTI – both ends of the four spectrums involved in the assessment represent normal and healthy personalities.
The test is not designed to identify atypical attributes or mental health issues, but to help participants better understand themselves, their motivations and preferences.
Here’s an overview of how the different scales are scored:
Introversion (I) vs Extraversion (E)
These are relatively familiar terms among the general public, however they may have lost some of their original meaning.
The stereotypes are not necessarily accurate.
In the context of the MBTI, extraversion means being energised from outside stimuli, while introversion means feeling depleted of energy from external stimuli. Conversely, extraverts can feel drained from too much time alone, and introverts need that time in order to recharge.
Importantly, the stereotypes are not necessarily accurate: both types can enjoy socialising, and both can appreciate solitude.
Note: You’ve likely seen extrovert as an alternative spelling for extravert. Neither is incorrect, and in fact extrovert has become more common in recent years. However, the original spelling in Jung’s work relating to the theory of psychological types was with an ‘a’, and this tends to be the spelling used in medical settings.
Sensing (S) vs Intuition (N)
Refers to the way you take in and interpret information, either through the five senses, or by intuiting through a ‘sixth sense’.
For example, walking into a room, do you react to what you can see, hear, and smell; or do you pick up on the energy or atmosphere in the room and respond to that?
Thinking (T) vs Feeling (F)
Those who follow their gut tend to score higher for Feeling.
If you’re more likely to make logical decisions with your head then you’ll lean towards being at the the Thinking end of this scale.
Those who more often consider nuances and follow their gut tend to score higher for Feeling.
Judging (J) vs Perceiving (P)
This final scale describes how individuals observe and interact with the outside world. If you prefer structure and firm plans this indicates an inclination towards Judging. On the other hand, those who are more flexible and open to change will rank higher for Perceiving.
Note: The Judging – Perceiving spectrum is an important one because it relates to the Sensing – Intuition and Thinking – Feeling scales.
The 8 MBTI Functions and How They Relate to the 16 Personality Types
An individual’s specific score corresponds to the following possible cognitive functions:
- Extroverted Sensing (Se)
Relates to using the senses to process information.
Dominant in ESTPs and ESFPs. Also associated with ISTPs and ISFPs.
- Introverted Sensing (Si)
Concerned with making sense of the world through past experience.
Dominant in ISTJs and ISFJs. Also associated with ESTJs and ESFJs.
- Extroverted Thinking (Te)
Relates to using logic and reason to convey thoughts.
Dominant in ENTJs and ESTJs. Also associated with INTJs and ISTJs.
- Introverted Thinking (Ti)
Concerned with being deeply self-analytical.
Dominant in INTPs and ISTPs. Also associated with ENTPs and ESTPs.
- Extroverted Intuition (Ne)
Relates to noticing patterns and connections.
Dominant in ENTPs and ENFPs. Also associated with INFPs and INTPs.
- Introverted Intuition (Ni)
Concerned with an innate and unexplainable intuition; ‘knowing without knowing how’.
Dominant in INTJs and INFJs. Also associated with ENFJs and ENTJs.
- Extroverted Feeling (Fe)
Relates to empathy and easily reading others.
Dominant ENFJs and ESFJs. Also associated with INFJs and ISFJs.
Your MBTI score comprises of four letters.
- Introverted Feeling (Fi)
Concerned with strong values and acting on them for the good of the world.
Dominant in INFPs and ISFPs. Also associated with ENFPs and ESFPs.
Interpreting MBTI Test Results
Your MBTI score comprises of four letters, each one representing one of the above traits as being dominant in your personality. They are listed in order of dominance as follows:
Dominant function – Your strongest function.
Auxiliary function – Supports the dominant function and is also fairly strong in your personality.
Tertiary function – tends to become more developed with age.
Inferior function – tends to be more hidden, and likely to be demonstrated in times of stress.
The first letter of your type (I or E) describes where you acquire your energy from, either external sources or from spending time alone recharging.
The second letter (S or N) demonstrates how you take in and process information.
The third (T or F) relates to your preferred approach for decision-making.
Finally, Judging or Perceiving (J or P) indicates whether you behave more like an introvert or an extravert when processing information (Sensing vs Intuition) and making decisions (Thinking vs Feeling).
The 16 MBTI Types –
Now let’s take a brief look at each Myers-Briggs personality type…
ISTJ – The Architect (Si > Te > Fi > Ne)
Loyal, organised, practical, reserved. Approx. 11 – 14% of people.
ISTP – The Virtuoso (Ti > Se > Ni > Fe)
Highly independent, logical, private. Approx. 4 – 6% of people.
ISFJ – The Protector (Si > Fe > Ti > Ne)
Warm, sensitive, caring. The most common type. Approx. 9 – 14% of people.
ISFP – The Artist (Fi > Se > Ni > Te)
Flexible, laid back. Approx. 5 – 9% of people.
INFJ – The Advocate (Ni > Fe > Ti > Se)
Highly principled, collaborative introvert. The rarest Myers-Briggs type with approx. 1 – 3% of people.
INFP – The Mediator (Fi > Ne > Si > Te)
Idealistic, intuitive, strong values. Approx. 4 – 5% of people.
The best test for you will depend upon what you’re hoping to gain.
INTJ – The Architect (Ni > Te > Fi > Se)
Analytical, creative, reserved. Approx. 2 – 4% of people.
INTP – The Thinker (Ti > Ne > Si > Fe)
Logical, private, introverted. Approx. 3 – 5% of people.
ESTP – The Persuader (Se > Ti > Fe > Ni)
Driven, sociable, spirited. Approx. 4 – 5% of people.
ESTJ – The Executive (Te > Si > Ne > Fi)
Assertive, principled, authoritative. Approx. 8 – 12% of people.
ESFP – The Performer (Se > Fi > Te > Ni)
Outgoing, charismatic, dynamic. Approx. 4 – 9% of people.
ESFJ – The Caregiver (Fe > Si > Ne > Ti)
Organised, sensitive, supportive. Approx. 2 – 5% of people.
ENFP – The Champion (Ne > Fi > Te > Si)
Energetic, charming, creative. Approx. 6 – 8% of people.
ENFJ – The Protagonist (Fe > Ni > Se > Ti)
Loyal, generous, sensitive. Approx. 2 – 5% of people.
ENTP – The Debater (Ne > Ti > Fe > Si)
Enthusiastic, collaborative. Approx. 2 – 5% of people.
ENTJ – The Commander (Te > Ni > Se > Fi)
Confident organisers, leaders. Approx. 2 – 5% of people.
The Best Online Myers-Briggs Personality Tests
The best test for you will depend upon what you’re hoping to gain.
I was very intrigued to see whether other tests would give different results.
For more detailed information and reports a free test may not be the best option, however, some of the free versions are very good.
I first took one of these tests (16 Personalities) some time ago, and so I was already aware of my type. I was confident in the result because the supporting information was so on point.
Nonetheless, I was very intrigued to see whether other tests would give different results, or even make me question my type.
So in the name of research for this post, I decided to complete all of the free tests as a comparison and so I could bring you firsthand reviews.
Best Free Online Personality Tests For MBTI Typing
Following is my favourite test, followed by those which didn’t impress me…
John’s Personality Test
Time investment: 25+ questions, approx. 5 mins
I was really impressed by this test.
I know I can be a difficult person to read, and I have traits which can appear very conflicting. For example, I believe myself to be ambivert rather than a true introvert or extrovert.
A message flagged up to say that I was difficult to read.
These kinds of personality quizzes can struggle to place somebody like me, because I’m not clearly in one box.
The reason this test impressed me was because although each question had only two answers to choose from, for those which I was torn I was bald to skip to another question.
But the more clever element is that at the end of 25 questions, a message flagged up to say that I was difficult to read, and they had 5 more questions in order to accurately identify my personality. This continue to happened until in the end I’d answered 40 or 45 questions – I lost count!
Finally, I was impressed that I was given a range of different types, which each somewhat apply to me.
Result: INFJ – The type I was first assessed as being, and most frequently occurring across all the tests I took.
24% INFJ
21% INFP
16% ISFJ
13% ISFP
6% ENFJ
Human Metrics
Time investment: 64 questions, approx. 10 mins
A pretty good personality test which is quick and easy. The result matched my original type.
Result: INFJ – The type I was first assessed as being, and most frequently occurring across all the tests I took.
IDR Labs
Time investment: 44 questions, approx. 5 mins
Rather than offering questions with answers which can be placed on a scale, IDR Labs offers quite specific questions with only two answers.
For the majority of questions I found myself incredibly torn between answers rather than having a strong sense of one being more correct than the other for me.
Result: ISFP – Did not match other tests.
Keys 2 Cognition
Time investment: 48 questions, approx. 5 mins
I wasn’t a fan of the questions in this test. The wording was often overly complicated and confusing.
Result: ISFJ – Did not match other tests.
Personality Max
Time investment: 221 questions, approx. 25 mins
Personality Max is very thorough which makes it super popular.
This was the last of the free tests I began, and I didn’t complete it.
After just a few questions, I was already struggling to select answers between the two options. Knowing that there was going to be 25 minutes ahead of me, likely facing the same difficulty, I chose not to continue.
Result: Unknown
Email Address Required
If you still want more options, these tests are also free but require an email address to access your results.
Crystal
Time investment: 32 questions, approx. 5 mins
You’ll need to create an account with your email address to access your full report, but it’s a quick and easy test.
Result: INFJ – The type I was first assessed as being, and most frequently occurring across all the tests I took.
Practical Psychology
Time investment: 100 questions, approx. 10 mins
The questions were simple and easy to answer, however despite being more thorough than some of the other tests I was unconvinced by the result.
Result: INTP – Did not match other tests.
Free + Optional Extras
16 Personalities
Time investment: 60 questions, approx. 10 mins
This is the first test I took and it was simple, quick, and easy. And the information available in the free report at the end was thorough. I felt seen!
Result: INFJ – The type I was first assessed as being, and most frequently occurring across all the tests I took.
Truity
Time investment: 130 questions, approx. 15 mins
Straight forward and fast. Very limited free information available, and far less than 16 Personalities provided.
Result: INFJ – The type I was first assessed as being, and most frequently occurring across all the tests I took.
Official Myers Briggs Personality Test (£)
MBTI Online
Time investment: approx. 45 mins
The MBTI Online test is the only official assessment, ie. the one developed by Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs.
There’s a small fee of $49.95 (at time of publication) attached to using the official test, but this will give you access to:
- The official Myers-Briggs assessment and MBTI type
- Short courses for personal development
- Type comparison tool
- Lifetime access to your results and the Myers-Briggs content library
What Does the Science Say?
Arguably one of the best personality tests available online, taking a Myers-Briggs personality type quiz nonetheless has its limitations…
Validity and Reliability of the MBTI
According to the Myers Briggs Foundation, the MBTI meets accepted standards of validity and reliability, with 90% accuracy and test-retest reliability.
However one particular study showed that despite the MBTI yielding strong internal test-retest consistency, variations were observed.1
Other research indicates that the MBTI is not a good predictor of professional success.2
Limitations of MBTI Assessment – Is It a Reliable Test?
To begin with, it’s important to note that although MBTI is hugely popular, it has relatively little scientific validity.
The test attempts to classify different personality types according to stringent criteria.
Despite often being used by organisations as a useful tool to help in the hiring process or for structuring team members according to work style, the reality is that it’s not really reliable as a psychological instrument.
The greatest problem with the test is that it attempts to classify different personality types according to stringent criteria – but personalities rarely fit into neat boxes. Nuance and complexity of traits are lost in the test. Here’s an example:
If you score 52% on the Introversion – Extraversion scale, you’ll be treated the same as somebody who scores 97%. Despite both being categorised as extravert, the reality is that the 52% score will be far closer in personality to a 48% score, who will be labelled an introvert.
Of course, this example applies to every spectrum of traits.
Why Does This Matter?
People love personality tests, but these limitations matter because our score can become part of our internal narrative, colouring our views of ourselves.
While it’s possible these labels may be positive, it’s equally possible they could lead to limiting self-beliefs.
So, what are some alternatives?
Other Personality Tests Available Online
Some other options for personality assessments you can find free online include:
- DiSC Assessment
- Enneagram
- HEXACO
- Eysenck Personality Inventory
- Emotion-based tests, such as Test Color (I tried this one, and it seemed surprisingly accurate!)
But, the most scientifically validated personalities test available online is…
- The Big Five Personality Test3
Have fun trying some of these tests! I’d love to know how accurate you find them – especially anyone also interested in Human Design.
Sources
- Capraro, Robert & Capraro, Mary. (2002). Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Score Reliability Across Studies: A Meta-Analytic Reliability Generalization Study. Educational and Psychological Measurement – EDUC PSYCHOL MEAS. 62. 590-602. DOI: 10.1177/0013164402062004004.
- Pittenger, D. J. (1993). The Utility of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Review of Educational Research, 63(4), 467–488. DOI: 10.3102/00346543063004467.
- Paunonen, S. V., & Ashton, M. C. (2001). Big Five factors and facets and the prediction of behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(3), 524–539. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.81.3.524.