Big 5 Personality Test

The Big 5 personality traits represent one of the most well-known frameworks for understanding our personalities and how we respond to the world around us. If you aren't sure which of the traits is most dominant for you, this free big 5 personality test can help you gain some valuable insight into your nature.

Who Is This Big 5 Personality Test For?

This Big 5 Personality Test is for anyone curious to learn more about their personality. Knowing which trait is most dominant can help you gain some insight into yourself and how you respond to certain situations in life. In turn, this may also give you insight into how others might perceive your actions or personality.

About Personality Trait Theory

The study of personality traits has a long history, going back to ancient Greek and Chinese societies. Both historic societies gave physiological and mental motives for one-of-a-kind character types. At the end of the 18th century, when psychiatry as a medical science was beginning, theories about personality were also taking shape.

Researchers don’t exactly know how personality forms and whether or not it can change over time. There’s some research to suggest personality traits have a genetic component, meaning traits can be inherited and have an environmental influence. A study also found Big 5 personality traits stayed the same in working-age adults over a four-year period.

These five traits represent broad areas of personality, but personality is complex. An individual’s genetics, environment, and life experiences play a role in which traits they express. 

What Traits Are in This Big 5 Personality Test?

Some people use the acronym OCEAN (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) as an easy way to remember the Big 5 Personality traits.

Each of the Big 5 traits represents a range of that trait. For example, extraversion represents the full spectrum from extreme extraversion to extreme introversion. Most people are somewhere in the middle of these extremes. 

Openness

Openness, also called openness to experience, describes curiosity, creativity, and imagination. People high in this trait are often curious about the world and other people. They enjoy new experiences and learning new things. 

People who are low in this personality trait may be resistant to new ideas or change and are not creative.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is the personality trait associated with being very thoughtful and having good impulse control. People high in this trait are often goal-oriented, organized, and pay close attention to detail. They’re the ones planning ahead, and they are often aware of how their behavior impacts other people. 

Those who have less of this personality trait are likely to be less organized, dislike schedules and planning, procrastinate, and have trouble completing tasks on a deadline.

Extraversion

Extraversion is characterized by getting energized by social settings, being the center of attention, and meeting new people. Those who are higher in extraversion have a larger social circle and prefer to be around others because socializing is exciting and energizing. They may also talk before thinking about what they are going to say. 

The opposite of this trait is introversion. Those higher in introversion prefer to be alone, get tired from social situations, and don’t want to be the center of attention. They also think carefully before speaking.

Agreeableness

People high in agreeableness are more likely to be empathetic, help others, and show kindness and affection. They care for others and want to see them happy. Agreeableness is also associated with being more cooperative. 

People low in agreeableness may be more competitive, not concerned about how others feel, and have little interest in being helpful. In some cases, these people might also be manipulative. 

Neuroticism

Neuroticism is associated with emotional shifts in mood, anxiety, and sadness. People high in neuroticism experience more stress, are more irritable and easily upset and have trouble bouncing back from stressful events. 

People low in neuroticism are more likely to be resilient, relaxed, and can deal with stress more easily.

What to Takeaway From This Big 5 Personality Test

Who you are as a person can't be summed up by a single test. Your personality is far more complicated than that. What's more, your personality isn't set in stone. If you don't like how you respond to certain situations or how people may perceive your behaviors, it is possible to change.

By challenging your self-beliefs and focusing your efforts, you can learn new habits, adjust how you think and act, and ultimately change aspects of your personality that you might find less desirable, or build upon positive traits that you would like to develop more.