FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
The minimum age recommended to take the MBTI® (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®) assessment is 13 years. This recommendation is based on the assumption that individuals at this age have developed enough self-awareness to accurately reflect on their preferences and answer questions meaningfully, which is framed at the 7th-grade reading level.
Though there is no time stipulation, normally it takes approximately 20-40 minutes to answer the 94 questions. It is okay to finish it in shorter or longer time. This is not a test and there are no right or wrong answers, it is an assessment to understand your own preferences.
It is important to note that psychological type provided by MBTI® does not explain everything. This is about preferences, not knowledge, skills, interests or ability, all of which should also be considered in a career decision.
Some estimates have it that over 10,000 companies, 2,500 colleges and universities and 200 government agencies in the United States alone use the MBTI®. It has been estimated that 50 million people have taken the Myers-Briggs personality test since the Educational Testing Service first added the research to its portfolio in 1962.
According to CPP, the company that administrates the MBTI®, college and universities worldwide use the test, as do 89 of the Fortune 100 companies.
No other personality assessment is backed by as much research and as many years of use as is the MBTI® instrument, which has been taken by millions of people worldwide. The MBTI® instrument is continually updated through ongoing research to ensure its ability to identify meaningful personality differences.
Most people enjoy taking the MBTI® assessment, and when they get their results, they feel affirmed in that they’ve received an accurate description of their personality. Many go on to set new goals and improve their careers, make better decisions and have better relationships.
Further, the MBTI® is required to be administered by a Certified Practitioner, to have a feedback session with the Practitioner about your assessment results in order to get a best-fit personality type. This means you get to know more about your personality and its implications.
Reliability is about consistent results – Do people tend to reply to the items in the same way when they take the assessment later, and do they tend to get the same four-letter type? Can you count on the results?
Validity refers to the instrument’s ability to identify psychological types according to Carl Jung’s theory. Does it measure properly what it is intended to measure?
- Culture: No, MBTI® type is universal. That is, the personalities of all human beings are structured in accordance with type theory, regardless of culture. Support for this universality comes from the fact that many translations of the MBTI® questionnaire are used successfully.
- Age: No, type does not change with age as it deals with inborn preferences (think about your preferred hand for writing). However, an important aspect of Jung’s theory (on which MBTI® is modeled) is its focus on the development of personality throughout the life span. For example, in childhood and adolescence, type is not fully differentiated, and there is a ‘trying out’ of the functions. We get better at using a greater range of the preferences throughout life, although this can be helped or hindered according to the environment.
- Mood: One’s preferred type does not change as it is inborn, but it is possible to use all of the preferences, and mood is likely to affect the choice of preference used. For example, under stress, the least preferred function that is least developed is expressed in a distorted way, which could result in an uncharacteristic behavior.
At its core level, the Strong Interest Inventory® is based on the idea you are more productive and satisfied when you work at a job you find interesting with like-minded people.
It is used extensively in school settings for giving students educational guidance in career counseling
The minimum age recommended to take the Strong Interest Inventory® assessment is typically 14 years. This recommendation ensures that individuals have enough maturity and self-awareness to provide meaningful responses to the assessment questions
Though there is no stipulated time, it takes about 30-45 minutes to complete the 244 questions.
The Strong Interest Inventory® (SII) is the most respected and widely used instrument for career exploration/planning worldwide. Introduced in 1927, it has evolved over many decades to continuously work effectively across genders and ethnicities. Its latest 2023 report edition, the Strong Interest Inventory® 244 Career Satisfaction Report, also adjusted its occupational scales for the ever-evolving job market with 243 updated occupations including new technology-driven fields. Further, it indicates your choice of academic courses, basic interest fields, and personality style preferences, which all are indicators of your future career stream. Simply put, the Strong Interest Inventory® continues with its reputation as being the gold standard in career development.
No, it does not examine your abilities or skills. The Strong Interest Inventory® is an ‘inventory of your interests’. With 244 questions in its latest edition of Strong Interest Inventory® 244 Career Satisfaction Report, the Strong Interest Inventory® can indicate your choice of occupations, academic courses, basic interest fields, and personality styles
The Myers-Briggs sorts your personality preferences for decision making, taking in energy, gathering information, and lifestyle to show how you prefer to live your life.
There are many free personality and interest inventory tests and assessments available on the Internet. Though some of these tests attempt to mimic MBTI® or Strong Interest Inventory®, they are neither valid nor reliable in assessing you.
The MBTI® test has been rewritten for validity and cross-culturally tested for over 40 years. Strong Interest Inventory® has been in existence for over 80 years and tested rigorously for validity over the decades.