What Is the Big Five Personality Test?
The Big Five is one of the most thoroughly researched frameworks in all of
personality psychology. Based on the idea that human personality can be
understood through five core traits, it has been tested and validated across
cultures and languages worldwide. When you see it cited in academic research,
that's because it has earned that trust over decades of rigorous study.
This test measures where you fall on each of the five traits — and gives you
a clear, honest picture of your personality as it actually is.
The Five Traits
Before you take the test, it helps to know what each trait actually means.
Extraversion
How outgoing, expressive, and energized by social interaction you are.
People who score high tend to be talkative, enthusiastic, and drawn to
active environments. People who score low prefer quieter settings and
tend to be more reflective and independent.
Emotional Stability
How calm, resilient, and even-keeled you are under pressure.
People who score high handle stress well and rarely get rattled.
People who score low feel emotions more intensely and may be more
sensitive to setbacks — though they're often more attuned to others as
a result.
Openness to Experience
How curious, imaginative, and receptive to new ideas you are.
People who score high seek out novelty and tend to be creative and
intellectually adventurous. People who score low value familiarity,
consistency, and proven methods.
Conscientiousness
How organized, reliable, and goal-directed you are.
People who score high follow through on commitments, plan carefully, and
take their responsibilities seriously. People who score low are more
flexible and spontaneous — but may struggle with routine and deadlines.
Agreeableness
How cooperative, empathetic, and considerate of others you are.
People who score high are warm, helpful, and sensitive to how others feel.
People who score low are more direct and competitive, and less concerned
with social harmony.
How to Read Your Results
Your results will show whether each trait is high, moderate, or low for you.
Neither end of the scale is inherently good or bad — what matters is how
your profile fits your life.
If your relationships and daily life feel healthy and fulfilling, your
current profile is probably working well for you. If you notice recurring
patterns of stress, conflict, or difficulty, the growth notes in your
results may offer a useful starting point.
The goal isn't to become a different person. It's to understand yourself
more clearly — and use that understanding to your advantage.
Ready? Let's find out.
How This Test Was Developed
The following provides a detailed explanation of how to create a Big Five personality assessment. Please read on if you would like to understand it more deeply.
①Prior Research
We began by reviewing the major Big Five instruments currently in use.
Well-established measures include the NEO-PI-R developed by Costa and
McCrae [1], the Japanese Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J) by
Oshio and colleagues [2], and the Big Five Scale developed by Wada [3].
Each takes a somewhat different approach to measuring the same five-factor
structure, and we drew on all three in designing our own questions.
We also reviewed research on the relationship between Big Five traits and
mental health outcomes, which informed how we describe the strengths and
growth areas associated with each trait level.
②Question Items
A development team consisting of a Certified Public Psychologist (Japan),
a Certified Clinical Psychologist (Japan), and a graduate of a psychology
master's program reviewed the existing literature and constructed 4 questions
per trait, for a total of 20 items. Each question was designed to capture the
core behavioral expression of its trait as directly and clearly as possible.
Question List
Extraversion
1. I enjoy having conversations.
2. I like lively, busy environments.
3. I am energetic and active.
4. I feel comfortable speaking in front of others.
Emotional Stability
5. I tend to stay calm over minor issues.
6. I can manage my emotions well.
7. I recover quickly from setbacks.
8. I generally feel calm and relaxed.
Openness to Experience
9. I have a vivid imagination.
10. I enjoy taking on new challenges.
11. I am naturally curious.
12. I enjoy coming up with new ideas.
Conscientiousness
13. I plan things carefully.
14. I work hard on tasks I take on.
15. I follow rules and keep my promises.
16. I see things through to completion.
Agreeableness
17. I consider things from other people's perspectives.
18. I am considerate of others.
19. I enjoy helping people.
20. I am sensitive to how others are feeling.
③Scoring
Each question is answered on a 3-point scale:
Yes = 2 points /
Sometimes = 1 point /
No = 0 points
Each trait is measured by 4 questions, giving a score range of 0–8.
Score levels:
6–8: High
4–5: Moderate
0–3: Low
④Result Descriptions
For each trait at each level, we wrote a description covering its
characteristic strengths and a growth note. These descriptions draw
on the prior research reviewed above and on the clinical experience of
the development team. Our aim is to give you feedback that is honest,
specific, and genuinely useful — not just a generic label.
⑤Limitations of This Scale
This test was developed through careful review of established Big Five
research and by a team with professional psychology training. That said,
we want to be transparent about its limitations.
This instrument has not undergone formal statistical validation, including
factor analysis or reliability and validity testing against normative
samples. It reflects the knowledge and judgment of its developers rather
than a peer-reviewed research instrument. Results should be treated as a
starting point for self-reflection, not as a definitive psychological
assessment, and the test is not appropriate for academic research purposes.
⑥References
[1] Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1989). The NEO-PI/NEO-FFI manual
supplement. Psychological Assessment Resources.
[2] Oshio, A., Abe, S., & Cutrone, P. (2012). Development, reliability,
and validity of the Japanese version of the Ten Item Personality
Inventory (TIPI-J). Japanese Journal of Personality, 21(1), 40–52.
[3] Wada, S. (1996). Construction of the Big Five Scales of personality
trait terms and concurrent validity with NPI. Japanese Journal of
Psychology, 67(1), 61–67.
Additional references:
Gough, H. G., & Heilbrun, A. B. (1983). The adjective check list manual
(1983 ed.). Consulting Psychologists Press.
Fujishima, H., Yamada, N., & Tsuji, H. (2005). Development of a short
form of the Five-Factor Personality Questionnaire (FFPQ-50).
Japanese Journal of Personality, 13, 231–241.
(Originally published in Japanese; title translated by the authors.)
Kawamura, S. (2018). Relationship between self-esteem and awareness of
one's own personality based on a short Big Five scale. Tottori Nursing
University Research Bulletin, 76.
(Originally published in Japanese; title translated by the authors.)
Tamase, K., & Iwamuro, H. (2004). Issues related to relationship
maintenance and self-assertion: Amae and assertion as indicators.
Nara University of Education, Developmental Psychology. pp. 39–44.
(Originally published in Japanese; title translated by the authors.)
Tani, I., & Amaya, Y. (2009). Relationships between the Big Five
personality traits, empathy, and loneliness. Proceedings of the
Japanese Association of Personality Psychology, 18, pp. 132–133.
(Originally published in Japanese; title translated by the authors.)
Dosaka, S. (2016). Development of an Adlerian lifestyle diagnostic sheet
and its relationship to Big Five personality traits. Waseda Journal of
Human Sciences, 29(1), p. 107.
(Originally published in Japanese; title translated by the authors.)
Tani, I., & Amaya, Y. (2011). Relationships between the Big Five
personality traits, narcissistic indulgence, and humor attitudes.
Proceedings of the Japanese Association of Personality Psychology, 20,
p. 42.
(Originally published in Japanese; title translated by the authors.)
Asano, T., Odashima, H., Miya, S., & Akutsu, H. (2008). Relationships
between the Big Five personality traits, positive and negative affect,
stress responses, and social anxiety. Iwate University Research
Bulletin of the Center for Educational Practice, 7, pp. 116–128.
(Originally published in Japanese; title translated by the authors.)
About the Developers
Tatsushi Kawashima
Graduate School of Psychology, Mejiro University
National Licensed Psychologist (Japan)
Certified Psychiatric Social Worker (Japan)
Mikiko Kamei
Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University
National Licensed Psychologist (Japan)
Certified Clinical Psychologist (Japan)
Yuri Michimata
Graduate School of Literature, Kobe Shinwa Women's University
Certified Clinical Psychologist (Japan)
