The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Test has been used for a long time to help students, patients, and researchers help understand a person better. This short Myers Briggs test can be used to help find a suitable career, a significant partner, or just for self-improvement.


Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers were not world-renowned psychologists. They were just a mother and daughter who became interested in studying personalities based on Carl Jung discoveries.

Jung believed that humans experienced the world using four different functions. These functions were the dichotomies that we associate with the test today: Extraversion vs. Introversion; Sensing vs. Intuition; Thinking vs. Feeling; and Judging vs. Perception.

At the time that Briggs and her daughter were researching Jung's theories, America was involved in World War Two.
So they took all of the dichotomies and created a test that would show which "side" we stood on. Their assessment determined whether a person was more introverted than extroverted.


How does Myers Briggs work?
The Myers Briggs test works by categorizing similar people by how they think, perceive, and behave in the world by measuring how they answer some simple questions. It is not 100% correct and definitely not accurate for long-term time horizons, but can useful in finding your own strengths and weaknesses.

You answer questions and based on how you answer questions, you are categorized into one of two options for each aspect.


Are Myers Briggs accurate?
Yes, for most people, the Myers Briggs profile assigned to them is quite accurate. However, you must remember that the goal of the test is to put people into similar categories so we can study the differences.

There are currently 16 different combinations you could receive from the quiz, and in general, those who score the same results behave and think in similar manners. The issue is that we can't measure someone's behavior directly with this test, but that we can only measure how they answer. For example, someone may be very kind, yet humble, so they'd answer "Disagree" on "I am more kind than the average person"; or very mean, yet answer "Agree".

It's important to note that there have not yet been any correlations between a MBTI type and intelligence.




Question #1: Where do you get your energy?
Extraverts vs. introverts

The first question pairs with the first dichotomy: extraverts vs. introverts. These are a hot topic in the discussion of personality psychology. It seems like every personality test has results that will label you as an extravert or introvert. But there are many misconceptions about these two labels. Extraverts (E) don't always want to get wild and party all of the time; they just get energy from stimuli within the outside world. Introverts (I) aren't shy and secluded; they just get energy from self-reflection and staying within their "own" world. You can still be a social person and be an introvert.

Question #2: How do you take in information?
Sensing vs. Intuition

When you walk into a room, how do you assess what is going on? Do you prefer to get hard facts and direct answers? You probably ranked high for Sensing (S.) If you prefer to rely on your intuition (N,) you may walk into a room and get a "feeling" for what is happening. You may look at patterns, body language, or feel the energy in the room.

Question #3: How do you make decisions?
Thinking vs. Feeling

Once you have to act, how do you decide what to do? You might be the type to create a pros and cons list and rely on logical thought to make your decision. If you are, you probably scored high for Thinking (T.) Maybe you frequently go with your gut feeling and rely on emotions to make your decision. Then you might have ranked a bit higher for Feeling (F.)

Question #4: How do you organize your world?
Judgement vs. Perception

When you are planning a trip, do you plan or leave things open to change? If you tend to be a planner, you might find yourself planning most areas of your life. You use your judgement (J) to predict what you will do next and how the next few years are going to look for you. If you tend to be more flexible, you may be relying more on your perception (P) of the world. When you perceive things to be a signal for change, you make the change.

This dichotomy is an addition to Jung's original theories. Remember, Briggs did not use Jung's theories word for word; she simply based her personality assessment off of his work.

These questions certainly give insight into how people work and interact with others. No wonder it's used by so many business leaders and hiring professionals! Further research shows how these personality types interact with each other and how many of each type you should hire for a productive workplace.

Again, results are not guaranteed to be accurate, but they could be a great indicator about what personality type you have, and how you interact with others.