How the test works
Press Start the test and rate 20 short statements about your social life, from "A free evening with friends sounds better than a free evening alone" to "Weekends with nothing planned sound great to me." The answer options are Disagree, Slightly disagree, Neutral, Slightly agree and Agree (keys 1 to 5 also work). Back takes you to the previous statement.
Think of an ordinary week. Everyone has days when they crave company and days when they hide from it; the test is about what is typical for you. Whether your best hours fall in the morning or the evening is a separate question, answered by the chronotype test.
How your result is calculated
Ten statements describe extroverted habits and ten describe introverted ones. Introverted statements are reversed, then all 20 answers (1 to 5 points each) are added up. The total, between 20 and 100, is converted to a 0–100 score:
- Below 40: you lean introvert.
- 40 to 60: ambivert, a mix of both.
- Above 60: you lean extrovert.
These cut-offs are ours. The 20 statements were written for this site and form an original scale that has not been validated or normed. It is a structured way to reflect on your habits, not a research instrument. If you want a published, public-domain measure, the extraversion scale in our Big Five personality test uses Goldberg's IPIP items, which researchers have studied for decades.
Introvert, extrovert, ambivert: what the words mean
Introverts tend to find quiet and solitude restorative. They often prefer one deep conversation to many short ones, think before they speak and need recovery time after busy social events. Introversion is not the same as shyness: shyness is a fear of being judged, while introversion is a preference. Many introverts are socially skilled; they simply pay an energy cost for it.
Extroverts tend to gain energy from people and activity. They start conversations easily, often think out loud and can feel flat after long stretches alone.
Ambiverts sit in the middle and often switch modes depending on the setting. Because the trait is a continuum, a large share of people fall somewhere in this middle zone rather than at either end. Psychologist Adam Grant (2013) found that among call-centre sales staff, ambiverts brought in more revenue than either strong introverts or strong extroverts, possibly because they balance talking and listening.
A short history: from Jung to Eysenck
The terms come from Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who in Psychological Types (1921) described introversion as a turning of psychic energy inward, towards the inner world, and extraversion as a turning outward, towards people and objects. Jung saw them as attitudes, and believed everyone has both, with one usually dominant.
British psychologist Hans Eysenck turned the idea into a measurable dimension. In The Biological Basis of Personality (1967) he proposed that introverts have a higher baseline level of cortical arousal, so they seek less extra stimulation, while extroverts seek more to reach a comfortable level. His questionnaires, including the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck and Eysenck, 1975), placed people on a scale rather than in two boxes. The arousal theory has had mixed support in later research, but the continuous scale stuck: extraversion is now one of the five dimensions of the Big Five model.
Popular type tests still sort people into an "I" or an "E". That is easy to remember, but it hides the fact that a person scoring just above the middle and one scoring just below are more alike than different.
Using your result
Your score can help you plan your week: protect recovery time if you lean introvert, make room for focused solo work if you lean extrovert, and notice your current "battery" level if you are in the middle. The result card shows three practical tips for your band.
Limits
Self-report depends on mood and self-image, and this short, original scale has no norms, so treat the label as a starting point for reflection. It says nothing about ability, intelligence or mental health. If social situations cause you strong anxiety that affects daily life, that is a different topic from introversion, and a professional can help.
More questionnaires are on the personality tests page.
Sources
- Jung, C. G. (1921). Psychologische Typen. Rascher. English translation: Psychological Types (1923).
- Eysenck, H. J. (1967). The Biological Basis of Personality. Charles C. Thomas.
- Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck, S. B. G. (1975). Manual of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Hodder & Stoughton.
- Grant, A. M. (2013). Rethinking the extraverted sales ideal: The ambivert advantage. Psychological Science, 24(6), 1024–1030.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ambivert?
Someone who sits in the middle of the introversion–extraversion scale and switches between social and quiet modes depending on the situation. In this test, a score from 40 to 60 reads as ambivert.
Is introversion the same as shyness?
No. Shyness is a fear of being judged in social situations. Introversion is a preference for quieter settings and a need for time alone to recharge. An introvert can be confident, and an extrovert can be shy.
Is this the same as an introvert test?
Yes. People who search for an introvert test usually want exactly this. The test does not put you in one box; it shows where you sit on the introvert–extrovert spectrum.
Is this an official introvert test?
No. The 20 statements are an original scale written for this site and have not been validated or normed. For a published public-domain measure, see the extraversion score in our Big Five test.
Can you change from introvert to extrovert?
The underlying preference is fairly stable, but behaviour is flexible. Many introverts learn to present, network and lead well; they just plan recovery time afterwards.
Who invented the terms introvert and extrovert?
Carl Jung introduced them in Psychological Types (1921). Hans Eysenck later measured extraversion as a continuous dimension, which is how modern personality research treats it.
Why does my result change between attempts?
Mood, a recent busy or lonely week, and how you read each statement all shift self-report answers. Scores near a cut-off at 40 or 60 can easily move to the next band.