Free Myers Briggs Tests
versus
The Official MBTI®

The Myers Briggs typology is one of the most popular personality typologies in the world. Drawing on Carl Jung’s personality type theory and subsequent work of Isabelle Briggs Myers, the Myers Briggs typology sorts people into one of 16 personality types, based on their natural predispositions for processing information, making decisions, relating to others, and generally approaching life. For decades, the typology has been used for a variety of applications, including team building, leadership development, conflict management, career planning, and personal growth.

The official Myers Briggs assessment, however, is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, which is published through CPP Inc., and can only be accessed through MBTIonline.com or a career practitioner who is certified to administer and interpret the instrument.

So why should you invest in the professional MBTI instrument, when so many free Myers Briggs tests are available online?

While taking a free online test is a great way to start exploring your Myers Briggs type, there are some important drawbacks to this type of assessment. The following chart highlights some of the differences between free online Myers Briggs tests and the official MBTI:

As you can see, while free assessments are convenient to use and provide immediate results, they are often unproven and unreliable, such that most career practitioners would not elect to use them. Furthermore, these assessments are not interpreted by qualified practitioners, and do not provide in-depth feedback about your individual profile (unless you are willing to pay an extra fee for a “premium” report).

In contrast, the MBTI is psychometrically validated and continually updated by new research. The assessment can only be taken through accredited professionals, who have demonstrated, through training and experience, that they are competent to administer and interpret the instrument. When you complete the MBTI, you receive a personalized report that describes your type and the clarity of your preferences. Depending on your specific goals, you can elect to receive a report that focuses more specifically on your communication style, decision-making style, work style, conflict style, stress management, personal impact or career options.

You can also elect to receive, along with your results, a personalized feedback session from a certified MBTI professional. The feedback session is invaluable for helping you figure out whether your reported type is in fact your “best fit type”, and for translating your results into insights that can immediately improve the quality of your work and personal life.

“The feedback session is invaluable for helping you figure out whether your reported type is in fact your “best fit type”, and for translating your results into insights that can immediately improve the quality of your work and personal life.”

If you were concerned about potential vision problems, you wouldn’t buy a pair of glasses based on the results of a free online test. Instead, you would likely see an optometrist for a comprehensive eye examination, and buy glasses only after developing a good understanding of your diagnosis and treatment options. By the same token, if you are serious about basing your future career direction on the results of the career assessment, don’t opt to take a “knock off” test. Instead, invest in the professional MBTI – a scientifically validated instrument with a proven track record of over 50 years.