Frequently Asked Questions
What are character strengths?
Character strengths are the 24 positive traits identified by positive-psychology researchers Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman (2004) as the building blocks of good character across cultures — things like curiosity, kindness, honesty, and perseverance. Our test measures all 24, using public-domain items in the tradition of the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP), and groups them into 6 broader virtue categories.
How long does the Character Strengths test take?
The test has 48 questions and takes about 10 minutes. You'll get a full ranking of all 24 character strengths from your strongest to your least-used, plus your top strengths within each of the 6 virtue categories.
What are the 6 virtue categories?
Peterson and Seligman organized the 24 character strengths into 6 broad virtues: Wisdom & Knowledge (creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning, perspective), Courage (bravery, perseverance, honesty, zest), Humanity (love, kindness, social intelligence), Justice (teamwork, fairness, leadership), Temperance (forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation), and Transcendence (appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality).
How is a character strengths test different from a personality test like Big Five?
Big Five measures broad personality traits — how you tend to think, feel, and behave. A character strengths assessment measures something narrower and more actionable: the specific positive qualities you draw on, like curiosity or fairness. Strengths are also easier to build deliberately than traits — most people can grow a strength like gratitude or self-regulation with practice, which is the basis of most strengths-based coaching and positive-psychology interventions.
What can I do with my top character strengths?
Research on strengths-based development consistently links using your top strengths more often — at work, in relationships, and in how you spend free time — to higher life satisfaction and engagement. Your results include practical suggestions for putting each of your top strengths to work, plus careers and role types where those strengths tend to be valued most.
Is the Character Strengths test free?
Yes — the test and your full ranking of all 24 strengths are free with instant results. A deeper report with dimension-by-dimension analysis, career matches, and a personalized action plan is available as a premium upgrade.
Is the character strengths framework scientifically valid?
The 24-strengths classification comes from Peterson and Seligman's 2004 work Character Strengths and Virtues, developed by surveying philosophical and religious traditions worldwide for recurring, valued human qualities. It's widely used in education, coaching, and workplace development. Like other self-report frameworks, it has been debated in academic psychology over how cleanly the 24 strengths separate from one another — it's best used as a self-discovery tool alongside validated trait measures like Big Five.