Likert Scale
A response format used in personality tests where you rate agreement on a scale (e.g., "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree"). Named after psychologist Rensis Likert (1932).
The Likert scale is the most common response format in personality assessments. Instead of simple yes/no answers, you rate your agreement with statements on a scale — typically 5 or 7 points (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree).
Likert scales are preferred because they capture nuance. "I enjoy parties" might be somewhat true but not completely true — a Likert scale lets you express that. This reduces binary thinking (the main criticism of MBTI's forced-choice format) and produces more reliable, normally distributed data.
JobCannon assessments use Likert scales across all tests. Your responses are aggregated into dimension scores (percentiles), giving you a nuanced profile rather than a rigid category. More scale points generally increase reliability — but beyond 7 points, people struggle to distinguish between options.