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PersonalityResearch-grade· Peterson & Seligman (2004) character strengths taxonomy

Public-domain IPIP items — not a licensed commercial inventory.

Free Character Strengths Test — Find Your Top 24 Strengths

Discover your top character strengths across all 24 traits — creativity, kindness, leadership, and more — using the academic Peterson & Seligman taxonomy and public-domain IPIP items. 48 questions, free, instant results.

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The basics

What is the Character Strengths Test?

Peterson and Seligman (2004) reviewed philosophical and religious traditions worldwide and distilled 24 character strengths, organized under 6 broad virtues — Wisdom & Knowledge, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence — that recur across cultures and history. Unlike a personality trait, which is largely value-neutral, a character strength is explicitly a positive quality: the framework was built to name what is good about people, not just what is typical of them.

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This test measures the same 24-strength taxonomy using items from the public-domain International Personality Item Pool (IPIP), not any trademarked commercial instrument built on the same research. Everyone has all 24 strengths in some measure; what varies is the ranking. Your top few — your "signature strengths" — tend to feel authentic and energizing to use, and research links deliberately using them in new ways each week to measurable, replicated gains in well-being.

Closely related on JobCannon: Big Five Personality Test, Values Assessment, Four Temperaments Test, RIASEC Career Test, and Emotional Intelligence Test.

What you get

What You'll Discover

Your full ranked profile across all 24 character strengths
Your top 5 signature strengths and what they reveal about how you operate
Which of the 6 virtues — Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, Transcendence — you lead with
How your strengths translate into work and relationships

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  • They're organized under 6 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. Transcendence: appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality.

  • No. A trait like extraversion is largely value-neutral — it describes a tendency, not a merit. A character strength like kindness is explicitly a positive quality. The two frameworks complement each other rather than measuring the same thing.

  • Your top 3-7 ranked strengths — the ones that feel authentic and energizing to use, and that you gravitate toward without being asked. Research consistently finds that deliberately using a signature strength in a new way each week predicts more life satisfaction than working on your lowest-ranked ones.

  • About 10 minutes for all 48 questions. There's no timer — answer with your instinctive response rather than the answer you think sounds best.

  • Psychologists Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman published the classification in 2004 as a positive-psychology counterpart to clinical diagnostic manuals — a shared vocabulary for what's right with people. This test uses that same public-domain academic taxonomy, measured with public-domain IPIP items.

Take the 24 Character Strengths Test Now

Discover your Character Strengths Test profile. 48 questions, 10 min.

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Explore all results in depth

Already taken the test, or just curious? Read the in-depth guide for any result — strengths, challenges, career matches, famous people, and FAQs.

Creativity, The Original Thinker
One of five strengths in the Wisdom and Knowledge virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Originality meets ingenuity
Curiosity, The Explorer
One of five strengths in the Wisdom and Knowledge virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Driven to discover and understand
Judgment, The Clear-Eyed Thinker
One of five strengths in the Wisdom and Knowledge virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Thinking through, not jumping to conclusions
Love of Learning, The Lifelong Scholar
One of five strengths in the Wisdom and Knowledge virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Mastering knowledge, systematically growing
Perspective, The Wise Counsel
One of five strengths in the Wisdom and Knowledge virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Seeing the bigger picture, helping others see clearly
Bravery, Facing What Matters
One of four strengths in the Courage virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Courage to act despite fear
Perseverance, The Persistent Path
One of four strengths in the Courage virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Finishing what matters through obstacles
Honesty, The Authentic Self
One of four strengths in the Courage virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Truth in word and deed
Zest, The Energetic Spirit
One of four strengths in the Courage virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Living fully, entirely engaged
Love, The Devoted Heart
One of three strengths in the Humanity virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Building deep, meaningful connections
Kindness, The Generous Hand
One of three strengths in the Humanity virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Helping others, leading with compassion
Social Intelligence, The Astute Mind
One of three strengths in the Humanity virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Understanding people, reading the room
Teamwork, The Reliable Collaborator
One of three strengths in the Justice virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Strong in group harmony and shared commitment
Fairness, The Just Advocate
One of three strengths in the Justice virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Committed to equal treatment and impartial principle
Leadership, The Organizing Influence
One of three strengths in the Justice virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Natural at guiding groups toward shared achievement
Forgiveness, The Merciful Heart
One of four strengths in the Temperance virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Letting go, moving forward
Humility, The Grounded Spirit
One of four strengths in the Temperance virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Let your work speak louder than words
Prudence, The Thoughtful Guide
One of four strengths in the Temperance virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Think before you act
Self-Regulation, The Disciplined Will
One of four strengths in the Temperance virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Master your impulses, shape your life
Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, The Discerning Eye
One of five strengths in the Transcendence virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Eyes open to excellence
Gratitude, The Thankful Heart
One of five strengths in the Transcendence virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Noticing what matters, expressing thanks
Hope, The Optimistic Agent
One of five strengths in the Transcendence virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Envisioning better futures, working toward them
Humor, The Light-Bringer
One of five strengths in the Transcendence virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Laughing, lightening, and lifting others
Spirituality, The Meaning-Maker
One of five strengths in the Transcendence virtue, one of twenty-four in Peterson and Seligman's character strengths classification
Connecting to purpose and larger meaning

© 2026 JobCannon. All assessments are based on validated psychological frameworks.

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