Free Big 5 Personality Test - Five Traits and Thirty Subtraits

The Big 5 is the most commonly used personality model in academic psychology. Unlike personality type tests such as the Myers-Briggs or the Enneagram that determine which of the possible types is the best fit for you, the Big 5 test determines how much of each trait you have.

The Big 5, also referred to as the Five-Factor Model (FFM), is made up of five personality trait domains. The acronym OCEAN is often used to refer to the common labels of the five broad trait domains (the first letter of each trait taken together spells OCEAN). The trait domains sometimes go by other labels as well.

• Openness to Experience, Intellect or Imagination
• Conscientiousness
• Extraversion, Surgency
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism, Emotional Stability

While most of the alternate labels used refer to a similar trait domain, there is an inverse relation between Neuroticism and Emotional Stability (i.e., a high score on Neuroticism implies a low score on Emotional Stability and vice versa).

Each Big 5 trait domain in turn may be further divided into six subtraits or facets. 

• Openness to Experience
  Subtraits/Facets: Imagination, Artistic Interests, Emotionality, Adventurousness, Intellect, Liberalism
• Conscientiousness
  Subtraits/Facets: Self-Efficacy, Orderliness, Dutifulness, Achievement Striving, Self-Discipline, Cautiousness
• Extraversion
  Subtraits/Facets: Friendliness, Gregariousness, Assertiveness, Activity Level, Excitement Seeking, Cheerfulness
• Agreeableness
  Subtraits/Facets: Trust, Morality, Altruism, Cooperation, Modesty, Sympathy
• Neuroticism
  Subtraits/Facets: Anxiety, Anger, Depression, Self-Consciousness, Immoderation, Vulnerability

Further breaking down each trait domain into subtraits or facets offers more detailed insight into an individual than can be offered by the broader trait alone.

As an example, while two people may score the same on the broader trait of Extraversion, looking at subtrait or facet scores within Extraversion can provide more insight. It might be that one person scores high on Friendliness while the other person scores high on Excitement Seeking. Looking at the scores on just the broader trait of Extraverstion would miss that their Extraversion derives from key differences.

Most tests available on the Internet measure only the Big 5 traits, but on PersonalityProbe.com you'll also find tests that get into more detail by measuring the Big 5 subtraits or facets as well.

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