HEXACO Personality Test

10 min

Read each situation and choose the option that fits what you would do. Go with your first reaction; there is no time limit and no answer counts as wrong. The test takes about 10 minutes. At the end you see which of six traits leads in your answers, with a short description of it and a bar for each of the six.

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How the test works

You need a ride to the airport at five on Friday morning, and a coworker lives on the way. How do you bring it up? I mention how well their last client call went, then ask. I ask them for a ride on Friday at five. I chat warmly for a while about their generosity before I ask. I thank them in advance for the favor and then ask.

Your group is choosing a Saturday activity, and one option is a day of river rafting. I veto the rafting over the picture of a sprained ankle. I sign up right away, with the snack list on my mind. I picture the raft flipping at the sign-up sheet. I put my name down despite a thought about getting hurt.

A friend is putting together a guest list for a birthday dinner with a handful of seats. I take my spot on the list for granted. I haven't thought about whether I'm on it. I expect an invitation from this friend, who says I liven up their dinners. I hope there is a chair for me.

A roommate went through your desk drawers while you were away, then owned up and apologized. I lock my drawers from now on. I go back to leaving my things around the apartment. After our talk I let it go, except for my journal. I hand them my spare key for the next trip.

It is Monday morning and you sit down at your desk. I label the folders and color-code my calendar. I find what I need by digging through a pile. I clear my desk at closing time. I give the desk a rescue tidy-up in a burst of effort.

On a drive you crest a hill and the whole valley lies lit up at sunset. I give the view a nod, with my eyes on the road. I pull over to take in the view. I slow down to enjoy the sight. I stay at the roadside for the whole sunset.

A store's first-order discount can be claimed again with a fresh email address, and nobody would check. I pay the regular price at checkout. I pay full price for a coat that strains my budget. I sign up again with a fresh email when the saving is worth the trouble. A saving big enough to cover a dinner out still doesn't make me open a second account.

You are going to a housewarming across town tomorrow, and small things could go wrong, such as a missed turn or no parking. I replay the drive in my head all through supper and into the night. I treat the address as a map entry and nothing more. I spend part of the afternoon wondering about parking. At bedtime I wonder about parking.

You join a weekend workshop where everyone is a stranger, and the leader opens the floor for comments. I let the other participants speak first. I open the discussion with my own view. I wait for the leader to call on me by name. I offer a comment during the first group exercise.

You invite a friend to a birthday dinner and get a short "We'll see" in reply. I offer to move the dinner to suit their week. I give them room and a reminder nearer the date. I reserve their favorite dessert at the restaurant. I hold a chair for them despite the short reply.

You took up the cello in spring, and by midsummer the excitement has faded. I practice on dull evenings as I do on good ones. I trim practice down to the easy pieces. I follow the lesson book to its last page, whatever my mood. I put the cello back in its case.

At dinner someone mentions that octopuses can open jars, and you hadn't heard that before. I take it as a fun fact. I look it up on my phone that evening. I make a note on my phone to read about it later. Octopus brains swallow my evening.

You need a new bag for daily use. The store has a plain one and a handsome leather one that costs far more. I carry the leather bag to the register. I enjoy the feel of the leather for a moment, then take the plain bag. I let the price talk me out of the leather bag I keep picturing. I grab the plain bag, which holds my things just as well.

A letter arrives saying your rent will go up next quarter, and you have to decide whether to stay. I call someone close that evening to think it through together. I make my decision first, then mention it to a friend. I put every move on hold for a talk with someone I trust. I sign the new lease on my own.

You are at a family wedding reception, and the band is still playing while the tables are cleared. I stay for the band's last song. After the speeches I check the time. I ask the band for another song. I fetch my coat from the coat check at the main course.

You want a hiking trip and your travel companion wants a beach vacation. I offer them the beach for the first leg and their choice of hotel. I propose a trip that mixes a trail with a stretch of sand. I give up the hiking plan for the beach trip. I add a beach stop at the end of the hiking route.

A report is due to your manager at noon, and you have just typed the last line. I proofread the first page only. I go through the printed figures line by line. I send my first version right away. I give the tables a skim and the text a spell-check.

At work the files are sorted by date, and a newcomer proposes sorting them by topic. I give topics a trial folder beside the main archive. I volunteer to rebuild the archive by topic. I argue for keeping the date system, which has done its job well. I propose a topic folder for next month's files.

You are among the regulars at a busy bakery, and the owner could wave a few of you to the front. I hold my place in line like everyone else. I catch the owner's eye from the line. I wouldn't turn down the front of the line, but I don't angle for it. I hope the owner remembers my face and brings me forward.

A close friend is away on a long work posting abroad. I think of them at funny moments. I find their empty seat at the Friday table hard to look at. I check my phone for their messages. I replay their old voice notes at night.

It is a regular workday morning and your alarm goes off. I keep my morning quiet and steady. I hum my way through the shower and the commute. I perk up with my first coffee. I jump out of bed ready for the day.

At a car-rental counter the clerk keeps retyping your booking after each error, and the line behind you grows. I drum my fingers on the counter. I make small talk with the clerk to ease the pressure. I ask politely how long it will take. I'm as relaxed at the end of the wait as at the start.

A friend offers to sell you a used scooter at a good price and wants an answer by evening. I go with my gut on the engine. I draw up a page of costs for buying it and for passing. I say yes to a nice scooter at a fair price. I think about where I'd park it and what winter would do to the plan.

At a party someone tells you they spend their weekends restoring antique clocks by hand. I pull up a chair beside them. I write the hobby off as odd. I ask how a clock gets taken apart. I smile through the story of this quirky hobby.

Your manager presents a plan you think has a flaw, and a promotion decision is close. I name the flaw in front of the whole team. I tell the manager in private what I see wrong with it. I send the manager the flaw and my alternative in writing, even if the promotion goes elsewhere. I raise the doubt over coffee.

On a hiking trail you step onto a narrow ledge with a drop on one side. I feel my shoulders tighten. I press against the rock wall with my heart pounding. I cross the ledge at the same pace as on a sidewalk. I feel my stomach drop at the edge.

You walk into a crowded reunion where you know many of the guests. I feel a little warmer toward myself in the greeting line. I feel taller among them. I carry my usual mood into the room. I like how I come across at the buffet.

You are drawing up the guest list for a school reunion, and some old names bring back slights. I keep the old incidents filed next to the names in my head. I recall the games and jokes from those years. I could recite what they did and to whom, down to the room we were in. I have let the details behind those old names go fuzzy.

A free Saturday lies ahead of you. I leave the whole day undecided. I settle the main outings the evening before. I keep a rough idea for the day. I schedule the day by the hour the night before.

You have a free afternoon, with a botanical garden, a gallery and your errands all within walking distance. I head to the garden first. I spend the afternoon on errands. I give the gallery a slot ahead of the errands. I read the poster outside the gallery.

A café bill arrives, and the waiter has left a pricey dessert off the total. I flag the missing dessert to the waiter. I mention it at the register on my way out. I carry the bill back to the counter to pay for the dessert. I pay the bill as printed and leave the totals to the café.

You are in the waiting room for a routine dental cleaning. I read a magazine through a flutter in my stomach. I watch the clock on the wall, my knee bouncing. I lose myself in a magazine. I tidy the pamphlets on the table to give my hands something to do.

A neighborhood committee meets, and nobody has been named to run the discussion. I volunteer to chair. I propose a name for the chair. I open the agenda at the front of the room. I wait in my seat for an invitation to chair.

A colleague asks what you thought of their presentation, and you found it disorganized. I list what didn't work in calm, even words. I ask how they decided on the order. I tell them plainly that the order was confusing and the slides crowded. I start with the parts that worked, then raise the order of the slides gently.

You are halfway through repainting a long wooden fence, and the work has turned dull. I hold myself to a daily stretch of fence. I paint in short bursts between other jobs. I paint straight through to the final board. I put the lid back on the paint can.

You have a free long weekend and money for a short trip. I book a town I haven't visited, not far from home. I try a new neighborhood in a city I know. I choose a place where the signs are unreadable to me. I go back to the cottage by the sea that I know by heart.

A friend asks what, in your view, makes a life well lived. I count a comfortable income and a respected job as part of a good life. I give money a small place next to people and meaningful work. I put income second to having interesting days. I leave salary and rank out of my picture of a good life.

You said something at lunch that might have come across wrong, and it bothers you. I sort it out in my own head on the walk home. I ask a friend how it sounded. I run my own thinking past a friend by text. I need a trusted person to tell me what they heard.

Your calendar is empty on Sunday. I text friends first thing to set up a brunch. I block Sunday for the sofa and a book. I save the morning for myself and company for lunch. I leave my Sunday open to invitations.

You have planned the route for a group road trip, and a friend suggests a different one. "Good idea," I say, and change the route on the spot. I defend my route stop by stop. I switch routes on hearing their reasons. I yield with a brief argument for my route.

A new apartment lease arrives for you to sign. I sign on a glance at the rent and move-in date. I read the repair and notice clauses line by line. I check the payment terms. I catch a mismatched date in a footnote.

You have a rainy weekend with nothing planned. I paint whatever comes to mind. I doodle on a notepad. I spend the weekend in my workshop on the piece I've been shaping. I watch a series with a snack.

Your name is missing from the VIP list at an event you helped organize. I take a seat in the general area like any other guest. I mention my part in the event to the host. I count my work as my contribution and the seat as just a seat. I wait for the host to thank me for the work.

At a bus stop a stranger is crying quietly into a phone. I cross the sidewalk to offer a tissue. I wonder whether to speak to them. I sit with them for as long as it takes. I give them room.

A friend is organizing a picnic for next Sunday, and the guest list is still open. What do you do? I join for an hour and spend it with one close friend. I bring two friends along and meet new people there. I chat with the people I already know. I text a dozen friends and get the whole group together.

A coworker takes credit for your idea in a team meeting. I stay even-tempered through the meeting. I cut in on the spot. I wait for a calm moment to speak up. I let a sharp comment slip in the meeting.

A sharp, funny remark about the speaker comes to mind during a team meeting. I keep the remark to myself. The remark is out of my mouth mid-sentence. I save it for the coffee break. I whisper it to the colleague beside me.

A cousin tells the family they are selling their apartment to live on a sailboat. I wouldn't choose it myself, but I wish them fair winds. I ask about a visit. I'm uneasy about the plan from the first mention. I find the idea appealing.

Keys 1–4 pick an answer

About the test

Methodology

The test follows the approach of a six-factor model of personality described in research journals. The name HEXACO is an acronym of its factors: Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, eXtraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience. The 48 questions were written for this site. Every question offers four options, and each option adds points to all six scales. The scale whose total comes out on top gives the headline result, and the six bars show where each total falls between the floor and the ceiling of what these questions allow.

Eight questions feed each scale, two apiece for its four narrower traits. Honesty-Humility concerns fair dealing and sincerity with others. Emotionality is about sensitivity and closeness to others, put in everyday terms, with anger handled under Agreeableness. Extraversion covers ease and energy among people. Agreeableness describes a gentle response to friction and patience with other people. Conscientiousness covers order and thoroughness. Openness to Experience means curiosity about beauty and the unfamiliar. These names point to areas of the model's field of traits.

The test relies on a person's own answers about themselves. A general description of the model and how it relates to the Big Five is available on Wikipedia.

Author: Lex Tarrel, Creator of the CoreTypes system

Sources

Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2007). Empirical, theoretical, and practical advantages of the HEXACO model of personality structure. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 11(2), 150–166. doi:10.1177/1088868306294907
Lee, K., & Ashton, M. C. (2004). Psychometric properties of the HEXACO Personality Inventory. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39(2), 329–358. doi:10.1207/s15327906mbr3902_8
Ashton, M. C., Lee, K., & de Vries, R. E. (2014). The HEXACO Honesty-Humility, Agreeableness, and Emotionality factors: A review of research and theory. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18(2), 139–152. doi:10.1177/1088868314523838
Ashton, M. C., & Lee, K. (2009). The HEXACO-60: A short measure of the major dimensions of personality. Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(4), 340–345. doi:10.1080/00223890902935878

Frequently asked questions

What is Honesty-Humility?

Honesty-Humility is the scale that sets HEXACO apart from other personality models. It describes fair dealing and an ordinary view of oneself: people who rate high on it ask for things directly and pass up advantages nobody would notice. The word sounds moral, yet in this model it describes where a person's emphasis lies, and the test reports it as one scale among six.

What does a low Honesty-Humility result mean?

A shorter Honesty-Humility bar means this trait carries less emphasis than the other five in the same result, and the emphasis sits elsewhere. The same reading applies to a shorter bar on any scale. Bars are read against one another within one result, so the leading bar marks the trait that comes through more than the other five.

How does HEXACO differ from the Big Five?

Both describe personality with broad scales, and Extraversion, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience are close to their Big Five namesakes. HEXACO adds a sixth scale, Honesty-Humility, and divides the rest differently: temper is part of Agreeableness, while Emotionality takes in closeness to others and the wish for support. The Big Five scale called Neuroticism tracks how quickly emotional reactions arise. Research on the six-factor model points to added value for criteria close to honesty and humility.

What is this HEXACO test based on?

The test was written for this site. Its questions are original, and its structure follows a published six-factor model. The result names the trait that leads in the answers and shows all six as bars.

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