Learning more about your personality and the motives that can influence your behavior is fulfilling and fruitful work. Taking a free enneagram test to help determine your enneagram type is a great place to start. Keep in mind that taking an Enneagram test is just the beginning.
Beth McCord describes the usefulness of the Enneagram in the following way:
The Enneagram accurately and clearly describes why you think, feel, and behave in particular ways based on your core fears and core desires.
The power of the Enneagram is in its ability to harness and transform self-limiting behaviors into life-enhancing personal empowerment.
Be prepared to find rewarding and unsettling things about yourself while using the Enneagram. This is the work of discovery and exploration to help uncover and become the best self you were created to be.
What Is The Enneagram Test?
The Enneagram is a personality framework for understanding each type’s motivations, behavior, and thoughts. The system is an interconnected model that represents nine different personality types. The tool is unique because it can help reveal the patterns associated with what and why each type thinks, feels, and acts. The Enneagram can serve as a clarifying lens to view complex aspects common to human personality traits, along with the pitfalls or shadow sides related to each.
How To Use Your Enneagram Test Results For Personal Growth
The best way to use the Enneagram is to familiarize yourself with the nine types. I recommend examining the core motivations of each type in addition to the characteristics. Understanding the motivations of each type can help you more quickly identify which type is most relatable, in addition to taking an assessment.
Each number (personality type) indicates traits common to the type in thought, feeling, and behavior areas. Individuals can use the Enneagram to begin identifying patterns in their lives during times of stress and growth to become more self-aware and relational. You can visit the post, All 9 Enneagram Types in Stress and Growth, for more about this.
As you learn more about your type, you can use other aspects of enneagram teaching to explore personality dynamics further. Before exploring the free assessment options, using the description below to familiarize your self with each of the nine enneagram types.
Understanding The 9 Enneagram Types Before Taking A Test
Type 1: The Perfectionist | Desires to uphold quality and standards; fears moral imperfection
Enneagram Type 1s, often known as ‘The Perfectionists’ or ‘The Reformers,’ are characterized by their relentless pursuit of excellence and unwavering commitment to improving the world around them. They have a deep-seated desire to promote goodness and purpose, driven by their strong ethical and moral values.
Type 1s tirelessly work with laser focus, strictly adhering to an ideal standard they believe is good. Their dedication can lead to both success and obsession, depending on their state of well-being. When healthy, they achieve their goals with diligence, but when unhealthy, they can become overly critical and obsessive about their ideals.
Type 2: The Helper | Desires to give and receive love; fears being unlovable
Enneagram Type 2s, known as ‘The Helpers,’ are characterized by their caring and sociable nature, approaching people with genuine warmth and a desire to give and receive love and support. They thrive in reciprocal relationships but may not always express their need for affection, leading to confusion when others don’t reciprocate in the same way.
Despite their cheerful demeanor, they grapple with a fear of being unlovable, which can result in emotional instability and attempts to control situations or relationships. This longing for love, when unmet, can occasionally manifest as bitterness and hostility.
Type 3: The Achiever | Desires success and admiration; fears failure and worthlessness
Enneagram Type 3s, ‘The Achievers,’ are driven by a strong desire for success and admiration, stemming from their fear of failure and worthlessness. Healthy Threes embody qualities such as energy, modesty, competence, and genuine intentions, achieving their goals while considering their impact on others. Yet, they can become excessively focused on success, sometimes neglecting other values and relationships.
Unhealthy Threes may exploit others in their pursuit of self-promotion. At their worst, they can be untrustworthy and resentful, often rooted in childhood experiences of conditional love, which drives their adult emphasis on success, admiration, and self-promotion at all costs.
Type 4: The Individualist | Desires uniqueness and significance; fears being ordinary
Enneagram Type 4s, ‘The Individualists,’ place a high value on uniqueness and significance, actively seeking meaning and beauty in their pursuits, often channeling their creativity into forms like art, fashion, or writing. They dread the idea of being seen as ordinary. Healthy Fours are expressive, artistic, and deeply connected in their relationships, their creative endeavors serving as meaningful extensions of themselves, accompanied by a healthy self-esteem.
On the other hand, at their worst, Fours can withdraw, display resistance, self-absorption, and aimlessness, grappling with feelings of being misunderstood and flawed, which can lead to depression, often linked to childhood trauma or significant setbacks. For those who felt out of place as children, healing involves recognizing commonalities with others and cultivating self-acceptance to address the underlying wound of feeling out of sync with the world.
Type 5: The Investigator | Desires competence and knowledge; fears incompetence and helplessness
Type Fives, also known as “The Investigators,” are among the rarest of the Enneagram types. Their core desire is to be competent and capable, driving them to seek knowledge and a profound understanding of their surroundings, often through deep contemplation and skill development in solitude. Feeling incompetent and helpless is their core fear, which can lead to reclusiveness, hostility, and closed-mindedness when unhealthy.
Healthy Fives, in contrast, are open-minded, effective communicators, and possess remarkable foresight and perception. They thrive in careers that allow them to apply their knowledge and skills and are recognized for their level-headedness, calmness under pressure, need for independence, and logical problem-solving abilities.
Type 6: The Loyalist | Desires safety and security; fears chaos and betrayal
Enneagram Type Six, ‘The Loyalist,’ is characterized by practicality and unwavering loyalty, seeking to establish secure support systems and create a stable world. They often pursue careers in administration, law enforcement, or caregiving. With a capacity to approach stress logically and calmly, they are dependable companions in various roles.
Fiercely loyal, they maintain consistent values and behaviors and, at their best, balance independence with trust in others. However, their core fear of an unsafe environment can lead to negative focus and unhealthy paranoia, believing others are plotting against them or untrustworthy.
Type 7: The Enthusiast | Desires happiness and contentment; fears suffering and limitations
Enneagram Type Seven, ‘The Enthusiast,’ is characterized by an exuberant zest for life, overflowing with energy, spontaneity, and boundless optimism. They often thrive in careers such as hospitality, the arts, business, or life coaching, where they can channel their creativity and enthusiasm while embracing spontaneity and diverse interactions. Their core desire is to attain happiness and contentment, but their fear revolves around suffering and limitations.
In some cases, their need for stimulation can lead to destructive behaviors, especially in unhealthy Sevens, who may become impulsive and unpredictable. Childhood experiences of absent nurturing figures can drive them to seek solace in fleeting distractions, but healing involves staying present, focusing on thoughts and emotions, and finding contentment beyond constant stimulation.
Type 8: The Challenger | Desires control and protection; fears losing control and vulnerability
Enneagram Type 8, known as ‘The Challenger,’ is one of the rarest types and is motivated by the fundamental desire to control their destinies and protect others, especially underdogs, victims of injustice, or their loved ones. They are characterized by their boldness, decisiveness, and readiness to take risks, embodying the qualities of exceptional leaders.
It’s not surprising that many famous Eights have been world leaders or visionaries championing justice in their careers. However, when unhealthy, Eights can display excessive aggression, dominance, or a vengeful attitude, driven by their fear of losing control, which may manifest in antisocial behaviors. While Eights are prone to megalomania at their worst, this applies primarily to severely unhealthy individuals of this type.
Type 9: The Peacemaker | Desires harmony and peace; fears neglect and disconnection
Enneagram Type Nine, ‘The Peacemaker,’ is characterized by a deep yearning for harmony and conflict resolution, making them skilled mediators. They often thrive in careers related to counseling, diplomacy, or community work, where their passion for peace shines. While they dedicate themselves to helping others, their core desire is inner peace and emotional stability.
Healthy Nines are optimistic, trusting, and adept at fostering unity, reflecting the tranquility they seek. In contrast, unhealthy Nines avoid conflict, suppress their true feelings, and fear neglect and disconnection. Healing for traumatized Nines involves taking decisive action toward their own needs without the fear of alienating others.
The Five Best Free Enneagram Tests Online
Not all Enneagram tests are created equal. While there are lots of tests available, using free Enneagram tests from reputable sources is essential. For this reason, I’ve listed the best free Enneagram tests that I trust, found helpful, and reference consistently. There are also large volumes of people who have taken these tests and shared favorable reviews compared to other free Enneagram tests available. Not to mention, it’s not necessary to take tests from more than a couple of providers.
To learn more details about each test and some of the differences between each one, keep reading below. You’ll find information about the test’s creators, the reports, how long it takes to complete each one, and what it’s like to take each assessment.
*Disclosure: Keep in mind that I may receive commissions when you click a link and make purchases. However, this does not impact my reviews and comparisons. I do my best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice.
Truity
Time To Take: 8-12 minutes
Cost: Free unless you unlock 19-page custom report
Report Provided: Free version only provides a one page sample report with your results
Does It Require An Email Sign-up? No
Take Truity’s Free Enneagram Test: Click Here!
Truity is a site that offers assessments that they claim are scientifically validated personality tests to help you grow and find your way in life. Truity is not specifically dedicated to the enneagram; however, it is one of its tests. The test is easy to take and only takes about ten minutes.
This free Enneagram personality test will help you identify which of the 9 personality types best fits you. It also provides you with scores for all 9 Enneagram types.
You can also pay to unlock your full 19-page custom report to help you dive even deeper into your Enneagram type. Either way, the free test will provide your results with straightforward scoring.
Personality Path
Time To Take: 8-12 minutes
Cost: Free unless you unlock the custom report
Report Provided: Free version only provides a one page sample report with your results
Does It Require An Email Sign-up? No
Take Personality Path’s Free Enneagram Test: Click Here!
Personality Path is a relatively new Enneagram Test that is free and requires no email address to access. The report will reveal how you score for all nine types, indicating your strongest number. The creators of this test are deeply passionate about using the Enneagram to help others and subscribe to the ethical guidelines of The International Enneagram Association.
You can also opt to purchase ($25) a comprehensive report detailing each type, an in-depth exploration of your dominant type, and a personal development growth plan.
Your Enneagram Coach
Time To Take: 8-12 minutes
Cost: Free
Report Provided: Free version only provides a one page sample report with your results
Does It Require An Email Sign-up? Yes
Take Your Enneagram Coach’s Free Enneagram Test: Click Here!
Beth McCord is the founder of this site. She has been an Enneagram speaker, coach, and teacherfor over 20 years and has several enneagram credentials. The site also has an awesome explanation page for each type providing a quick list of each number and a helpful summary. Additionally, her team provides numerous resources to support one journey using the enneagram, including, coaching, training, and certifications.
CloverLeaf
Time To Take: 8-12 minutes
Cost: Free
Report Provided: Brief overview of your type
Does It Require An Email Sign-up? Yes
Take Cloverleaf’s Free Enneagram Test: Click Here!
Cloverleaf is on a mission to help individuals and teams do their best work. This organization is built upon the belief that everyone is valuable, the whole person matters, and that relationship is everything.
Cloverleaf offers a variety of resources, including a free enneagram test. I enjoy this test; the assessment questions are unique and fun to answer.
The free enneagram test provides a brief overview of your results and compares how your type may interact in a relationship with others based on communication, work style, sources of conflict, and reaction to conflict.
Crystal
Time To Take: 5-7 minutes
Cost: Free
Report Provided: Brief overview of your type
Does It Require An Email Sign-up? Yes
Take Crystal’s Free Enneagram Test: Click Here!
Crystal Knows is free to use and analyzes millions of online data points to identify personality accurately. Like Truity, Crystal is not solely focused on the enneagram but does include it as a personality assessment tool.
Within the enneagram section of the site, a basic menu is available with explanations for each type, wings, and how each type relates to others. The content is super clean, easy to navigate, and helpful.
What Is The Best Free Enneagram Test?
Truity’s Enneagram Personality Test is the best free Enneagram test available online, with highly accurate reporting. Over 1,000,000 people per month access the test to determine their Enneagram Type.
The questions are in-depth, easy to respond to, and quick to navigate. The assessment results briefly introduce your possible type, how you scored for all nine types, what makes you unique, and your personality superpowers.
The Top Five Best Free Enneagram Tests list includes accurate assessments from credible, trustworthy organizations. We believe each resource will help you in your journey with the Enneagram.
Are Free Enneagram Tests Completely Accurate?
Remember that no self-reporting test is 100% accurate, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take one, especially if they’re free!
Because the assessments are free, it’s advantageous to take all five to see if your results align. The links are easy to navigate, and you can return to this page to visit each test.
Each test takes only takes around ten minutes. Also, spend time reviewing the reports to discover your possible personality type.
The Enneagram helps us to understand the basic motivations of each personality type. Using it can help you communicate with and relate to others more effectively.
The Enneagram is a tool that helps us awaken self-compassion and compassion for others. When we learn self-compassion and allow our hearts to expand, we can stop trying to change people and simply love them for who they are. – Ian Cron
While we may seem different on the surface, we have similar things in common: a desire for connection, understanding, support, and acceptance. The Enneagram is helpful because it reveals areas of motivation, desires, and fears. Understanding these underlying things is helpful in one’s journey to become more self-aware and relate better to others.
8 Tips When Taking An Enneagram Test For More Accurate Results
- Be honest and reflective: Answer questions truthfully based on lifelong patterns and feelings, not how you wish to be.
- Avoid neutral responses: Choose answers that best align with your predominant behaviors.
- Take your time: Reflect on each question without rushing through the test.
- Consider multiple tests: Take tests from reputable sources to cross-reference and validate your type.
- Seek external feedback: Consult friends or family familiar with the Enneagram for additional insights.
- Study type descriptions: Research the types aligning with your test results for a deeper understanding.
- Stay open to change: Acknowledge that your Enneagram type can evolve over time.
- Be patient: Finding your type may take time and self-reflection.
Remember that the Enneagram is a tool for self-discovery and personal growth, not a definitive label. The goal is to gain a better understanding of yourself and your patterns of behavior, so use the results as a starting point for your journey of self-awareness and improvement.
Did you know there are a couple of other Enneagram Tests available that are highly useful; however, you must purchase them before accessing them. Check out the post: What Is The Best Enneagram Test, And Should I Pay For It?
Free Enneagram Tests Keys To Remember
- An Enneagram Test is a way but not the only method, to figure out your type.
- Not all free tests are as good as others. It’s best to use a credible source.
- Truity is the most popular Enneagram Test and is highly accurate.
- No self-reporting is 100% accurate.
- Because the tests are free, comparing your results from each one can be helpful.
P.S. If you are looking for more Enneagram resources, be sure to check out the following posts:
4 Tips To Find Your Enneagram Number
