An Enneagram test is a personality assessment that identifies which of nine types you are, based on your core motivations and fears— not just your behaviors. The gold-standard test is the RHETI (144 questions, $20, ~40 minutes), while Truity offers a well-validated free option (105 questions, ~15 minutes). Over 10 million people have taken Enneagram tests to understand themselves better, though scientific evidence for the system’s validity remains mixed— it’s useful as a self-reflection tool, even if it lacks the empirical rigor of assessments like the Big Five.
Key Takeaways:
- RHETI is the gold standard: The Enneagram Institute’s 144-question assessment shows 72% internal consistency reliability and uses forced-choice questions to bypass ego defenses
- Truity offers the best free option: With over 10 million users and published reliability data, it’s the most accessible validated test
- Mistyping is common— especially for Types 3 and 9: Answer based on your motivations, not how you behave, for accurate results
- The Enneagram reveals motivations, not just traits: Unlike MBTI or Big Five, it focuses on why you do what you do, making it uniquely useful for self-awareness and growth
What Is the Enneagram Test?
The Enneagram is a personality system that describes nine distinct types, each defined by a core motivation, fear, and desire— not just observable behaviors. Unlike assessments that categorize you by what you do, the Enneagram asks why you do it.
That’s what makes it different. And that’s what makes it genuinely useful.
The word “enneagram” comes from the Greek words for “nine” and “something drawn or written.” Oscar Ichazo developed the modern Enneagram personality system in 1968 at his Arica School in Chile. Claudio Naranjo then brought the Enneagram to the United States in the 1970s, teaching at Esalen Institute and Berkeley— and that’s how it became widely known in the West.
The Enneagram isn’t about putting yourself in a box. It’s about understanding the box you’ve already been living in.
The nine types are organized into three triads, each processing the world through a different center of intelligence:
- Heart Triad (Types 2, 3, 4): Driven by feelings and questions of identity
- Head Triad (Types 5, 6, 7): Driven by thinking and questions of security
- Body Triad (Types 8, 9, 1): Driven by instinct and questions of autonomy
Here’s a quick overview of all nine types:
| Type | Name | Core Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Reformer | Being good and correct |
| 2 | The Helper | Being loved and needed |
| 3 | The Achiever | Being successful and admired |
| 4 | The Individualist | Being unique and authentic |
| 5 | The Investigator | Understanding and being capable |
| 6 | The Loyalist | Being secure and supported |
| 7 | The Enthusiast | Being free and satisfied |
| 8 | The Challenger | Being strong and in control |
| 9 | The Peacemaker | Being at peace and connected |
But here’s the thing that trips people up: the Enneagram focuses on motivations, not behaviors. Two people can act identically but be completely different types. A workaholic Type 3 is driven by the need for success and admiration. A workaholic Type 1 is driven by the need to be good and correct. Same behavior. Totally different fuel.
You’ll also hear about “wings” and “arrows”— the types adjacent to yours and the types you move toward in stress and growth. We’ll cover those later. For now, just know that your core type isn’t the whole picture.
Is the Enneagram Scientifically Valid?
Scientific evidence for the Enneagram is mixed— it correlates with established frameworks like the Big Five and appears helpful for personal growth, but it lacks the rigorous empirical foundation of assessments like the MMPI or even the MBTI.
I know that’s probably frustrating if you want a clean answer. But honest is better than reassuring.
A 2021 systematic review by Hook and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Psychology reviewed 104 independent samples on Enneagram reliability and validity. What did they find?
What the research supports:
- Some Enneagram subscales show theory-consistent relationships with the Big Five personality traits
- Several studies found the Enneagram helpful for personal and spiritual growth
- The system shows some reliability for identifying core types
What the research doesn’t fully support:
- Factor analysis typically found fewer than nine distinct factors— suggesting the types may not be as cleanly separable as the theory claims
- Little research exists supporting secondary aspects like wings or movement between types
- Test-retest reliability varies significantly between different assessments
Compared to more established personality assessments, the Enneagram’s categorical types weren’t empirically derived in the same way, and its psychometric properties are generally considered less robust than the Big Five.
But here’s what I think matters more than academic credentials: scientific validity isn’t the same as usefulness. Plenty of people have found the Enneagram genuinely helpful for self-awareness, and that matters even if the research is incomplete.
Think of it this way. The Enneagram is one lens for looking at yourself— not the only lens, and not a perfect one. But a useful one.
Which Enneagram Test Should You Take?
The RHETI (Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator) is widely considered the most rigorous Enneagram test, while Truity offers the best free alternative— but the right choice depends on how much time and money you’re willing to invest.
Let me break down your options:
| Test | Questions | Time | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHETI | 144 | ~40 min | $20 | Accuracy and depth |
| Truity | 105 | 10-15 min | Free (basic) / Paid (full) | Accessible, validated option |
| iEQ9 | 175 | ~30 min | Varies | Professional-grade assessment |
| Eclectic Energies | Variable | ~10 min | Free | Quick exploration, no registration |
The RHETI was developed by Don Riso and Russ Hudson at The Enneagram Institute. It uses 144 forced-choice pairs— meaning you have to pick between two options rather than rating yourself on a scale. This format is designed to bypass your ego defenses and get at what really drives you. Independent validation studies have found the RHETI has solid psychometrics, with 72% internal consistency reliability— meaning the test items reliably measure what they’re designed to measure.
Truity’s Enneagram test has been taken by over 10 million people and is the only online Enneagram with publicly available reliability and validity data. That matters. The basic results are free, with a more comprehensive paid report available. It shows you percentages across all nine types, which helps you see beyond just your top result.
The iEQ9 from Integrative9 is an adaptive test— it adjusts based on your responses, drawing from a database of over 2,000 questions. They claim 95% accuracy, though that’s self-reported. It’s typically used in coaching and organizational contexts.
Eclectic Energies is completely free with no registration required. It’s good for dipping your toes in, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it for accuracy.
Here’s what I’d recommend: if you’re serious about understanding your type, invest the 40 minutes in the RHETI. Twenty dollars is less than lunch. If you just want to explore, Truity is a solid starting point.
But no test is 100% accurate. All of them rely on self-reporting, and you can only be as honest as your self-awareness allows. That’s not a flaw in the tests— it’s just the nature of looking at yourself.
The Nine Enneagram Types (Overview)
The nine Enneagram types each have a core motivation, fear, and desire that shape how they see the world— understanding these is more important than memorizing type names or behaviors.
Don’t worry if you don’t immediately recognize yourself in these descriptions. That’s normal. Most people mistype themselves at first— that’s part of the discovery process.
| Type | Name | Core Motivation | Core Fear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Reformer | Being good, ethical, correct | Being corrupt, defective, or wrong |
| 2 | The Helper | Being loved, needed, appreciated | Being unwanted or unworthy of love |
| 3 | The Achiever | Being successful, admired, valuable | Being worthless or a failure |
| 4 | The Individualist | Being unique, authentic, significant | Having no identity or personal significance |
| 5 | The Investigator | Being capable, understanding, competent | Being helpless, useless, or incapable |
| 6 | The Loyalist | Being secure, supported, certain | Being without support or guidance |
| 7 | The Enthusiast | Being free, happy, satisfied | Being trapped in pain or deprivation |
| 8 | The Challenger | Being strong, self-protected, in control | Being controlled or harmed by others |
| 9 | The Peacemaker | Being at peace, harmonious, connected | Loss, fragmentation, and conflict |
Here’s an example that might help. Two people can be workaholics for completely different reasons— a Type 3 is driven by the need for success and admiration, while a Type 1 is driven by the need to be good and correct. They might look the same from the outside. Inside, the fuel is completely different.
That’s why the Enneagram is about motivations. Behaviors can deceive. Motivations reveal.
How to Take the Enneagram Test for Accurate Results
The biggest mistake people make when taking an Enneagram test is answering based on who they want to be or how they behave under pressure, rather than their core motivations— which is why mistyping is so common, especially for Types 3 and 9.
Here’s what most people get wrong: they answer based on their behaviors instead of their motivations. Two people can act identically but have completely different underlying reasons. The test is trying to uncover the reasons.
Tips for accurate testing:
- Answer based on motivations, not behaviors. Ask yourself: why do I do what I do? Not just what do I do?
- Answer for your baseline self. Not how you are when stressed. Not how you are on your best day. How you are most of the time, throughout your life.
- Avoid answering for who you wish you were. This is harder than it sounds. We all have idealized versions of ourselves.
- Take your time. Rushing through leads to surface-level answers.
Types 9 and 3 are the most commonly mistyped because they tend to merge with expectations or idealized versions of themselves. Type 9s merge with their environment and can resemble almost any type. Type 3s are so focused on success that they become who they think they need to be.
If your test results don’t resonate, don’t force it. Spend time reading about different types before concluding. The test is just a starting point— it’s not the final word.
Consider taking multiple tests and comparing results. If they’re all pointing in the same direction, that’s meaningful. If they’re scattered, you’ve got more exploration to do.
Understanding Enneagram Wings and Arrows
Your Enneagram type doesn’t exist in isolation— wings (the types adjacent to yours) and arrows (the types you move toward in stress and growth) add crucial nuance to understanding your personality.
This is where it gets interesting.
Wings are the two types on either side of your core type. Most people lean toward one wing more than the other, and it flavors how you express your type. A Type 4 with a 3 wing (4w3) tends to be more achievement-oriented, while a 4w5 is more withdrawn and intellectual— same core type, different expression.
Arrows describe where you move under stress and in growth:
- Direction of Disintegration (Stress): When stressed, you take on less healthy traits of another type
- Direction of Integration (Growth): When growing, you take on healthier traits of another type
For example, a Type 7 moves toward Type 5 in growth (becoming more focused and introspective) and toward Type 1 in stress (becoming rigid and critical). The arrows are part of the map.
But start with your core type. Wings and arrows are refinements, not the foundation. You can go deep into Enneagram theory and get lost in subtypes and instinctual variants. That’s fine if you’re interested. But don’t let the complexity become a distraction from actually using what you learn.
How to Use Your Enneagram Results for Real Growth
Understanding your Enneagram type is just the starting point— the real value comes from using that self-knowledge to make better decisions about your career, relationships, and personal growth.
This is where things get practical. And personal.
Self-awareness is the foundation. Knowing your type helps you recognize your patterns— especially the ones that trip you up. How do you respond under stress? What are your blind spots? What drives your decisions in ways you might not have noticed?
The Enneagram isn’t a destination— it’s a starting point for understanding the patterns that have shaped your life and choices.
Here are some questions to ask yourself after you’ve identified your type:
- What does my type reveal about how I approach work? What am I drawn to, and what drains me?
- How does my type show up in conflict? What’s my default response, and is it serving me?
- What does “growth” look like for my type? What would a healthier version of me look like?
- Where do I get stuck? What patterns keep repeating?
For career exploration specifically, Texas A&M’s Career Center points out that understanding your Enneagram type can help you identify environments and roles that align with your core motivations. If you’re a Type 5, you might thrive in roles that value deep expertise. If you’re a Type 2, you might need work that lets you genuinely help people.
But here’s the caveat: the Enneagram is one tool among many. It’s not the only way to understand yourself, and it’s not a substitute for exploring your interests, values, and skills through other means. Consider pairing it with something like the Strong Interest Inventory or a broader career assessment approach.
Self-knowledge without action is just navel-gazing. The Enneagram’s value is in what it helps you DO differently.
FAQ: Enneagram Test Questions
Here are answers to the most common questions about Enneagram tests.
Q: How long does the Enneagram test take?
Test length varies from 10-40 minutes depending on which test you take. Truity’s free test takes about 10-15 minutes with 105 questions. The RHETI takes approximately 40 minutes with 144 forced-choice questions.
Q: Is the Enneagram test free?
Several free options exist. Truity offers a free 105-question test with basic results (full report is a paid upgrade). Eclectic Energies provides a completely free test with no registration required. The RHETI costs $20.
Q: How accurate is the Enneagram test?
Accuracy varies by test and depends heavily on your self-awareness. The RHETI has been independently validated with 72% internal consistency reliability— meaning its questions reliably measure what they’re designed to measure. Integrative9 claims 95% accuracy for the iEQ9 (self-reported). Scientific research shows mixed evidence for validity overall.
Q: What’s the difference between Enneagram and MBTI?
The Enneagram focuses on core motivations and fears, while MBTI examines cognitive preferences for processing information and making decisions. The Enneagram asks “why do you do what you do,” while MBTI asks “how do you process and decide.” Both are typologies, as opposed to trait-based assessments like the Big Five.
Q: Can my Enneagram type change?
Your core Enneagram type is generally considered stable throughout your life, though you may mistype yourself early in your exploration. What changes is your level of health within your type and how you express your type over time. Growth means becoming a healthier version of your type, not becoming a different type.
Your Next Step
Taking an Enneagram test is a valuable step toward self-understanding— but it’s just one step in a larger process of discovering what you’re here to do.
Here’s what I’d suggest:
- Take a test. If you haven’t already, start with Truity for a free validated option, or invest in the RHETI for more depth.
- Read about your type in depth. The test result is a hypothesis. Reading is how you confirm or challenge it.
- Sit with what you learn. Does it resonate? What rings true? What feels off?
- Consider what your type reveals about your career patterns. How have your motivations shaped your work choices— for better and for worse?
- Connect this to your bigger picture. The Enneagram is one piece. Finding your true self and finding your career path require multiple lenses.
The Enneagram can show you patterns you’ve been living in. What you do with that awareness is up to you.
You have something to offer the world— understanding yourself better is part of figuring out how to share it. I believe in you.
