Myers Briggs Personality Inventory (MBTI) Online Preparation [2024’s Guide]

 

What Is the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory?

If you have been anywhere near social media in the last several years, then you have at least heard of the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory. It is one of the most well-known psychometric tests due to its internet popularity. The Myers Briggs Personality Inventory, MBTI for short, combines different attributes of an individual’s personality and puts them in a category based on their strengths and weaknesses. It is a popular test for career counseling, training, team building, and leadership development. The MBTI is not used for hiring or job placement, it is a tool for those trying to find a career path, or who are moving laterally, or up the ladder within the company they already work for. This personality test is utilized by over 20,000 companies and 200 government agencies in the United States.

 

What Is the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory (MBTI)?

The MBTI is a personality test that measures key parts of an individual’s personality:

  • Directing and receiving energy
  • Taking in information
  • Making decisions
  • Approaching the outside world

Within these 4 key areas, there are 16 different personality types. Each type corresponds with a letter that represents a psychological attribute.

  • Extroversion (E)- Draws energy from people and things outside of themselves and thrives on interaction.
  • Introversion (I)- A person who tends to focus on their inner thoughts, they may find interaction draining and need alone time to “recharge”.
  • Sensing (S)- Relies on evidence and verifiable information.
  • Intuition (N)- Can see the big picture and the connections between facts.
  • Thinking (T)- Use logic and analytical thinking to make decisions.
  • Feeling (F)- Considers the needs and feelings of other people.
  • Judging (J)- Need things to be planned and orderly.
  • Perceiving (P)- Is more flexible and spontaneous.

These types are further broken down into combinations of the most dominant traits. Test takers are assigned one trait from each of the 4 key areas.

  • E and I fall under “directing and receiving energy
  • S and N are part of taking in information
  • T and F are under decision making
  • J and P are your approaches to the outside world

For example, your personality could be ESTJ, ENTP, INFP, and so on. Each combination reflects your dominant traits and suggests things that you are particularly suited for.

 

Taking The MBTI

All the letter combinations and key areas make the MBTI sound complicated. The truth is the opposite. The MBTI is a simple test to take. It is made up of 93 statements and is written at a 7th-grade reading level. Each statement is made up of two sentences. You must pick the sentence which you feel most accurately reflects you. The combination of sentences will each come from one of the 4 key areas.

The questions on the MBTI take a format similar to this:

  • “You prefer to plan your day in advance”
  • “You are easily excited”
  • “Your emotions usually influence your actions”
  • “You don’t like to do things in a hurry”

 

Conclusion

There is no Meyers Briggs type that is superior to any other. The test is only used to bring awareness to your dominant traits. It is not meant to be a measure of any skills or cognitive abilities. The Meyers Briggs website itself states that it is not to be used as a job selection tool. You will most likely encounter it as a self-assessment, or as part of a leadership training tool. The MBTI is very useful as a tool for self-assessment. The MBTI is not just a tool for companies to use. With the MBTI you could find your way into your dream career.