Guide

How to read your Big Five percentile scores

A percentile shows how your score compares with other people's. If you're at the 70th percentile for extraversion, you scored higher than about 70 out of 100 people in the comparison group. It's not a grade and not a percentage of questions answered "right".

A percentile is a comparison, not a grade

Each Big Five trait is measured on a scale, and your raw score is compared with the scores of a large group of adults. The percentile tells you where you fall in that group. The 50th percentile is right in the middle: half of people scored higher and half lower.

A low percentile doesn't mean you failed anything. Someone at the 10th percentile for extraversion isn't bad at extraversion; they're simply more reserved than most people.

High, average and low

Different tests draw the lines in slightly different places, but a common rough guide is:

Around the 30th to 70th percentile: the average range, where most people fall. You probably show both sides of the trait depending on the situation.
Above about the 70th: high. The trait is a noticeable part of how you come across.
Below about the 30th: low. The opposite tendency is more characteristic of you.
Beyond the 90th or below the 10th: quite distinctive. These are the scores people who know you would likely recognize straight away.

Small differences don't mean much

No questionnaire measures personality perfectly, so every score has a margin of error. The difference between the 55th and 62nd percentile isn't meaningful, and retaking the test could easily reverse it. Pay attention to where you fall broadly, and to large gaps between traits, rather than to exact numbers.

Neither end is better

Every trait has advantages at both ends. High conscientiousness helps with long-term goals; lower conscientiousness often comes with flexibility and spontaneity. High agreeableness helps with cooperation; lower agreeableness can make it easier to negotiate hard or give blunt feedback.

Even neuroticism, the trait people most often want to change, has a function: a tendency to notice threats and worry about what could go wrong can prompt caution and preparation.

Look at the whole profile

Your traits combine. High extraversion with high agreeableness tends to look warm and sociable; high extraversion with low agreeableness can look bold and competitive. Reading your five scores together tells you more than any single number.

Facet scores, if your test provides them, add another layer: two people with the same trait score can get there through quite different facets.

The five traits

Openness Curiosity, imagination and appetite for new ideas and experiences. Conscientiousness Organization, self-discipline, reliability and drive to achieve. Extraversion Sociability, assertiveness, energy and positive emotion. Agreeableness Trust, cooperation, compassion and consideration for others. Neuroticism Sensitivity to stress, worry and negative emotions.

More guides

Big Five vs. MBTI Types vs. traits: how the two most popular models compare. Am I an introvert or an extrovert? Why extraversion is a spectrum and how to find where you land. Can your personality change? How stable the Big Five are, and how they shift over a lifetime. Can stress or depression change your Big Five scores? Why results shift during hard times, and when to retake. How accurate are Big Five tests? What makes a Big Five test reliable, and its limits. Do similar personalities get along better? What the research says about similarity and getting along. The Big Five at work How each trait tends to show up in how you work. The Dark Triad and the Big Five Narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy, and how they fit. Attachment styles and the Big Five How attachment patterns relate to personality traits. Can AI tell your personality? What algorithms can and can't infer about your traits.

Common questions

Is the 50th percentile a bad score?

No. It means you're in the middle of the range, like most people. For personality, average isn't mediocre; it usually means you can lean either way depending on the situation.

Is a percentile the same as a percentage?

No. A percentage would be a share of a total, like questions answered. A percentile tells you what share of people in the comparison group scored below you.

Who am I being compared with?

A large sample of adults who took the same questionnaire. Different tests use different samples, which is one reason percentiles can differ somewhat from one test to another.

For self-reflection and education only. This isn't a clinical or diagnostic tool and isn't a substitute for professional psychological or medical advice.