Better Than MBTI: Tests That Deliver What Myers-Briggs Promises
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator promises to reveal your fundamental personality type—how you perceive the world, make decisions, and interact with others. It's administered to millions every year, used in Fortune 500 companies, and has spawned an entire subculture of INTJ memes and ENFP stereotypes.
There's just one problem: it doesn't work very well.
This isn't about being anti-MBTI. It's about acknowledging that better options exist—assessments that deliver the self-understanding MBTI promises without the methodological baggage.
What "Better" Actually Means
Before recommending alternatives, let's define the criteria:
Reliability
A good personality test gives you the same result when you retake it (assuming you haven't fundamentally changed). MBTI fails this basic test—studies show 50% of people get a different type within five weeks.
Better tests achieve test-retest reliability above 0.80. Your results should be stable across administrations.
Validity
Does the test measure what it claims to measure? MBTI's four dimensions don't map cleanly onto how personality actually clusters in research. The Thinking/Feeling and Judging/Perceiving dimensions, in particular, don't hold up under scientific scrutiny.
Better tests are validated against external criteria—they predict outcomes like job performance, relationship satisfaction, or mental health.
Nuance
MBTI forces continuous traits into binary categories. You're either Thinking or Feeling, never 60% one and 40% the other. But that's not how personality works. Most people fall near the middle on most dimensions.
Better tests use continuous scores that capture where you actually fall, not which side of an arbitrary line you landed on.
Actionability
Knowing you're an INFJ is interesting. Knowing specifically how to leverage your pattern for growth is useful. Better tests connect results to concrete guidance.
Tests That Actually Surpass MBTI
Big Five (OCEAN)
The most scientifically validated personality framework. Period.
Five dimensions, each measured on a continuous scale:
| Dimension | What It Measures | High Scorers | Low Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Openness | Intellectual curiosity, creativity | Imaginative, artistic | Practical, conventional |
| Conscientiousness | Organization, dependability | Disciplined, careful | Flexible, spontaneous |
| Extraversion | Social energy, assertiveness | Outgoing, talkative | Reserved, solitary |
| Agreeableness | Cooperation, empathy | Trusting, helpful | Competitive, skeptical |
| Neuroticism | Emotional volatility | Anxious, moody | Calm, stable |
Why it's better: Decades of research validate Big Five across cultures, languages, and contexts. It predicts job performance, relationship outcomes, health behaviors, and even mortality better than MBTI.
Where to take it:
- IPIP-NEO (free): Research-quality assessment at ipip.ori.org
- Big Five Inventory (free): Brief validated measure used in academic research
- NEO-PI-R (paid): The gold standard, administered by professionals
Limitation: Big Five describes what you're like but doesn't explain why. It's a powerful map that doesn't include the legend.
HEXACO
Big Five's upgrade. Adds a sixth dimension that turns out to matter a lot:
Honesty-Humility: Measures sincerity, fairness, modesty, and greed-avoidance versus manipulation, exploitation, and entitlement.
This dimension predicts workplace deviance, unethical behavior, and relationship manipulation—things Big Five misses.
Why it's better: Everything Big Five does, plus captures the "dark side" of personality through Honesty-Humility. Research shows this sixth factor adds predictive power for important outcomes.
Where to take it: hexaco.org offers free assessments.
Enneagram
Nine types organized around core fears, desires, and motivations:
- Type 1 (Reformer): Fears being corrupt; desires integrity
- Type 2 (Helper): Fears being unloved; desires to be needed
- Type 3 (Achiever): Fears being worthless; desires success
- Type 4 (Individualist): Fears having no identity; desires uniqueness
- Type 5 (Investigator): Fears incompetence; desires knowledge
- Type 6 (Loyalist): Fears being without support; desires security
- Type 7 (Enthusiast): Fears being deprived; desires satisfaction
- Type 8 (Challenger): Fears being controlled; desires autonomy
- Type 9 (Peacemaker): Fears conflict; desires harmony
Why it's better: Enneagram addresses motivation, not just behavior. It includes growth paths (integration lines) and stress patterns (disintegration lines) that MBTI lacks. Understanding why you do things enables change in a way that knowing what you do doesn't.
Limitation: Less scientific validation than Big Five. Quality varies wildly across Enneagram tests. The Enneagram Institute's RHETI is the most rigorous option.
StrengthsFinder (CliftonStrengths)
Identifies your top themes from 34 possible strengths across four domains:
- Executing: Achiever, Arranger, Belief, Consistency, Deliberative, Discipline, Focus, Responsibility, Restorative
- Influencing: Activator, Command, Communication, Competition, Maximizer, Self-Assurance, Significance, Woo
- Relationship Building: Adaptability, Connectedness, Developer, Empathy, Harmony, Includer, Individualization, Positivity, Relator
- Strategic Thinking: Analytical, Context, Futuristic, Ideation, Input, Intellection, Learner, Strategic
Why it's better: StrengthsFinder focuses on what you do well rather than abstract categories. Results connect directly to career development and role optimization.
Limitation: Proprietary and costs money. The strengths-only focus can overlook developmental needs. But for career applications, it outperforms MBTI handily.
Drive-Based Archetype Systems
Modern approaches that map psychological drives to colors, with archetypes emerging from their combinations.
Five core drives:
| Drive | Color | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | White | Order, fairness, responsibility, reliability |
| Understanding | Blue | Analysis, curiosity, precision, mastery |
| Agency | Black | Ambition, strategy, independence, achievement |
| Intensity | Red | Passion, authenticity, spontaneity, expression |
| Connection | Green | Belonging, nurturing, patience, growth |
Instead of forcing you into one of 16 types, these systems give you a probability distribution: 32% Blue, 25% Black, 20% White, 15% Green, 8% Red. Your result is the archetype whose ideal pattern most closely matches your distribution.
25 archetypes emerge from the combinations:
Pure types (single dominant drive):
- Anchor (White): Creates stability through clear principles
- Rationalist (Blue): Seeks understanding before action
- Maverick (Black): Shapes circumstances through agency
- Spark (Red): Lives through passion and authentic expression
- Weaver (Green): Builds community and nurtures connection
Hybrids (primary + secondary):
- Strategist (Blue-Black): Analytical depth meets goal-driven ambition
- Architect (Blue-White): Systematic thinking serves structured principles
- Crusader (Red-White): Passionate conviction meets principled action
- Vanguard (Black-Red): Ambition channels through intense decisiveness
Why it's better than MBTI:
-
Continuous distributions avoid the binary trap. You're not "a Strategist or not"—you're 85% match to Strategist, 78% to Architect, etc.
-
Motivation-based rather than behavior-based. Knowing you have high Blue drive (understanding) explains why you research things to death before acting.
-
Shadow expressions show how strengths become weaknesses. A Maverick's agency becomes ruthless control under stress. An Oracle's insight becomes paralysis by analysis.
-
Concrete growth paths specific to your archetype, not generic advice.
DISC Assessment
Four behavioral styles focused on how you work:
- Dominance: Direct, results-oriented, competitive
- Influence: Enthusiastic, collaborative, optimistic
- Steadiness: Patient, reliable, team-oriented
- Conscientiousness: Analytical, systematic, detail-focused
Why it's better: DISC is honest about its scope. It measures workplace behavior, not cosmic personality truths. This limited ambition makes it more useful for its intended purpose—team communication and collaboration.
Where to take it: Many providers offer free DISC assessments. Everything DiSC is the gold standard for organizational use.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Test | Scientific Validity | Depth | Nuance | Actionability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBTI | Low | Medium | Low (binary) | Low |
| Big Five | High | Medium | High (continuous) | Medium |
| HEXACO | High | Medium | High | Medium |
| Enneagram | Medium | High | Medium | High |
| StrengthsFinder | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
| Archetype Systems | Medium | High | High | High |
| DISC | Medium | Low | Medium | High |
How to Actually Move Past MBTI
Recognize What Resonated
Your MBTI type captured something real, even if imprecisely. An INTJ probably does score high on Introversion and Openness in Big Five terms. The pattern you recognized exists—MBTI just measured it clumsily.
Don't throw out the insight. Question the framework.
Expect More Complexity
Better tests give nuanced results. "72nd percentile on Conscientiousness with high facet variance between orderliness and self-discipline" tells you more than "J." The complexity is a feature.
Focus on Application
Test results matter only if they change something. Ask: what does this result suggest I should do differently at work? In relationships? For personal growth?
Combine Approaches
Take Big Five for the science, Enneagram for the motivation, and an archetype assessment for the actionable growth paths. Different lenses reveal different truths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MBTI completely useless?
No. MBTI captures broad patterns that correlate with Big Five dimensions. For casual self-reflection or team conversation starters, it's fine. The problem is when it's used for hiring, career counseling, or important decisions where its poor reliability and validity actually matter.
Why is MBTI so popular if it doesn't work?
Because it's fun. The types are memorable, the descriptions are flattering, and the community is engaging. Good marketing beats good science for consumer adoption. MBTI is also grandfathered into corporate training programs from decades ago.
How do I explain to my MBTI-loving friend that there are better options?
Don't attack MBTI directly—that triggers defensiveness. Instead, suggest adding another test for comparison. "Take a Big Five test and see how it maps to your MBTI type" is less threatening than "MBTI is pseudoscience." Let the experience speak for itself.
Should companies stop using MBTI?
For hiring: absolutely. Using MBTI to filter candidates is both scientifically unsound and potentially legally questionable. For team building: it's fine as a conversation starter, but don't take the types too seriously. Better alternatives exist for both purposes.
What about cognitive functions (Ni, Te, Fi, etc.)?
Cognitive function theory—the idea that MBTI types use eight mental functions in specific orders—has essentially zero empirical support. Research consistently fails to find evidence that these functions exist or that they work as described. It's personality astrology with extra steps.
An Assessment That Delivers
Ready for a personality test that actually fulfills MBTI's promises?
Take the SoulTrace assessment and discover:
- Your distribution across five psychological drives
- Which of 25 archetypes matches your unique blend
- Shadow expressions—how strengths become weaknesses under stress
- Concrete growth paths for your specific pattern
The assessment uses adaptive Bayesian methodology—each question selected based on previous answers to maximize information gain. Twenty-four questions that converge on your archetype.
No binary typing. No pseudoscientific cognitive functions. No retaking the test and getting a different result.
Your personality is more nuanced than four letters. Find out what it actually looks like.