Positive Psychology Assessment
24 Character Strengths Test
Identify your signature strengths. This free assessment ranks your 24 character strengths based on the VIA Classification research by Peterson & Seligman.
Research-based tool · Not affiliated with VIA Institute
What This Assessment Measures
Character strengths are positive personality traits that reflect what you value and how you behave at your best. This assessment measures 24 strengths across six virtue categories.
How to answer: Rate each statement based on how well it describes you in general. Be honest with how you actually are, not how you wish to be. There are no right or wrong answers.
Your Character Strengths Profile
Ranked from your strongest to least prominent
Your Signature Strengths
These are your top 5 character strengths
What Your Profile Means
Ways to Use Your Strengths
- Signature strengths are your top traits. Research suggests these are the strengths that feel most natural and energizing when you use them.
- Lower-ranked strengths are not weaknesses. Everyone has all 24 strengths to some degree. Lower scores just mean these are less prominent for you.
- Using your top strengths increases well-being. Studies show that finding new ways to apply signature strengths can boost happiness and life satisfaction.
- Profiles can change over time. Life experiences, intentional development, and changing priorities can shift your strengths profile.
The Science of Character Strengths
From the Research
"Character strengths are positively valued traits that contribute to 'the good life' for an individual and others."
— Peterson, C. & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification . American Psychological Association.
The VIA Classification of Character Strengths was developed by psychologists Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman as part of the positive psychology movement. Rather than focusing on what's wrong with people, it identifies what's right: the positive traits that help people thrive.
The framework includes 24 character strengths organized under 6 broad virtues. These strengths appear across cultures and throughout history, suggesting they represent core human values. Unlike personality traits (which are descriptive), character strengths carry a moral or value dimension: they're traits we admire in ourselves and others.
From the Research
"All scales have satisfactory alphas (>.70)... Test-retest correlations for all scales over a 4-month period are substantial (> .70) and in almost all cases approach their internal consistencies."
— VIA Institute Technical Report. Psychometric Properties of the VIA-IS .
Key Research Findings
- The VIA survey has been taken by millions of people worldwide, making it one of the most researched positive psychology tools
- Character strengths like hope, zest, gratitude, curiosity, and love consistently correlate with higher life satisfaction
- Using signature strengths in new ways has been shown to increase happiness and reduce depression symptoms
- Certain strengths (like kindness and fairness) tend to score higher across populations, while others (like prudence and self-regulation) tend to be lower
From the Research
"According to the instrument, signature strengths are the central, essential strengths that are used regularly by individuals; often, they are exercised quite naturally. They are considered innate, making it easier and often more fulfilling for us to develop and use them."
— Peterson, C. & Park, N. (2009). Summary in PositivePsychology.com.
How This Assessment Was Built
This assessment is inspired by the VIA Classification of Character Strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). We created our own questions that measure the same 24 strengths while respecting intellectual property. Our items draw from the IPIP-VIA public domain item pool and the theoretical definitions of each strength.
About this tool: This assessment is based on the 24 character strengths framework developed by Peterson and Seligman. We use original question wording designed for educational self-reflection. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the VIA Institute.
Scoring Method
- Each strength has 2 items (1 positively worded, 1 negatively worded for balance)
- Items use a 5-point scale (1 = Very Unlike Me, 5 = Very Like Me)
- Reverse-scored items are converted so higher always means more of the strength
- Each strength score ranges from 2-10 (sum of two items)
- Results are ranked from highest to lowest to show your personal hierarchy
Why We Use Reverse-Scored Items
The original VIA survey used only positively-worded items, which can lead to acquiescence bias (people tend to agree with positive statements). Following research recommendations, we include negatively-worded items to produce more accurate results.
The 24 character strengths are organized under six broad virtues. Here is the complete list:
Creativity, Curiosity, Judgment, Love of Learning, Perspective
Bravery, Perseverance, Honesty, Zest
Love, Kindness, Social Intelligence
Teamwork, Fairness, Leadership
Forgiveness, Humility, Prudence, Self-Regulation
Appreciation of Beauty, Gratitude, Hope, Humor, Spirituality
From the Research
"Exercising one's signature strengths has been shown to contribute to greater wellbeing and lower psychological distress in adults."
— Linley, P. A. et al. (2010). Using signature strengths in pursuit of goals . Journal of Positive Psychology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Signature strengths are your top character strengths, typically the top 3-7 in your profile. These are the traits that feel most essential to who you are. When you use them, you feel energized and authentic. Research suggests focusing on signature strengths leads to greater happiness and success than trying to fix weaknesses.
Yes, though they tend to be relatively stable. Research shows test-retest correlations around 0.70 over several months, meaning your top strengths usually stay similar. However, life experiences, intentional practice, and changing priorities can shift your profile over time. Some people find certain strengths become more prominent after major life events.
No. Character strengths are not like skills where low means you're bad at something. Everyone possesses all 24 strengths to varying degrees. Lower-ranked strengths simply mean those traits are less prominent in your personality. Some strengths (like prudence and self-regulation) tend to rank lower for most people. The framework focuses on leveraging what's strong in you, not fixing what's "weak."
Disclaimer
About This Assessment
This character strengths assessment is an educational self-reflection tool inspired by the VIA Classification of Character Strengths developed by Peterson, C. and Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Our assessment uses original question wording that measures the same 24 character strengths based on the published scientific framework and public-domain item pools (such as the IPIP-VIA).
Important Limitations
- Adapted framework: This is an independent assessment based on the character strengths research methodology. We have not reproduced copyrighted items from the VIA Institute's proprietary survey. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the VIA Institute.
- Educational purpose: This tool is designed for self-awareness and personal growth, not for clinical diagnosis of personality disorders or mental health conditions.
- Self-reflection only: This assessment is for personal insight, not for employment decisions, academic placement, or any high-stakes evaluations.
Research Foundation
The theoretical framework comes from Peterson & Seligman (2004), "Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification," published by the American Psychological Association. The 24-strength structure has been validated in numerous studies across cultures. However, our specific item wording has not been independently validated against the official VIA-IS. We use a similar scoring methodology (summing item responses on a Likert scale) but results may differ from the official instrument.
Limitations
- This version uses only 2 items per strength (vs. 10 in the original), which reduces precision
- Self-report measures can be affected by self-awareness and social desirability biases
- Scores may fluctuate based on current mood, stress levels, or life circumstances
- For a more comprehensive assessment, consider the official VIA Survey at viacharacter.org
Intellectual Property
The VIA Survey and VIA-IS are proprietary instruments of the VIA Institute on Character. The names of the 24 character strengths themselves are commonly used terms in positive psychology literature. Our test is an educational adaptation that does not reproduce copyrighted survey items.
If You're Concerned
This assessment is for personal insight only. If your results raise concerns or you're experiencing difficulties, consider speaking with a mental health professional. Character strengths assessments are meant to highlight what's good in you, not to identify problems.