The Myers-Briggs Company Blog Central

Career Test or Career Assessment?


We sometimes hear the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) tool referred to as a career test, but at CPP we prefer the term career assessment. While the tool can be applied to all aspects of both your personal and professional lives, many people have found that it is particularly helpful in guiding their decisions when it comes to exploring career options, changing career paths, and finding careers that correspond with their strengths.

The key reason we don’t call the MBTI assessment a career test is simply that it is not a test. A test implies that there are “right” and “wrong” answers, and that you can pass or you can fail. But that’s not the case with the MBTI assessment. (For more on the subject, see our post on the term personality test.)

Now, let’s move on to the career part. Recognizing the value of the MBTI tool for use in career assessment, CPP created the MBTI® Career Report, which is based on an individual’s particular type preferences. The MBTI® Career Report matches an individual’s personality type with a list of job families and occupations in which other people of the same type have found satisfaction. Topics covered in the report include

  • How Your Type Affects Your Career Choice
  • How Your Type Affects Your Career Exploration
  • How Your Type Affects Your Career Development
  • Job Families and Occupations for [your type]

If you would like to learn more about how the MBTI tool functions as a career assessment, stop by CPP Blog Central and read Linking Personality Type to the Career Exploration Process.

You can also view a sample of the MBTI® Career Report here.

Additionally, the Strong Interest Inventory® assessment, also published by CPP, was created specifically as a career assessment tool. It offers different yet equally valuable insights into career exploration. Combining the insights from both assessments provides individuals with a well-rounded exploration of career opportunities catered to their preferences and strengths.

Career assessments aren’t just for young professionals. People at any stage of their career can benefit from clarifying their unique patterns of interests, values, and personal motivations critical to their satisfaction in a particular work environment, which ultimately increases their engagement and retention. If you’d like to learn more about using the two assessments together, view Increasing Employee Engagement and Retention Using the MBTI® and Strong Instruments.