From: noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring)
Subject: A MBTI Test and Its Scoring
Summary: Originally Posted by Stuart Reges.  Thanks!
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 23:28:55 GMT


Hello,

Stuart Reges posted the following MBTI test (not the official one, but a clone
from "Please Understand Me").  Combined with the MBTI Summary, this should 
really help you to determine your MBTI type if you don't know what it is yet.

Enjoy.

Jon Noring

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Subject: The Keirsey Temperament Sorter and Its Scoring
From: backpack@access.digex.com (Stuart Reges)


This message has the text of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter from the book
"Please Understand Me" by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates (buy the book, it's
well worth the price!).

The test has 70 questions that all require an A or B answer.  The Keirsey book
doesn't give any directions for taking the test, but I'd like to mention a few
things.  Many of these questions can be frustrating because you will find
yourself wanting to choose a "c" option that isn't listed or because you'll
say, "Well, it depends."  There's not a lot I can suggest to get around these
problems.  But do keep in mind that the test is trying to get at your basic
personality traits.  So try to answer with what you think would be the most
typical or natural or most enjoyable result for you.  Don't think, for example,
of how you behave to please your boss or to satisfy your spouse.  Answer with
what you do when you're being you.  I think a good rule of thumb here is that
the answer that tends to pop into your head quickly is probably the best answer
(unless you didn't understand the question at first reading).

You need to record a series of 70 A's and B's.  I could tell you a way to
record them that would make the scoring a bit easier, but I don't want to give
away any secrets about the structure of the test.  I recommend making either
two rows or two columns of 35 A's and B's (with some blank space between), as
in:

	ABBABABBBAABBABABBBAABBABABBBABBABA

	BBABBABABBBAABBABABBBAABBABABBBABAA

It should be relatively easy to score if you record it this way.  You shouldn't
have to number your answers, unless you accidentally produce too many or too
few A's and B's (meaning that you're out of synch somewhere).  Perhaps that
just says that you should be careful about not skipping a question or recording
an answer twice.

The instructions for scoring will be sent in a subsequent message.

Have fun!

1. At a party do you
A) interact with many, including strangers
B) interact with a few, known to you

2. Are you more
A) realistic than speculative
B) speculative than realistic

3. Is it worse to
A) have your "head in the clouds"
B) be "in a rut"

4. Are you more impressed by
A) principles
B) emotions

5. Are you more drawn toward the
A) convincing
B) touching

6. Do you prefer to work
A) to deadlines
B) just "whenever"

7. Do you tend to choose
A) rather carefully
B) somewhat impulsively

8. At parties do you
A) stay late, with increasing energy
B) leave early, with decreased energy

9. Are you more attracted to
A) sensible people
B) imaginative people

10. Are you more interested in
A) what is actual
B) what is possible

11. In judging others are you more swayed by
A) laws than circumstances
B) circumstances than laws

12. In approaching others is your inclination to be somewhat
A) objective
B) personal

13. Are you more
A) punctual
B) leisurely

14. Does it bother you more having things
A) incomplete
B) completed

15. In your social groups do you
A) keep abreast of other's happenings
B) get behind on the news

16. In doing ordinary things are you more likely to
A) do it the usual way
B) do it your own way

17. Writers should
A) "say what they mean and mean what they say"
B) express things more by use of analogy

18. Which appeals to you more
A) consistency of thought
B) harmonious human relationships

19. Are you more comfortable in making
A) logical judgments
B) value judgments

20. Do you want things
A) settled and decided
B) unsettled and undecided

21. Would you say you are more
A) serious and determined
B) easy-going

22. In phoning do you
A) rarely question that it will all be said
B) rehearse what you'll say

23. Facts
A) "speak for themselves"
B) illustrate principles

24. Are visionaries
A) somewhat annoying
B) rather fascinating

25. Are you more often
A) a cool-headed person
B) a warm-hearted person

26. Is it worse to be
A) unjust
B) merciless

27. Should one usually let events occur
A) by careful selection and choice
B) randomly and by chance

28. Do you feel better about
A) having purchased
B) having the option to buy

29. In company do you
A) initiate conversation
B) wait to be approached

30. Common sense is
A) rarely questionable
B) frequently questionable

31. Children often do not
A) make themselves useful enough
B) exercise their fantasy enough

32. In making decisions do you feel more comfortable with
A) standards
B) feelings

33. Are you more
A) firm than gentle
B) gentle than firm

34. Which is more admirable:
A) the ability to organize and be methodical
B) the ability to adapt and make do

35. Do you put more value on the
A) definite
B) open-ended

36. Does new and non-routine interaction with others
A) stimulate and energize you
B) tax your reserves

37. Are you more frequently
A) a practical sort of person
B) a fanciful sort of person

38. Are you more likely to
A) see how others are useful
B) see how others see

39. Which is more satisfying:
A) to discuss an issue thoroughly
B) to arrive at agreement on an issue

40. Which rules you more:
A) your head
B) your heart

41. Are you more comfortable with work that is
A) contracted
B) done on a casual basis

42. Do you tend to look for
A) the orderly
B) whatever turns up

43. Do you prefer
A) many friends with brief contact
B) a few friends with more lengthy contact

44. Do you go more by
A) facts
B) principles

45. Are you more interested in
A) production and distribution
B) design and research

46. Which is more of a compliment:
A) "There is a very logical person."
B) "There is a very sentimental person."

47. Do you value in yourself more that you are
A) unwavering
B) devoted

48. Do you more often prefer the
A) final and unalterable statement
B) tentative and preliminary statement

49. Are you more comfortable
A) after a decision
B) before a decision

50. Do you
A) speak easily and at length with strangers
B) find little to say to strangers

51. Are you more likely to trust your
A) experience
B) hunch

52. Do you feel
A) more practical than ingenious
B) more ingenious than practical

53. Which person is more to be complimented: one of
A) clear reason
B) strong feeling

54. Are you more inclined to be
A) fair-minded
B) sympathetic

55. Is it preferable mostly to
A) make sure things are arranged
B) just let things happen

56. In relationships should most things be
A) renegotiable
B) random and circumstantial

57. When the phone rings do you
A) hasten to get to it first
B) hope someone else will answer

58. Do you prize more in yourself
A) a strong sense of reality
B) a vivid imagination

59. Are you drawn more to
A) fundamentals
B) overtones

60. Which seems the greater error:
A) to be too passionate
B) to be too objective

61. Do you see yourself as basically
A) hard-headed
B) soft-hearted

62. Which situation appeals to you more
A) the structured and scheduled
B) the unstructured and unscheduled

63. Are you a person that is more
A) routinized than whimsical
B) whimsical than routinized

64. Are you more inclined to be
A) easy to approach
B) somewhat reserved

65. In writings do you prefer
A) the more literal
B) the more figurative

66. Is it harder for you to
A) identify with others
B) utilize others

67. Which do you wish more for yourself:
A) clarity of reason
B) strength of compassion

68. Which is the greater fault:
A) being indiscriminate
B) being critical

69. Do you prefer the
A) planned event
B) unplanned event

70. Do you tend to be more
A) deliberate than spontaneous
B) spontaneous than deliberate

***************************************************************************

This message explains how to score the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.  I will
apologize in advance for the possibility that I will over-explain.  I don't
mean to insult your intelligence or bore you with unnecessary detail, but I
figure that it's better to err on the side of assuming too little than assuming
too much.

An intelligent person taking this test can't help but notice redundancy.  In
fact, there are only four kinds of questions being asked, each in slightly
different (sometimes not so different) ways.  The test cycles every 7
questions.  It is somewhat easier to score when you write your answers in ten
rows of 7 A's and B's (because then each column is for the same kind of
question), but as I mentioned when I sent out the test, I didn't want to give
away information about its structure, and I thought you were all smart enough
to see this if I had you record your answers this way.  One alternative for
scoring is to copy over your answers into the 10 rows of 7 columns, but I'll
suggest another way that I think works quite well if you wrote it in two rows
of 35 A's and B's, as I suggested.

Suppose your answers look like this:

    BBBBABABABBABABBBABABABBBABABABAABB

    ABBBABBBBBABAAABBBAABABAABABBBAABAB

Draw lines to separate each group of seven A's and B's:

    BBBBABA|BABBABA|BBBABAB|ABBBABA|BABAABB
           |       |       |       |
    ABBBABB|BBBABAA|ABBBAAB|ABAABAB|BBAABAB

Our goal is to determine four numbers that represent your placement in each of
four dimensions.  The numbers vary from 0 to 100.  If you answer all A's for
one of the categories, then you're at the 0% end.  If you answer all B's, then
you're at the 100% end.  If you answer with one-quarter B's, then you're score
is 25%.  Thus, for each category, we need to figure out how many B's there are
(as a percent).

The first category is E/I (Extrovert versus Introvert).  The first question in
each group of 7 is an E/I question.  Thus, go through each of the groups of 7,
crossing out the first A or B and counting how many B's you cross out.  Given
the sample above, you get:

    XBBBABA|XABBABA|XBBABAB|XBBBABA|XABAABB
           |       |       |       |
    XBBBABB|XBBABAA|XBBBAAB|XBAABAB|XBAABAB

I counted 6 B's as I crossed them out.  There are 10 A's and B's total, so 6
out of 10 is 60% (i.e., each B adds 10%).

The second category is S/N (Sensation versus iNtuition).  The second and third
question of each group of 7 are S/N questions.  So go through each group of 7,
but this time cross out 2 letters from each, again keeping track of how many
B's you cross out:

    XXXBABA|XXXBABA|XXXABAB|XXXBABA|XXXAABB
           |       |       |       |
    XXXBABB|XXXABAA|XXXBAAB|XXXABAB|XXXABAB

I counted 16 B's.as I crossed them out.  There are 20 A's and B's total, so 16
out of 20 is 80% (i.e., each B adds 5%).

The third category is T/F (Thinking versus Feeling).  The fourth and fifth
questions of each group are T/F questions.  As in the previous case, cross out
2 at a time from each group, remembering how many B's you cross out:

    XXXXXBA|XXXXXBA|XXXXXAB|XXXXXBA|XXXXXBB
           |       |       |       |
    XXXXXBB|XXXXXAA|XXXXXAB|XXXXXAB|XXXXXAB

That was 9 B's out of 20 A's and B's for a score of 45% (each B again adds 5%).

The final category is J/P (Judging versus Perceiving).  The sixth and seventh
questions of each group are J/P.  As before, cross out 2 from each group and
count the B's:

    XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX
           |       |       |       |
    XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX

That's 11 B's for a score of 55% (again 5% each).

To understand the results, you might want to imagine a graphic equalizer with
4 sliding scales:

Extrovert+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+Introvert
                                             |
                                            60%

Sensation+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+iNtuition
                                                         |
                                                        80%

Thinking +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+Feeling
                                    |
                                   45%

Judging  +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+Perceiving
                                          |
                                         55%

These raw scores are converted into a personality type by seeing on which side
you fall for each dimension.  For the scores above, the person falls towards
the Introvert side, the iNtuition side, the Thinking side, and the Perceiving
side.  Thus, this person is an I-N-T-P (notice I'm using "N" for "iNtuition"
because "I" stands for "Introvert").

I just typed in a random series of A's and B's for this example, so it's not
surprising that the person ended up towards the middle on 3 of the 4 scales. 
But this does point out a general problem with this simplistic way of
categorizing people.  Consider, for example, a person who gets 45/45/55/55
versus a person who gets 55/55/45/45.  The first is an ESFP by this scheme and
the second is an INTJ.  They appear to be opposites, yet in fact they are more
alike than they are to many people in their own group.  This is a fundamental
flaw with the system that I have lots of ideas about how to fix, but
unfortunately Keirsey and Bates did not have those ideas, so we're forced to
live with their system.

It's possible that you will get a score of 50 on one or more dimensions.  In
that case, the standard way to refer to that dimension is "X".  So if you're
50% between E and I and otherwise an NFP, you're neither an ENFP nor an INFP,
you're an XNFP.  The best advice the Keirsey book gives is to read the
descriptions for both and realize that you have elements of each.  Again, this
is a failing of the simplistic way of turning these raw scores into categories.
It's possible to get people who are XXXX's, in which case I suppose they are
supposed to read every personality description and understand that they have
elements of all of them.  :-)


******************************************************************************


-- 

Charter Member of the INFJ Club.

Now, if you're just dying to know what INFJ stands for, be brave, e-mail me,
and I'll send you some information.  It WILL be worth the inquiry, I think.

=============================================================================
| Jon Noring          | noring@netcom.com        | I VOTED FOR PEROT IN '92 |
| JKN International   | IP    : 192.100.81.100   | Support UNITED WE STAND! |
| 1312 Carlton Place  | Phone : (510) 294-8153   | "The dogs bark, but the  |
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