Two ways to do Enneagram testing
I am an Enneagram coach offering manual typing interviews as well as online testing. Most of my clients start by taking the online test. You will receive a questionnaire that asks you a series of introspective questions to establish your motivations and how you think, feel and act. The answers are scaled against the 9 different personality types of the Enneagram, and 27 subtypes.
Your personalised Enneagram report
After you have completed the online Enneagram test, you will receive a detailed report. lt will identify the Enneagram type for which you scored the highest and set out the strengths, blind spots and development areas of that type. It also suggests exercises for your personal development that are specific to your Enneagram type.
I use a sophisticated online questionnaire created by Integrative Enneagram Solutions to help my clients identify their Enneagram type. To be precise, it’s not a “test” as there are no right or wrong answers. It is an “assessment” of your preferences.
It’s not about boxing you!
How accurate is an Enneagram test?
The online assessment I use has a high accuracy rate of 95%, but the results need to be confirmed by you. No assessment tool is 100% accurate. Especially, since the output depends on your subjective understanding of the questions and your level of self-awareness. Only you can judge which of the 9 types resonates with you most.
Some people immediately click with the type set out in their report. For others, finding their right type can be a journey. That’s why it is important to always book a debrief session with a trained Enneagram practitioner like me. I can help you confirm your type. I will also explain the deeper layers of patterns associated with your type. Most importantly, I will suggest key growth opportunities and help you create and implement a strategy for growing beyond the limitations of your type.
There are deeper layers of the Enneagram where we also look at subtypes, counter-types and instincts. Click here to read more about those distinctions.
I’ve done the Enneagram test – so now what?
The Enneagram is not just a model to identify archetypes. The circular diagram you see in this picture is a growth map. It shows two of several ways to move beyond the rigid patterns of our personality types. The purpose of this work is to help us wake up and notice how we keep playing out the same reactive patterns of personality over and over. Once you understand which archetype resonates with you most, there is a type-specific growth path for you. You can learn how to react differently to life situations and cultivate new ways of being. The lines that connect the 9 types across the Enneagram wheel point to the most potent growth opportunities for each type. An Enneagram practitioner can explain what this means for you.
Click here to read about the bespoke Enneagram Growth Journeys I offer.
What are the benefits of taking an Enneagram test?
Working with the Enneagram is an exciting journey. It is a chance to explore yourself and cultivate different ways of acting, feeling and thinking that will bring you more success and fulfilment in life. Ultimately, it’s about reconnecting to your true essence, who you are behind the mask of your personality.
Understanding both your own Enneagram type and those of other people will help you:
Uncover self-limiting beliefs and blind spots
Strengthen your confidence
Increase your compassion for self and others
Improve your productivity and motivation
Build leadership authenticity, potency and impact
Increase your resilience towards stress
What about free Enneagram tests?
You will find free Enneagram personality tests on the internet, but understandably, they are not very reliable. It takes a lot of investment and skill to create a reliable test. My supplier, Integrative Enneagram Solutions, uses an assessment that was designed by a Type 5 software engineer. They have been evaluating and continuously refining their methodology over the last 10 years, making it now the Enneagram assessment with the highest accuracy rate of 95%.
There are also other considerations beyond accuracy. Many of the free tests don’t capture distinctions between subtypes and countertypes. This can make it very hard for you to find yourself in the basic type descriptions. You may not get a helpful result. You could even be mistyped and start working on the wrong growth path for your personality type.
The reports from Integrative Enneagram Solutions are beautiful, personalised and deeply insightful. They also contain a wide range of specific suggestions for development actions. Paying for a sophisticated Enneagram assessment, like the one I use, followed by a debrief from a certified Enneagram practitioner, is a small investment in yourself that you will never regret.
On request, we can use the Enneagram assessment developed by Beatrice Chestnut and Uranio Paes (CP Enneagram) instead of the one by Integrative Enneagram Solutions.
