VIA Character Strengths Test

The VIA Character Strengths Test is a free, 96-item self-report inventory from Science of Apps that takes about 19 minutes. It finds your signature strengths among the 24 character strengths of the VIA Classification (Peterson & Seligman, 2004), grouped under six virtues — wisdom (creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning, perspective), courage (bravery, perseverance, honesty, zest), humanity (love, kindness, social intelligence), justice (teamwork, fairness, leadership), temperance (forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation) and transcendence (appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, humour, spirituality). 96 original statements, four per strength, on a five-point scale, like the 96-item short form of the VIA Survey. There are no right or wrong answers: answer every item to get a visual analysis of every scale, what it means for how you work, and a shareable report with your name on it. It is based on The VIA Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) (VIA Institute on Character).

Science of Apps offers a free VIA Character Strengths Test, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures 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, humour and spirituality and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Start it on this page — no fee or sign-up, on any phone, tablet or computer. Answer all 96 items honestly (about 19 minutes, untimed), add your name and email, and you see your full analysis straight away: your result, every scale charted and explained, and a report card you can download as an image or PDF and share. The report is emailed to you too.

You answer 96 short items about how you usually think, feel and act. There are no right or wrong answers. Your answers are scored on 24 scales — 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, Humour and Spirituality — and you get your top five strengths, with what each scale means.

Anyone curious about their character strengths, Students and graduates, Coaches and positive psychology practitioners, Managers building strengths-based teams and Teachers and counsellors. It is a self-report tool for self-awareness, team conversations and career exploration in 2026 and 2027 — not a clinical or diagnostic test, and not a reason on its own to hire or reject anyone.

Your signature strengths are the character strengths that feel most natural and energising to you, usually your top three to seven. Research in positive psychology links using signature strengths in new ways with higher wellbeing and engagement.

No. The VIA Survey is run by the VIA Institute on Character. This free test measures the same 24 strengths from the published VIA Classification with original statements, so you can find your top five and explore them; it does not reproduce the official items or scores.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific — on any phone, tablet or computer. Your report shows the date you took it in your own time zone.

96 items, untimed — most people finish in about 19 minutes. Answer with your first instinct; there is no pass mark.

No. It is a self-report inventory, not an exam: every honest answer is valid, and your result describes your preferences rather than your ability. Answer as you usually are, not as you think you should be.

Yes. The test, your full analysis, the report card (as an image and a PDF), the email and the shareable link are all free — no sign-up, no paywall and no trial.

An instant visual analysis in the style of the original test: your result, a chart of every scale, what each one means for how you work, your strengths and what to watch for. You also get a report card with your name and a QR code to your full analysis, which you can download as an image or PDF; it is emailed to you as well.

Yes. Share your report card to LinkedIn, Instagram or WhatsApp, or copy the link. Anyone who opens the link or scans the QR code sees your full analysis. Ask friends or colleagues to take it too and compare where you click and where you clash.

Your answers are scored on our server. Your name and email are used to put your name on your report and to send it to you; they aren't kept, and you're never added to a mailing list. Your scores travel in your share link, so only people you send it to can see them, and report pages are kept out of search engines.

As accurate as your honest answers: it is a self-report inventory with 96 items scored on every scale. It is designed for self-awareness, coaching and team conversations. It is not a clinical or diagnostic assessment, and it shouldn't be the only basis for a hiring decision.

It is an independent, free test built on the published model by Science of Apps, and is not affiliated with the publishers of commercial versions.

Yes — on any phone, tablet or computer, in any modern browser, in portrait or landscape. One item is shown at a time with large answer targets, and your progress is saved on the device if you need to pause.

Any time, as often as you like. Your result describes your preferences now, so retaking it after a few months is a good way to see whether anything has shifted.