What Is the Birkman Method Personality Test? (2024 Guide)

Created by American psychologist Roger W. Birkman in the 1950s, the Birkman Method personality test is a form of psychometric assessment built around the concept of positive psychology.

It delves into an individual’s character to uncover their perceptions, motivations and behaviors and how these impact on their social and professional needs and preferences.

Originally known as the Test of Social Comprehension, it is an empirical assessment used to formulate a personality profile through methods of observation.

Owing to the years of research and experimentation behind its methodology, it is regarded as one of the most reliable tests of its kind. You can learn more about the development of personality tests here.

Now administered worldwide in 20 different languages by Birkman International, it is a highly popular personality test, used predominantly by mid-to-large sized companies as part of the recruitment process. Designed to be taken online, the Birkman Method personality test is comprehensive, with 298 questions in total.

Like other personality tests, the Birkman Method is more accurately described as an assessment. There are no right or wrong answers, and it requires no preexisting knowledge to complete.

It is therefore impossible to fail a Birkman Method assessment.

How Does the Birkman Method Assess Personality?

The Birkman Method personality test is built around a complex set of processes that combine various behavioral qualities, including four main aspects, to formulate an overall personality profile:

1. Motivation

This revolves around your general interests and how they correlate to your work-based preferences. Essentially, motivation is what you are passionate about and how this drives you, plus how these drives are best met in a professional context.

Understanding and acting on this leads to increased job satisfaction, high-level engagement and, subsequently, improved performance.

2. Self-Perception

This is about your own view of your personality – what you consider as your strengths and weaknesses, and how these views influence your behavior.

Self-perception is measured through questions relating to relationships, social contribution and task management.

To develop a more accurate self-perception, you could try taking various aptitude tests to see what you are better or worse at, such as this free mechanical reasoning test.

3. Social Perception

This area of your personality relates to how you view the world around you: what you expect from certain environments and situations and what you need to feel comfortable.

Social perception is considered highly influential to behavior and can determine how you will react under different circumstances.

4. Mindset

The final main personality aspect assessed through the Birkman Method is mindset. This relates to the ‘why’ behind your behaviors.

It delves into your subconscious to uncover pre-existing beliefs regarding both yourself and others, how these beliefs impact your world view and the actions these likely lead you to take.

Birkman Method Personality Test Measurement Scales

All four aspects measured throughout the test are used to build a personality profile based on a set of integrated scales:

• Usual Behavior Scales – Your typical behavior when your needs and expectations are met. Usual behavior is seen as a representation of your best self – the type of person you present yourself to be in new situations.

• Needs/Expectations Scales – How you expect, and ultimately need, to be treated in certain situations to be at your best.

• Stress Behavior Scales – The type of behaviors you typically exhibit when your needs and/or expectations are unmet. These are seen as ineffective behaviors, as opposed to the effective ones described in the Usual Behavior scales.

• Birkman Interests – This scale is determined by measuring your motivations and indicates which occupations you are most likely to find fulfilling based on what you enjoy doing.

• Mindset – As you may expect, this relates directly to the assessment of your mindset aspect. Information provided in this part of your personality profile can help you become a more rounded individual, challenging your preconceived belief system and notion of self to broaden your world view.

On completing the assessment, you will receive a Birkman Report, which is explained in more detail later in this article. This report gives both you and prospective employers insight into your personality profile – your strengths, needs, typical behaviors and areas of interest.

As mentioned previously, you cannot fail a Birkman Method personality test. It is designed to give you and employers a detailed profile of your behavioral traits, what type of career paths are a good match and be an indication of how you are likely to perform in certain circumstances.

With that in mind, the most important way to approach your Birkman test is with honesty. This will result in the best outcome for all involved.

Your prospective employer gets a realistic interpretation of who you are now, and not find out otherwise further down the line after you have been struggling in an unsuitable position. From a personal perspective, you get assurance that your intended career path is one you are well suited for.

However, though not strictly a test, you can still prepare for a Birkman assessment:

How Is the Birkman Method Structured?

The 298 questions of the Birkman test may sound like a lot to work through but take them step-by-step, remember there is no time limit and these are all questions about you as an individual, requiring no preexisting knowledge.

Questions are split into two types:

• 250 require true/false responses. These question types are used to determine your usual behavior, needs/expectations and stress behavior.
• 48 are multiple-choice, designed to uncover your motivations and therefore determine which of the Birkman Interests match your profile.

As the questions do not require too much deliberation, most people only take around 30 minutes to complete the test. Once you have finished, you will receive a report detailing your personality profile.

How to Understand the Birkman Method Results

On completion of the Birkman test, your results are subject to complex scientific analysis.

The exact nature of this analysis will depend on the requirements of the organization or individual that requested the assessment be carried out.

Several specialized reporting styles are offered, conveying results in various ways. These reports require analysis by a certified professional.

However, for broad-level evaluation, the Birkman Basics Report is given. This is the report made available to you once you have completed the test, as it does not require specialist analysis.

Within this report will be your Birkman Map. This is split into four color sections, each color representing a different personality type. It is rare to fall completely within a single color quadrant. Most people find their results show elements of each color and, subsequently, elements of each personality type.

To illustrate this, your Birkman Map also includes a set of symbols.

Birkman Map Color Key

Red (Doer):

These are action-focused individuals who get things done. Red personality types are assertive decision-makers that enjoy practical problem solving and tangible results. They like to get hands-on with their work and typically take organizational responsibilities. They are competitive, enthusiastic and driven.

Green (Communicator):

Green personality types are people-orientated. Their passion lies in communicating information or ideas that inspire, educate, persuade and motivate. They have a natural confidence and enjoy sharing ideas they firmly believe in.

Yellow (Analyzer):

Analytical and detail-focused, a yellow personality type performs best when working with systems and processes. Highly organized, they prefer completing tasks according to established rules and usually opt for indirect methods of communication.

Blue (Thinker):

Blues are creatives. They are the personality types that enjoy new ideas and new approaches to problem solving. Driven by innovation and abstract thinking, they thrive when surrounded by other creative minds, though they are typically introspective thinkers.

Birkman Personality Symbols Key

These are relative to the assessment scales previously discussed:

• Asterix – This shows your interests
• Diamond – This shows your usual behaviors
• Circle – This shows your needs/expectations
• Square – This shows your stress behaviors

Your symbols will appear on your Birkman Map. The left to right axis indicates whether you are more task- or people-orientated. The top to bottom axis shows whether you are more of an extrovert or introvert.

For example:

If your Asterix falls within the green quadrant, located in the top right of the map, your interests would revolve around working with people, communicating effectively to inspire results. As such, you are likely to enjoy roles like teaching, advertising or sales.

If your Diamond were also located in the green quadrant but edged towards blue in the bottom right, it would indicate that your usual behaviors are a combination of these personality types. This shows that you are competitive and enjoy new ideas, are assertive yet thoughtful and are typically sociable, though sometimes selectively.

This method of interpretation would continue, looking at where your Circle (needs/expectations) and Square (stress behavior) sit. Your results and what they mean are all explained to you in your Birkman Basics Report.

Birkman Interests

In addition to your Birkman Map, you will also get a deeper insight into the professional areas most suited to your personality.

This section is divided into the 10 Birkman Interests:

• Social service
• Persuasive
• Numerical
• Technical
• Artistic
• Musical
• Administrative
• Scientific
• Outdoor
• Literary

You will see a percentage score next to each. The higher the score, the more suited you are to roles in those areas.

It is important to note here that these percentages relate to your preference only; they do not indicate skill level or knowledge. They are designed to give you an idea of what you are most likely to find fulfilling in a professional environment.

Career Exploration

Pulling everything together, the career exploration section of your Birkman Basics Report covers various career families and job titles associated with each.

These career families include things like:

• Life, physical and social sciences
• Office and administrative support
• Management
• Construction and extraction
• Sales and related
• Legal

You will see a chart that shows how well suited you are to each career family, followed by a more in-depth explanation of your strongest matches.

Who Uses the Birkman Method?

Personality tests are an increasingly popular method of pre-screening candidates for job roles. They are predominantly used by mid-to-large-sized companies that receive high numbers of applications, allowing them to ensure those most suited are progressed to interview stage.

The Birkman Method personality test is the most popular version of this type of psychometric assessment. Some well-known names that currently use it in the recruitment process include:

• Walmart
• JP Morgan
• Duracell
• Mailchimp
• AT&T
• Coca-Cola
• Philips
• IBM
• Shell
• Procter & Gamble
• Chevron

As well as informing recruitment decisions, the Birkman Method personality test is used to improve business performance.

A company may issue a Birkman test to assess cognitive diversity in the workplace, understand staff personalities and how they relate to professional output or to address and resolve issues of conflict.

Can You Use the Birkman Method for Personal Use?

Many people opt to take a personality test to help with career exploration; the Birkman assessment is no exception.

As one of the most reliable indicators of professional preferences, it is a useful tool for those starting out on their professional journey or for anyone considering a career change.

In particular, the career exploration section is highly beneficial, linking your personality type to suitable career families, some of which you may not have considered previously.

How much you pay for a Birkman test depends on the level of insight you are after. Pricing is not readily available but a basic assessment is said to be around $130.

Conclusion

If you are asked to take a Birkman Method personality test, there is no need to panic. The sheer number of questions can be quite intimidating, but it is not designed to be a taxing assessment. Just remember to respond with honesty and you should encounter no problems.

Keep in mind this test does not indicate your capability. It shows what type of role you are likely to take fulfillment from, but that in no way relates to skill.

To get a better idea of your suitability, an employer may use additional aptitude tests that give a clearer indication of your level of ability.