Sociologist Morris Rosenberg proposed one of the most widely used self-esteem scales in psychology in 1965, combining direct statements ("I feel I'm a person of worth") with reverse-worded ones ("at times I think I am no good at all"), to keep people from just answering whatever "sounds better."
- Low: you struggle to recognize your own worth, even in the face of real achievements.
- Moderate: your self-esteem varies quite a bit depending on context or mood.
- High: you hold a stable, positive view of yourself, without relying solely on outside approval.
15 statements, about 3-4 minutes. Some are deliberately worded in reverse, as in the original scale: read each one carefully before answering.
All possible results
Low Self-Esteem
You struggle to recognize your own worth, even in the face of real achievements, and tend to need other people's validation to feel good about yourself.
Read more about Low Self-Esteem
“Self-esteem, in Rosenberg's definition, is the overall (positive or negative) evaluation a person makes of themselves. It isn't the same as confidence in a specific skill: it's a deeper judgment about your own worth as a person.”
What this score means
Your answers show difficulty recognizing your own qualities and achievements without playing them down. A mistake or a criticism likely affects you more than it proportionally should, and you probably need outside approval to feel reasonably good about yourself.
How it shows up day to day
- You find it hard to accept a compliment without downplaying it.
- A mistake can make you doubt your overall worth, not just that specific result.
- You tend to compare yourself with others and come up short in that comparison.
An important note
This result is for orientation and informational purposes only, inspired by Morris Rosenberg's self-esteem scale (1965): it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace a professional psychological assessment.
Moderate Self-Esteem
How you see yourself varies quite a bit depending on context or mood, without being consistently negative.
Read more about Moderate Self-Esteem
“Self-esteem usually isn't a fixed trait: it fluctuates with context, recent successes and failures, and the relationships around you.”
What this score means
Your answers show a self-view that depends a fair amount on the situation: in some areas you feel confident and capable, in others you struggle more to recognize your own worth. There's no consistently negative pattern, but no stable foundation across every context either.
How it shows up day to day
- You accept a compliment more easily in some areas than in others.
- A mistake affects you, but it doesn't always define how you feel about yourself for the rest of the day.
- Your confidence depends partly on how things have gone recently, not on a stable foundation.
An important note
This result is for orientation and informational purposes only, inspired by Morris Rosenberg's self-esteem scale (1965): it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace a professional psychological assessment.
High Self-Esteem
You hold a stable, positive view of yourself, without relying solely on outside approval to feel good.
Read more about High Self-Esteem
“Healthy self-esteem doesn't mean believing you're better than others: it means recognizing your own worth with the same fairness you'd extend to anyone else.” — in the spirit of Rosenberg's approach
What this score means
Your answers show a stable foundation of self-regard: you recognize your qualities and achievements without needing to downplay them, and a mistake or a criticism doesn't collapse your overall opinion of yourself.
How it shows up day to day
- You accept a compliment without discomfort or the urge to minimize it.
- You make decisions without constantly relying on other people's approval.
- A one-off slip-up doesn't make you question your overall worth as a person.
An important note
This result is for orientation and informational purposes only, inspired by Morris Rosenberg's self-esteem scale (1965): it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace a professional psychological assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Why are some questions worded 'in reverse'?
To keep people from answering automatically or based on what 'sounds better.' It's the same technique Morris Rosenberg used in his original 1965 scale: combining direct statements with reverse-worded ones to get a more reliable measure.
Is self-esteem fixed, or can it change?
It can change. While it has some baseline stability, research in psychology describes self-esteem as sensitive to context, relationships, and experiences, not as a completely fixed trait.
Does having high self-esteem mean I never doubt myself?
No. It means those occasional doubts don't collapse your underlying sense of self-worth, not that they never happen.
Is this test reliable?
It's an orientation-only, informational approximation, inspired by Rosenberg's scale but not identical to it. For a formal psychometric evaluation, the recommended path is the original instrument together with guidance from a professional.
How long does the test take?
Between 3 and 4 minutes: 15 statements with five response options each.
Is it free?
Yes, it's completely free: no sign-up or payment needed to take the test and see your result.