Your IPIP-NEO-120 results are a personality profile with five broad domain scores and 30 narrower facet scores, six under each domain. Each domain runs from 24 to 120 and each facet from 4 to 20. A higher score means you described yourself as having more of that trait.
The quick answer
The IPIP-NEO-120, sometimes called the IPIP 120 personality test, measures the Big Five personality traits with 120 statements. You rate how well each statement describes you, from very inaccurate to very accurate. Survey Doctor turns your answers into these scores:
| What you get | Range | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Domain scores | 24 to 120 | Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness |
| Facet scores | 4 to 20 | Six per domain, 30 in all |
| Overall total | Not shown | Adding five different traits gives a number with no meaning |
| Percentiles | Not shown | There is no verified comparison group for this questionnaire |
Your result describes your usual personality. It is not a diagnosis, a grade or a rank. You can take the IPIP-NEO-120 on Survey Doctor without an account. Your scores appear as soon as you finish, with each domain's six facets listed under it. Write them down, or create an account from the results page to save them.
How to read a high or low score
Each answer scores 1 to 5. Some statements describe the opposite of a trait, so their scores are flipped before they are added up. A facet adds up four answers, and a domain adds up its six facets.
That gives every score a midpoint: 72 for a domain and 12 for a facet. You would land there by answering "neither accurate nor inaccurate" to every statement. Above the midpoint, you mostly described yourself as fitting the trait. Below it, you mostly did not. The further from the midpoint, the more strongly your answers leaned one way.
This reads your own answers, not a comparison with other people. A percentile needs a suitable comparison group, and Survey Doctor has not verified one for this questionnaire. The official IPIP site does not supply a standard norm table either. It recommends comparing scores with the means and standard deviations of your own sample. So a domain score of 90 does not put you in the 90th percentile.
Neither end of a trait is better. John A. Johnson, who developed the IPIP-NEO-120 (Johnson, 2014), describes each end as useful in some situations and a hindrance in others.
What each domain and facet describes
The descriptions below follow the ones Johnson wrote for the report that comes with his own online version. The tables show the typical picture at each end, so a score near the middle sits between the two.
Neuroticism
Neuroticism describes how easily you feel worried, angry, sad or overwhelmed. Higher scores describe people whose upsetting feelings come quickly, run strong and linger. Lower scores describe people who stay calm under stress and are slow to get upset. Johnson notes that a low score means fewer negative feelings, not necessarily more positive ones, which belong to Extraversion.
| Facet | Higher scores describe | Lower scores describe |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety | Often tense, nervous or expecting trouble | Calm, rarely dwell on what could go wrong |
| Anger | Quick to feel angry, especially at unfairness | Slow to anger |
| Depression | Often sad, discouraged or low in energy | Rarely feel down for long |
| Self-Consciousness | Sensitive to what others think, easily embarrassed | At ease around other people |
| Immoderation | Find cravings and urges hard to resist | Rarely tempted to overindulge |
| Vulnerability | Feel panicky or helpless under pressure | Stay clear-headed when stressed |
Extraversion
Extraversion describes how much you seek out people, activity and excitement. Higher scores describe people who are sociable, talkative and energetic, and who often feel upbeat. Lower scores describe quieter, more reserved people who need less stimulation. Johnson stresses that a low score does not mean you are shy or unfriendly.
| Facet | Higher scores describe | Lower scores describe |
|---|---|---|
| Friendliness | Warm, form close friendships easily | Reserved and slower to warm up, not hostile |
| Gregariousness | Enjoy crowds and plenty of company | Prefer privacy and small groups |
| Assertiveness | Speak up and take charge in groups | Let others lead |
| Activity Level | Lead a busy, fast-paced life | Prefer a slower, more relaxed pace |
| Excitement-Seeking | Bored without stimulation, enjoy thrills | Prefer calm, avoid noise and risk |
| Cheerfulness | Often happy, enthusiastic and optimistic | Less given to high spirits, not necessarily unhappy |
Openness
Openness, also called Openness to Experience, describes your appetite for new ideas, art, feelings and experiences. Higher scores describe curious, imaginative people who enjoy the unusual. Lower scores describe practical, down-to-earth people who prefer the familiar. In a study of 320,128 US adults, Openness on this questionnaire mostly reflected curiosity about ideas and art (Kajonius and Johnson, 2019).
| Facet | Higher scores describe | Lower scores describe |
|---|---|---|
| Imagination | Rich inner world, often lost in daydreams | Focus on facts and the here and now |
| Artistic Interests | Moved by art, music and nature | Less drawn to art and beauty |
| Emotionality | Aware of their feelings and open about them | Less tuned in to feelings, show them less |
| Adventurousness | Love new experiences, bored by routine | Prefer the familiar, uneasy with change |
| Intellect | Enjoy ideas, puzzles and debate | Prefer practical matters to abstract ideas |
| Liberalism | Ready to question authority and tradition | Value tradition, stability and convention |
Johnson is clear that Intellect is not a measure of intelligence. He also notes that Liberalism leans toward political views but is not the same as political affiliation.
Agreeableness
Agreeableness describes how much you value getting along with others. Higher scores describe people who are trusting, considerate and quick to help or compromise. Lower scores describe people who put their own interests first, doubt others' motives and argue their case. Johnson notes that lower Agreeableness suits work that needs tough, objective judgment, such as science or criticism.
| Facet | Higher scores describe | Lower scores describe |
|---|---|---|
| Trust | Assume most people mean well | Wary of other people's motives |
| Morality | Frank and sincere, no pretense | More guarded, see some tact as necessary |
| Altruism | Find helping others rewarding | Less keen to get involved when others need help |
| Cooperation | Avoid conflict, quick to compromise | Willing to confront others to get their way |
| Modesty | Uncomfortable claiming to be superior | Readily rate themselves above others |
| Sympathy | Tender-hearted, moved by others' pain | Lead with reason and fairness over mercy |
Morality is a facet name, not a verdict on your character. Johnson describes lower scorers as more private and guarded, not as dishonest.
Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness describes how you plan, organize and keep your impulses in check. Higher scores describe organized, persistent and reliable people who plan ahead. Lower scores describe more spontaneous, flexible people who are less tied to plans. Johnson notes that very high scores can tip into perfectionism or overwork, while people with lower scores are often fun to be around.
| Facet | Higher scores describe | Lower scores describe |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Efficacy | Confident in their ability to succeed | Less sure they can cope or succeed |
| Orderliness | Organized, like routines, lists and plans | Less organized, more scattered |
| Dutifulness | Strong sense of duty and obligation | Find rules and obligations confining |
| Achievement-Striving | Work hard toward high goals | Content to do what is needed and no more |
| Self-Discipline | Push through dull or hard tasks | Put things off, struggle to finish |
| Cautiousness | Think carefully before acting | Decide fast, often on impulse |
Reading a domain alongside its facets
A domain score is the sum of its six facets, so the same domain score can hide very different patterns. When the facets split, Johnson's report advises paying more attention to the facets than to the domain. Three examples show how.
Extraversion of 72, with a split. Assertiveness is 17, Gregariousness is 7, and the other four facets are 12 each. The domain sits exactly at the midpoint, but this person is not middling. They may run a meeting with ease and still skip the party afterwards.
Conscientiousness of 98, with one low facet. Orderliness is 19, Self-Discipline and Achievement-Striving are 18, Dutifulness is 17 and Self-Efficacy is 16. Cautiousness is 10. This describes someone organized and driven who still makes decisions quickly.
Neuroticism of 60, with one high facet. Self-Consciousness is 16, Immoderation is 12, and the other four facets are between 7 and 9. The domain is well below the midpoint, yet this person may still feel awkward and easily embarrassed around others.
Some facets also sit loosely in their domain. In the Kajonius and Johnson study, Activity Level and Assertiveness were only weakly tied to Extraversion. Imagination, Emotionality and Liberalism were only weakly tied to Openness. A split on those facets is expected and does not mean your result is wrong.
Depression, Anxiety and Anger are personality facets
Several Neuroticism facets share their names with mental health conditions. These facets describe your usual personality, not how you have felt recently, and they do not screen for any condition. Johnson's own page says the questionnaire does not assess serious psychological disorders. A high Depression facet score is not a diagnosis, and a low one does not rule out depression.
If you are worried about your mood, use a questionnaire built for that. The PHQ-9 asks about depression symptoms over the last two weeks, and the GAD-7 does the same for anxiety. If low mood or worry is getting in the way of daily life, talk to a doctor.
How much weight to give your results
Each facet rests on only four answers, so it can shift with your mood that day or with how you read a statement. Johnson (2014) judged the facet scores reliable enough for research but not for important decisions about one person. Domain scores, built from 24 answers each, were more consistent in the same study.
To compare results over time, retake the same questionnaire and compare each domain and facet with its earlier score. Do not compare them with an IPIP-50 result or a commercial NEO report, which use different items and score ranges. What is the IPIP? explains how these questionnaires relate, and the IPIP-50 vs IPIP-NEO-120 comparison helps you choose between them.
The best check is the people around you. Johnson's page says that when people who know you well disagree with your results, they are most likely right. Show your profile to a close friend or partner and ask whether it sounds like you.