You took the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and got five scores for Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Openness. With just 10 questions, the TIPI is the fastest way to measure the Big Five personality traits. Here's what your scores actually mean.
The quick answer
Each trait is scored from 1 (very low) to 7 (very high):
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1-2.5 | Low on this trait |
| 2.5-5.5 | Moderate (near average) |
| 5.5-7 | High on this trait |
Most people score somewhere in the middle on most traits. Extreme scores (below 2 or above 6) are less common.
What each trait means
Extraversion
High scorers tend to be outgoing, energetic, and talkative. They enjoy social situations, seek stimulation, and often feel comfortable being the center of attention.
Low scorers (sometimes called introverts) prefer quieter settings, need more time alone to recharge, and may find large social gatherings draining rather than energizing.
Neither is better. It's about where you get your energy and how much external stimulation you prefer.
Agreeableness
High scorers tend to be cooperative, trusting, and interested in maintaining social harmony. They're typically considerate of others and willing to compromise.
Low scorers may be more skeptical, competitive, or willing to disagree openly. They tend to prioritize being direct over being diplomatic.
This isn't about being nice or mean—it's about interpersonal strategy.
Conscientiousness
High scorers tend to be organized, disciplined, and goal-oriented. They plan ahead, meet deadlines, and prefer structure.
Low scorers tend to be more spontaneous and flexible but may struggle with follow-through or appear disorganized to others.
High conscientiousness predicts success in structured environments but isn't always an advantage in situations requiring improvisation.
Emotional Stability (vs. Neuroticism)
High scorers tend to be calm, even-tempered, and resilient under stress. They experience fewer mood swings and recover more quickly from setbacks.
Low scorers (high neuroticism) experience more frequent negative emotions—anxiety, worry, frustration, sadness. They're more reactive to stress and may be more prone to mood disorders.
This is one of the strongest predictors of mental health outcomes in personality research.
Openness to Experience
High scorers tend to be curious, creative, and interested in new ideas. They enjoy novelty, appreciate art and beauty, and question conventional thinking.
Low scorers tend to prefer the familiar and conventional. They're often practical, focused, and may be skeptical of abstract ideas.
High openness is associated with creativity but not necessarily with practical success.
What to make of moderate scores
Most people score in the moderate range (3-5) on most traits. This doesn't mean you lack personality—it means you adapt your behavior to different situations.
Someone with moderate extraversion might be outgoing at parties but prefer quiet time at home. That's flexibility, not inconsistency.
Important limitations of the TIPI
The TIPI is ultra-brief by design. This comes with trade-offs:
Lower reliability. With only 2 items per trait, there's more measurement error. Your "true" score might be half a point higher or lower than what you got.
No facet detail. Each Big Five trait has multiple facets. Extraversion, for example, includes both sociability and assertiveness—you might be high on one and low on the other, but the TIPI can't show that.
Sensitive to current mood. A bad day can push scores toward more negative self-description.
For a quick snapshot, the TIPI is useful. For deeper self-understanding, the IPIP-50 or IPIP-NEO-120 provides more reliable and detailed results.
What your profile doesn't tell you
It doesn't predict specific behaviors. Someone with high conscientiousness doesn't always meet deadlines—traits are tendencies, not guarantees.
It doesn't determine career fit. While certain traits correlate with success in certain fields, many successful people have "wrong" personality profiles for their jobs.
It doesn't explain everything about you. Personality traits account for a modest portion of behavior. Situations, habits, skills, and values matter too.
It's not a type. Unlike Myers-Briggs (which puts you in one of 16 boxes), the Big Five describes where you fall on five continuous dimensions. You're not "an extravert" or "an introvert"—you have a certain level of extraversion.
Common trait combinations
Some profiles are more common than others:
High Agreeableness + High Conscientiousness: Often seen as reliable, easy to work with. May struggle with assertiveness.
High Openness + Low Conscientiousness: Creative and spontaneous but may have trouble finishing projects.
High Neuroticism + Low Extraversion: Prone to rumination and social anxiety. May benefit from mental health support.
High Extraversion + Low Agreeableness: Assertive and dominant. May come across as aggressive in some contexts.
These are patterns, not personality types. Your specific combination is unique.
Should you try to change your personality?
Personality is relatively stable but not fixed. Research shows traits can shift over time, especially:
- Through life experiences (work, relationships, therapy)
- With age (people generally become more conscientious and agreeable)
- Sometimes through intentional effort
Whether you should try to change depends on whether your traits are causing problems. Being introverted isn't a flaw—but if low emotional stability is causing you distress, working on that makes sense.
Tracking personality over time
Unlike mood or symptoms, personality changes slowly. Taking the TIPI weekly won't show meaningful differences—there's too much measurement noise.
Consider retaking it:
- Once a year as a general check-in
- After major life changes
- Before and after a period of intentional personal development
For tracking mental health symptoms that change more quickly, try the PHQ-9 or GAD-7 instead.
The bottom line
Your TIPI scores give you a quick snapshot of where you fall on the Big Five personality traits. Higher or lower isn't better or worse—it's about understanding your tendencies. For deeper insight with more reliable scores and facet-level detail, consider taking the IPIP-50 or the comprehensive IPIP-NEO-120.
Related assessments
IPIP-50 — More reliable Big Five measurement with 50 items
IPIP-NEO-120 — Comprehensive personality assessment with 30 facet subscales
RSE — Self-esteem, which relates to personality but is a separate construct
DASS-21 — If low Emotional Stability is concerning, this screens for depression, anxiety, and stress