The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is the most widely used measure of global self-worth, but this online version is a starting point for self-reflection, not a clinical or diagnostic tool. Self-esteem naturally rises and falls with circumstances. If how you feel about yourself is weighing on you, a licensed professional can genuinely help.
About the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was developed by sociologist Morris Rosenberg in 1965 and remains the most widely used measure of global self-esteem — your overall sense of your own worth. It packs a lot into just ten short statements, five worded positively (such as feeling satisfied with yourself) and five worded negatively (such as feeling useless at times). The negative items are reverse-scored, so agreeing with them lowers your score and disagreeing raises it.
Here you rate each statement on a five-point scale from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." Your answers are added up and shown as a percentage with a Low, Average or High band, plus a short read. Because it is quick and self-scoring, it is a handy way to check in with yourself over time — but it measures how you feel right now, and one questionnaire cannot capture everything about your self-worth.
Self-esteem is one thread in a larger picture. To explore other facets of who you are, try the Big Five personality test or map what matters most to you with the personal values quiz — both use the same quick, private format.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale?
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), created by sociologist Morris Rosenberg in 1965, is the most widely used measure of global self-esteem. It uses ten short statements about how you feel about yourself and is free to use for education and research. Five of the ten statements are worded positively and five negatively, which is what stops the total from simply measuring a habit of agreeing. Because it is short and freely available, it appears in a very large number of published studies, and that is much of why it became the standard measure.
How is the self-esteem score calculated?
This self-esteem test asks you to rate ten statements on a five-point agree-to-disagree scale. The five negatively worded items are reverse-scored, the answers are added up and shown as a percentage with a Low, Average or High band. Reverse scoring means strongly disagreeing with a negative statement counts the same as strongly agreeing with a positive one. This page uses a five-point scale rather than the four-point version used in most published work, so treat the percentage as a rough read and not a figure to compare against research norms.
Is this a clinical or diagnostic test?
This self-esteem test is a self-reflection tool, not a clinical or diagnostic assessment. It gives you a score and a band, but no threshold here identifies a condition and no result should be read as one. If you are struggling with how you feel about yourself, a licensed mental-health professional can help. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded or stored.
Can self-esteem change over time?
Self-esteem does change over time. It shifts with circumstances, relationships and life stage, and it can grow. This score is a snapshot of how you feel right now, not a permanent label. Retaking the scale weeks or months apart usually tells you more than any single number does.