This quiz is inspired by the Schwartz theory of basic human values, a widely studied framework in psychology, but it is a lightweight self-reflection tool rather than a validated psychometric assessment. Your values naturally shift with life stage and circumstance — treat the ranking as a conversation-starter about what matters to you right now.
What are the ten basic human values?
Across dozens of countries and cultures, psychologist Shalom Schwartz found that people's values cluster into ten broad types: Self-Direction (independence and creativity), Stimulation (novelty and challenge), Hedonism (pleasure and enjoyment), Achievement (success through competence), Power (status and control), Security (safety and stability), Conformity (self-restraint and meeting expectations), Tradition (respect for custom and heritage), Benevolence (caring for close others), and Universalism (justice and concern for all people and nature). Everyone holds all ten to some degree — what differs is the priority order.
Because those priorities can conflict — the pull toward security can tug against the pull toward stimulation, for instance — this quiz uses forced choices. Each of the 30 questions asks which of two value statements is more true of you, so your answers reveal what you prioritize when you genuinely cannot have both. Each value appears in exactly six questions, paired against six different values, which keeps the ranking balanced.
Curious about a different slice of who you are? The Big Five personality test maps your broad personality traits, while the Enneagram test explores your core motivations — both use the same quick, private format.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ten basic human values?
Psychologist Shalom Schwartz identified ten broad values found across cultures: Self-Direction, Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, Power, Security, Conformity, Tradition, Benevolence and Universalism. This quiz ranks how strongly each one shows up for you. The ten sit on a circle in Schwartz's model, so neighbours such as Power and Achievement tend to rise together while opposites such as Security and Stimulation tend to trade off. That structure is why a strong top value usually comes with a predictable bottom value rather than a random one.
How does the values quiz work?
This values quiz asks 30 quick either/or questions, each pitting two values against each other. It tallies your choices and ranks all ten values from strongest to weakest, with a short read on your top value. Forcing a choice between two things you may genuinely care about is what produces a ranking rather than ten equally high scores. The whole quiz takes about three minutes.
Is this a scientific or clinical assessment?
This values quiz is not a scientific or clinical assessment. It is a self-reflection quiz inspired by the Schwartz theory of basic values, not a validated psychometric instrument such as the Portrait Values Questionnaire used in research. The ranking it produces has no population norms behind it, so read it as a prompt for thought rather than a measurement. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Are the questions balanced?
The question set is balanced by design. Each of the ten values appears in exactly six of the 30 questions, paired against six different values, so no value gets an unfair advantage from being offered more often. That balance is what makes the final ranking comparable across all ten rather than an artefact of how often each one came up. The trade-off is that values scoring close together can swap places on a retake.