RIASEC career interest test
Rate 42 statements from 1 to 5 to see which of the six RIASEC interest types you’re most drawn to. It’s for reference, not a diagnosis.
About 6 min · 42 questions · For self-reflection, not diagnosis · Results stay in your browser
I enjoy working with tools and materials to make the things I need.
Before You Start
How the RIASEC career interest test scores six interest areas and builds your three-letter code, and how to use the result when exploring careers.
Answer Honestly, Read Carefully
Set aside whether you are good at something or whether it pays, and answer only by how much the activity appeals to you. Take the result as a way to narrow down where to look first, not as the one right job.
Limits
The test asks only about interests, so it does not weigh your skills, experience or the job market. Rather than choosing a path from your code alone, set it beside what you have actually tried.
Related Tests
What your result shows
- Interest scores (0–100) for six areas, Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising (E) and Conventional (C), and a three-letter code made of your top three.
- Each of the top three areas gets the activities that draw you and the settings that suit you, and the tips suggest project ideas for your top two.
- Career and major examples appear for each of the top three areas, with a link to the page for your first two letters.
- If there is a tie for third place, a note says the code may shift.
Sample result preview
An illustrative example, not real answers. The numbers are ones the result page’s scoring can actually produce.
ASI
An example led by Artistic, followed by Social and Investigative.
- Artistic (A): 75
- Social (S): 64
- Investigative (I): 54
- Enterprising (E): 36
- Conventional (C): 21
- Realistic (R): 11
A and S are 11 points apart and I leads E by 18, so the order of this code is fairly stable. The AS code page shows more work that suits the first two letters.
Who this test suits
- Students who want to narrow their fields of interest before choosing a major or career path.
- Anyone weighing a change of role who wants to see which activities give them energy.
- Anyone who needs a yardstick for choosing a side project or a hobby.
When another test fits better
- VIA Strengths →If you want to know where to use the strengths you already have, beyond interests.
- Big Five →If you also want the personality traits that shape how you work.
- DISC Behaviors →If your communication style within a team is the question.
How to read your results
How It Works
You answer 42 statements about activities, such as working with tools or explaining something to a friend until they get it, from “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree.” Each of the six interest areas has seven statements, and two of them say that the area’s activities feel dull or are something you would rather avoid, so they are scored in reverse.
Each area’s seven answers are averaged and converted to a 0–100 score, and your three highest areas, in order, form a three-letter code. Tied areas are listed in R, I, A, S, E, C order, and if a tie involves third place, the page adds a note that your code could change.
Score Interpretation
An area reads as low at 33 or below, mid from 34 to 66 and high from 67 up. An area in your code that scores 33 or below is not a strong interest; it simply came out less low than the others, and the result page points this out separately.
Your code is not an answer key that tells you which job to take. A high S does not mean only teaching or counseling will suit you; it is a clue that you may get more absorbed in work that involves helping or teaching people. A low area is not a field to avoid, just activities that appeal to you less for now.
Guides to read alongside
- Jobs by Holland type: five decades of US census data on the RIASEC areasIn 2010, 27% of US jobs were Realistic, 24% Social and only 2% Artistic. Five decades of census data on jobs and income by Holland type, and how to read them.
- RIASEC vs strengths tests: when to use eachRIASEC shows the work you are drawn to; the strengths test shows the character strengths you lean on. See when to use each and test both in small experiments.
- VIA strengths vs RIASEC: what does each show?VIA reveals the character strengths that energize you; RIASEC maps the work you are drawn to. Learn to read both together and use your strengths at work.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RIASEC career interest test?
Based on Holland’s theory, it sorts interests into six types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. Your three strongest types form a three-letter code, shown with example careers and majors that fit it.
How long is the Holland code test?
It has 42 questions and takes about 6 minutes, free and with no sign-up. Answer by what you would enjoy doing, not by what you are already good at.
Do I have to pursue the careers in my result?
No. The example careers are a list for exploring, showing where people with similar interests often go. A real decision also weighs skills, experience, the job market and your circumstances, so pick a few that appeal and test them with a short trial or a conversation with someone in the field.
Does the order of letters in my code matter?
The first letter is your strongest interest, so AS and SA are close but lean differently. When two scores are near each other the order flips easily on a retake, so read both orders together on the two-letter code pages.
Does it suit both students and career changers?
Yes. Students can use it to narrow down fields to study, and people thinking about a change can spot the interests their current job leaves out. Your result stays in this browser, so retake it in a few months and compare on My Results.
How is an aptitude test different from a career interest test?
An aptitude test measures what you can do well, while a career interest test like this one measures what you would like to do. Because RIASEC asks only about interests, a high code is not proof that you would be good at that work. To weigh your aptitudes as well, set an aptitude assessment from your school or a career service, and your real experience, beside these interest results.