10 best Enneagram tests: Free and paid

Getting to know your employees takes time. However, if you don’t understand their personality type early on, your team risks potential miscommunication and productivity loss. Thus, it’s wise to identify candidates’ personality traits before you hire.

The Enneagram test uses a framework with nine personality types to describe an individual’s worldview and what motivates or discourages them. You can use the results to better communicate with candidates during interviews and after hiring.

While all Enneagram tests identify candidates’ dominant personality type, there are differences among providers. For instance, some feature large test libraries, while others only offer the Enneagram. In this guide, we list the top 10 picks so you can find the best Enneagram test for your business.

Why should you use an Enneagram test in hiring?

The Enneagram test identifies which of the nine interconnected personality types best represents a candidate. These types belong to either the “thinking”, “feeling,” or “intuitive” categories, and each has different approaches to relationships, work, and taking risks.

Identifying the Enneagram type of your candidate will enable you to interpret their personality.

• Type 1: Perfectionist/The Improver

• Type 2: Helper/The Giver

• Type 3: Achiever/The Go-getter

• Type 4: Individualist/The Contemplator    

• Type 5: Investigator/The Pioneer

• Type 6: Loyalist/The Devoted

• Type 7: Enthusiast/The Cheerleader

• Type 8: Challenger/The Master

• Type 9: Peacemaker/The Agreeable

When you understand your candidates’ Enneagram types, you can adapt your communication and collaboration style to meet their needs. This test also gives you an indicator of how well a candidate’s personality may mesh with the rest of your existing team.

Hiring decisions shouldn’t be based solely on Enneagram test results because all personality types are valuable to an organization. They can, however, help you prepare for structured interviews. For instance, you can personalize interview questions and adjust your communication style based on a candidate’s top values and blind spots.

What to look for in an Enneagram test

There are loads of Enneagram tests out there, but how do you know which one to pick?

Different businesses benefit from different testing platforms, depending on internal priorities like hiring volumes and budgets. Consider these top factors as a starting point.

• Company reputation: Make sure the test provider is legitimate. This includes checking the company’s registration details, the professional backgrounds of its directors and scientific advisors, and customer reviews.

• Scientific validity: Pick a scientifically backed Enneagram test to get trustworthy results. Companies should describe the methods they use to ensure scientific validity.

• Required time: There’s no wrong or right amount of time, but consider what’s appropriate for your candidates. For instance, a 40-minute Enneagram test at the start of the hiring process may prevent some individuals from applying.

• Clear questions: Preview the questions before sending the test, if possible. They should be clear and easy to answer, enabling candidates to describe themselves accurately.

• In-depth reports: Ensure test results include actionable insights into candidates’ personality types. This includes top strengths and challenges, behaviors at work, and bespoke suggestions for communication and growth.

• Price: Many Enneagram tests are free, sometimes including bonus features such as pre-employment skills tests. Some providers charge for more in-depth reports.

• Large test library: For a well-rounded assessment, ensure the platform features other personality and skills tests. Alongside the Enneagram test, they help paint a bigger picture of a candidate’s background.

• Custom tests: Select a pre-employment assessment product that includes custom tests. This enables you to tailor your assessments to roles by mixing and matching questions.

What is the best Enneagram test?

We’ve researched the best Enneagram tests on the market. Let’s take a look at our top 10.

1. TestGorilla

Best for: Pre-employment tests

Estimated time required: 10 minutes

Price: Free

Our 10-minute Enneagram test is based on the teachings of Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo. The test reveals candidates’ personality types and the worldview they operate from. It’s developed by subject-matter experts and is continuously reviewed and improved based on candidate feedback.

The questions are quick and easy to answer. Candidates select the statement they most resonate with from pairs like “I rarely display signs of affection” and “I am not afraid to display signs of affection.” 

The test results provide insights into a candidate’s primary personality type, including their approach to personal relationships and common workplace behaviors. You’ll understand their best attributes, biggest challenges, and how to help them achieve their full potential. The report also includes suggested interview talking points.

To promote equal opportunity, TestGorilla enables candidates to mention any conditions that could affect their memory or concentration abilities. A specialist then reviews and adjusts the assessment setup where necessary.

You can mix your Enneagram test with any of the 300-plus tests in the library, spanning personality, job-specific skills, programming, and other test types. An assessment contains up to five tests, including custom tests and questions. 

TestGorilla’s Free plan provides 10 free tests, including the Enneagram and other personality tests, such as the DISC, and the Big 5 (OCEAN) test. You can combine these and send unlimited assessments to candidates. 

To access the entire test library and create custom tests and tailored assessments, check out the Starter and Pro plans. 

Learn the secret to hiring top talent

Find out how to maximize your hiring power with TestGorilla. Sign up for a free live demo with our team today.

2. Crystal

Best for: Communication recommendations

Estimated time required: Five minutes

Price: Free

Crystal offers a suite of free personality tests, including the Enneagram. Test results indicate individuals’ Enneagram type, their desires and fears, communication style, and areas for growth. Applicants rate statements such as “I am a perfectionist” on a 1-5 scale.

With a Crystal business account, you can invite existing team members to take tests and let them see each other’s results. However, it’s not clear whether you can invite candidates to take the test or see their Enneagram results.

Crystal also offers a free browser extension that predicts personality types based on online profiles and recommends appropriate communication styles. This can help you better engage with your applicants. 

3. The Enneagram Institute

Best for: Independent test validation

Estimated time required: 40 minutes

Price: $12 per test

The Enneagram Institute offers the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI®), which identifies a candidate’s main personality type and its wings – or secondary types. You also receive an extensive type description of around 2,500 words. 

The RHETI® test has undergone independent scientific validation and provides a unique method of analyzing the nine Enneagram types. For instance, it includes a framework called the “Levels of Development” that further explains the behaviors, motivations, and defenses of each type.

You can invite candidates or team members to take the test from your Enneagram Institute account. You can view all test results from your account and export individual results to a PDF.

4. Truity

Best for: Existing staff

Estimated time required: 12 minutes

Price: Free

Truity offers multiple personality tests, including the Enneagram test. Candidates are asked to rate the accuracy of statements such as “I want people to admire me” on a 1-5 scale. The results indicate the individuals’ type and associated traits.

Truity doesn’t recommend using its Enneagram test for hiring. However, you can use it to assess the personality mix of your current workforce and improve team communication.

Taking the Truity Enneagram test is free, but you have to pay for in-depth reports. Pricing depends on volume, starting at $29 for one test and decreasing to $9 per test for 100 tests.

5. Integrative 9

Best for: In-depth reports

Estimated time required: 30 minutes

Price: $120 per test

Integrative 9 offers the iEQ9 Enneagram test, comprised of 175 questions. Its reports are highly tailored, containing up to 42 pages of insight when purchasing the business-aimed Professional plan. This includes the basic type description, plus communication and feedback style, decision-making, leadership traits, and team behavior.

Additionally, you can purchase a team-level report that combines individuals’ results to describe a team’s style and values, unhealthy behaviors, impact on tasks and goals, and more.

The iEQ9 test results prioritize actionable insights so you can create a more positive team environment. While it’s mainly aimed at existing employees, you can also use it as a pre-hire assessment.

6. Merreo

Best for: Budget-conscious businesses

Estimated time required: 10 minutes

Price: Varies

Merreo is a pre-employment assessment platform with tests spanning job-specific skills, personality, languages, and more. Its quick Enneagram test includes 36 questions, with results offering a glimpse into candidates’ personality types, wings, and motivating factors.

You can mix the Enneagram test with other skills and personality tests. The company recommends using Enneagram results to prepare for interviewing candidates rather than making hiring decisions.

Merreo offers a pay-as-you-go plan, starting at $1.20 per assessment and going as low as $0.70 when purchasing higher volumes.

7. Cloverleaf

Best for: Productivity insights

Estimated time required: 12 minutes

Price: On request

Cloverleaf offers personality tests among other team productivity services. You can mix and match tests, including the Enneagram, to form an assessment. The quick Enneagram test contains around 100 questions, with applicants selecting one of two statements they most resonate with.

For your employed staff, Cloverleaf offers productivity suggestions on collaboration channels, including Slack and Google Workspace. For example, your team members get bespoke task recommendations based on their personality test results.

8. Personality Path

Best for: Background information

Estimated time required: 12 minutes

Price: Free

Personality Path boasts over one million users of its Enneagram test. The test is quick and free, with candidates rating statements about their personality on a scale from one to four.

The test comes with high-level results, including the basic personality type traits and wings. You can also purchase a 41-page report for $29. The latter contains candidates’ hidden motivations, childhood influences, and how to seek growth and balance in the workplace.

Personality Path also provides free background information to support you and your applicants in understanding test results. For example, it features blogs dedicated to cases where Enneagram types are incorrectly identified, the impact of stress and peace on personalities, and other topics. 

9. TraitLab

Best for: Career matching

Estimated time required: Seven minutes

Price: Free

TraitLab offers the Enneagram, among other personality tests. While taking tests for personal use is free, you must pay to send candidate invitations and access results.

Test-takers must rate the accuracy of about 100 statements on a 1-5 scale, with statements including “I take charge” and “I get upset easily.”

You can add other tests to your assessments, including the DISC and Big Five personality tests. Premium results explore test-takers’ strengths, social patterns, and how their personalities match with career types.

10. Narrative Enneagram

Best for: Group workshops

Estimated time required: 30 minutes

Price: $10 per test

Narrative Enneagram specializes in Enneagram assessments while also offering Enneagram-based team-building workshops. 

Its tests are a bit different from the norm. For instance, candidates rate the accuracy of paragraphs, not short sentences. They also pick which Enneagram types they most identify with. Test results indicate candidates’ compatibility with each type, along with their communication styles, blind spots, and top strengths.

The company recommends using the Enneagram test results and group workshops to strengthen collaboration within teams, especially in professions like consultancy, training, negotiating, and senior management.

Unlock better hiring insights with an Enneagram test

All our personality tests (including the Enneagram test) are available to use on our free plan - start testing for personality traits today!

Get your free plan

Are Enneagram tests accurate?

Enneagram tests that are developed by reputable companies are based on scientific research pioneered by Oscar Ichazo. While each company’s testing methodology is different, it’s typically based on ongoing psychometric data analysis. 

Statistically speaking, Enneagram test results estimate the probability of a candidate belonging to each of the nine types. The applicant’s primary type has the highest probability. They may also have traits from other types, though.

Therefore, Enneagram tests are quite accurate, but be aware that hardly any candidates will resemble their primary type 100%. Each individual is different and exhibits some personality traits more than others.

Get started with personality testing through TestGorilla

Enneagram tests are a quick way to assess future employees’ personalities. By learning about their motivations and fears, you can avoid miscommunication and ensure team members have compatible personalities.

There are many free and paid Enneagram tests out there. Free tests are highly reliable when based on scientific research, whereas paid tests often include longer, more detailed personality reports. Choose your test provider based on your main priorities, which could include budget and the availability of a large test library.

We believe the best Enneagram choice is TestGorilla because of its value for money, accuracy, and easy-to-answer questions. You can use it on our free-forever plan or access our entire test library on one of our affordable paid plans.

Start using the Enneagram and other personality tests with TestGorilla’s Free plan today. 

If you’d like to find out more about how our software can help you improve your hiring process, sign up for our free 30-minute live demo with a member of the team.

Don’t want to wait? Our pre-recorded demo is also available for you to watch right now on our product tour page.