I created this printable version of my engineer test after several requests from educators, outreach enthusiasts, and fellow SWE nerds. Each time you refresh this page the questions will be in a different order, so you can have different versions, just make sure you keep the answer keys straight! You are welcome to distribute this in print as necessary for educational purposes, and can make any modifications you'd like to better reach your audience.
For the automatic scoring, online version of this quiz visit http://spacefem.com/quizzes/engineer/.
Engineering is one of the coolest jobs in the world, but there are so many disciplines it can be a little daunting to choose one for yourself! I wasn't happy with the existing quizzes, they were mostly way too direct (do you like bridges or wires? uh...) or way too career-spammy, and they were all way too serious. So with that in mind I took some personality traits and kinda did my best attempt at mapping them to engineering fields. It's not scientific or accurate because it really doesn't matter, engineers do so many things and move around so much there's no way to predict what path you'll end up on... so relax! This point of this test is to combine the fun of a personality quiz with the usefulness of a career test... hey look at that, fun AND useful? It's getting engineer-y already!
You can skip a few questions if you don't like them, but the more you answer the more accurate the test will be. Well, within all the accuracy it's capable of, that is. Which isn't much.
1) What's more important?
a. That everything is done right
b. That people get along
2) Where would you like to go to work?
a. My own special cubicle
b. A different city every week
c. A busy factory
d. Outer space
e. The great outdoors
f. A hospital
3) Do you like being in charge?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Doesn't matter
4) Favorite way to spend your free time?
a. Expressing myself through art or something I create
b. Expressing myself directly, like writing my thoughts down or speaking to groups
c. Hanging out with friends and family
d. Doing puzzles or creating things that involve putting pieces together
5) What's something you'd HATE at work?
a. Getting messy
b. Sitting at a desk all day
c. Constantly being distracted and having to switch tasks
d. Working in isolation
6) My mad scientist laboratory would have...
a. A greenhouse full of plants (maybe evil plants?)
b. Blinky lights
c. Colorful liquids in test tubes
d. Everything, it'd be a total mess!
7) Favorite color?
a. Red
b. Pink
c. Orange
d. Yellow
e. Green
f. Blue
g. Purple
h. Gray
i. White
j. Black
8) What would you rather do?
a. Build big impressive things
b. Invent cool gadgets
c. Make the world a better place
d. Be a mad scientist
e. Break stuff
9) I'm good at helping people...
a. Understand themselves and what they're really looking for
b. Get their head out of the clouds and have a reality check
c. Understand others and resolve disagreements
d. Understand complex ideas
10) What do people like about you?
a. I'm convincing, opinionated, and fresh
b. I'm relaxed and easy to get along with
c. I'm very supportive and loyal
11) Word that best describes you
a. Ambitious
b. Organized
c. Nerdy
d. Adventurous
e. Practical
12) Another possible job for me might be...
a. Teacher
b. Politician
c. Retail
d. Pilot
e. Veterinarian
f. Cosmetologist
13) Are you good at minding your own business?
a. Yes
b. No
14) I'd rather work
a. Alone. I don't care how helpful the group is.
b. With a group of helpful people.
15) I'd rather have friends who are...
a. Unique
b. Generous
c. Confident
d. Imaginative
e. Not into creating drama
16) What are you most likely to doodle on the side of a paper when you're bored?
a. Lines
b. Cars, buildings, trees... other things you see around you
c. Arrows
d. Squares
e. Clouds, airplanes, rockets, other things in the sky
f. Circles
17) If I'm late on a project, it's more likely because it...
a. Takes me a while to get done, I'm a perfectionist.
b. Takes me a while to get motivated, I'm a procrastinator
18) Word that describes you best?
a. Successful
b. Happy
c. Helpful
d. Understanding
19) Favorite kitchen utensil?
a. Meat thermometer
b. Wire whisk
c. Microwave
d. Blender
e. Spatula
20) What size company do you think you'd want to work at?
a. Huge, like the government
b. A small company, with a few dedicated people I'm close to
c. A big company, with lots of people to meet and room to move around
d. Someplace in the middle
| Question | Your Response | Industrial | Mechanical | Computer | Aerospace | Materials | Electrical | Civil | Chemical | Environmental |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | b | a | a | b | a | b | ||||
| 2 | c | d | a | b | f | e | ||||
| 3 | b | a | b | c | a | c | c | b | a | |
| 4 | b | d | a | c | ||||||
| 5 | b | c | b | a | d | |||||
| 6 | b | d | b | a | c | b | a | c | a | |
| 7 | b | a | d | f | h | i | g | |||
| 8 | b | e | a | d | c | |||||
| 9 | b | d | a | c | ||||||
| 10 | c | a | a | c | b | a | b | b | c | |
| 11 | b | c | e | a | d | |||||
| 12 | c | d | a | b | f | e | ||||
| 13 | a | b | b | a | b | b | a | a | a | |
| 14 | b | a | ||||||||
| 15 | b | c | d | a | e | |||||
| 16 | c | d | e | a | b | f | ||||
| 17 | b | a | a | a | b | |||||
| 18 | a | b | d | c | ||||||
| 19 | a | b | c | e | ||||||
| 20 | b | c | d | d | a | c | b | |||
| Total |
What this test says about you: You are trustworthy, loyal, and socially conscious. Your friends have lots of different personalities. You're patient enough to slowly work through problems with people. You really like to think different and can be funny sometimes without even meaning to be.
What this test says about you: You're assertive and confident. You can stand up for yourself. You enjoy life if you're taking challenges head on and supporting the causes that are important to you.
What this test says about you: You are very energetic when you've got your eyes set on a task. You like hearing what people honestly think of you. You're proud of your accomplishments. You're not always great at working around the feelings of sensitive people at first, so people have to get to know you to appreciate what you're good at.
What this test says about you: You are optimistic and want to contribute to the world. You have your own unique style. You love having grand visions. You're a free spirit who is fun to be around. You like pursuing whatever your new crazy interest of the week is, rather than being told what to do.
What this test says about you: You can work out big ideas but in a very independent way. You love analyzing a problem from all different sides and viewpoints. You know a lot more than you let on.
What this test says about you: You have strong principles. You can sometimes be hard on yourself, but you achieve a lot and any team with you on it will be successful... even if you have to do the work yourself.
What this test says about you: You are highly perceptive, and know what people think of you. Your work has a lot of meaning to yourself and others. You have a good eye for aesthetics.
What this test says about you: You're always thinking of a zillion things at once. You tell stories with great points that meander creatively. You enjoy life. There are only a few chosen people who really understand you and know how to get you to open up.
What this test says about you: You relate easily to people and can be very convincing. You know what people need to make their lives better. You can be warm and generous, and when things are going well for you you tell everyone and can't help but share the laughter.