Imposter Syndrome Test

Before you begin, it’s important to know that imposter syndrome is not an official diagnosis and is not included in DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

Imposter syndrome (or impostor syndrome) is a widespread phenomenon that can affect both men and women. It is estimated that up to 70 percent of people experience imposter feelings at some point in their lives, yet many people prefer not to talk about it.

The test below is provided for educational purposes only.

I am not as smart as other people think.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

My success is a result of a happy accident.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

My teachers/employers have low standards.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I obsess about the tiniest imperfections in my work.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I am terrified to talk to people because they might find out “the truth” about me (the perceived “truth” can be the belief that I am not as smart as they think or that I don’t deserve to be where I am).
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I feel like I don’t belong where I am (e.g., leadership positions, high social status, etc.).
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

If I had to do it all over, I would probably fail.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

Compliments make me feel uncomfortable.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

My success is all about timing.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I engage in self-defeating behaviors (e.g., procrastinating, overeating, substance use, and other ways of standing in my own way).
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

Compared to other people in my field, I really lack skills and experience.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I should have achieved much more by now.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I don’t ask for help because I should be able to do this by myself.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I try my best to maintain a low profile to avoid being unmasked.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

You don’t need to have any special skills, talents, or education to do what I did.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

My work isn’t good enough to charge for it.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I always doubt myself.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I tend to over-prepare to avoid being caught.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I have a general tendency to discount my abilities.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

It feels as though my success isn’t real.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I need to work harder than everybody else to compensate for my inadequacies.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

Deep inside, I fear success because “the higher you climb, the harder you fall.”
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

Success attracts attention, and that makes me feel uncomfortable.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

If I did this, then how hard can it be?
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

You don’t need to be smart to accomplish what I did.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I got a lot of help / I had connections.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I have no idea how I pulled it off.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

I got lucky.
Agree
Agree slightly
Disagree

GET RESULTS

How to Interpret Your Results

0-14 Very few imposter syndrome characteristics.
15-28 Some imposter syndrome characteristics.
29-56 Many imposter syndrome characteristics.

If your results suggest that you may have moderate to strong imposter syndrome tendencies, you are likely to be motivated to learn and work harder so that you can finally feel that your skills are adequate and your work is valuable.

On the negative side, however, this motivation doesn’t come from a healthy place. The price of success, in this case, may be constant anxiety and exhaustion.

To make things worse, you may hide your feelings and suffer in isolation. Imposter syndrome is also often associated with anxiety and depression.

A lot of people with imposter syndrome are perfectionists. They can be very good at what they do, but still feel that they should be better.

Some may spend unreasonable amounts of time on their work, hoping to get it perfect. Others may procrastinate for the very same reason.

There are those who attribute their success to luck, connections, or their likable personalities. And there are those who believe they succeeded because they worked harder than everyone else despite their perceived lack of skills and intelligence.

Tips and ideas:

1. Focus on your strengths instead of perceived flaws.

2. If you have been successful for a while, you must be doing something right.

3. Things don’t have to be hard to be great.

4. If you don’t know everything there is to know about your field, it doesn’t necessarily make you ignorant.

5. Not all goals can be achieved on the first try. Trying and failing can be part of the process.

6. Be aware of what you do to “protect” yourself from being discovered:

• switching jobs,
• not speaking out in meetings or in class,
• procrastinating so that you don’t have to show your work to others,
• keeping a very low profile to avoid scrutiny,
• sabotaging yourself,
• limiting yourself because you believe that you can’t replicate your success in another place or in another domain.

7. If you are a perfectionist, learn to stop when the task is done well enough.

8. If you spend too much time overpreparing and trying to get things perfect, limit the time you spend on your work projects.

9. Asking for help isn’t necessarily a sign of weakness or incompetence.