Big Five Personality Test

The most researched personality model in existence — now available without certification, consultants, or enterprise pricing. Send a test, get a report. First test is free.

Sky Talent Big Five personality test report

What Is the Big Five Personality Test?

The Big Five personality test measures five core traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism — often abbreviated as OCEAN. It is the most researched and validated personality model in psychology, backed by over 60 years of peer-reviewed studies conducted across more than 50 countries.

Unlike type-based tools that sort people into fixed categories, the Big Five measures each trait on a continuous scale. A person is not simply 'introverted' or 'extraverted' — they score somewhere on a spectrum for each of the five traits. This makes the results more accurate, more nuanced, and more useful for hiring decisions.

The Big Five is the scientific foundation behind the most widely used commercial personality assessments, including the SHL OPQ, Saville Wave, and Hogrefe NEO PI-R. These tools typically cost 50–200 EUR per candidate and require certified practitioners to administer. Sky Talent uses the same underlying science — without the overhead.

The Five Traits: OCEAN

Each trait is measured on a scale. There are no good or bad scores — only better or worse fits for a specific role.

O

Openness to Experience

Measures intellectual curiosity, creativity, and preference for novelty versus routine. People high in Openness are drawn to new ideas and unconventional approaches. People low in Openness prefer proven methods and practical solutions.

Hiring signal: High Openness predicts success in creative roles, R&D, and strategy. Low Openness fits well in compliance, operations, and process-driven roles.

C

Conscientiousness

Measures self-discipline, reliability, and goal-directed behaviour. Conscientious people are organised, thorough, and follow through on commitments. They plan ahead and meet deadlines consistently.

Hiring signal: The single strongest personality predictor of job performance across nearly all occupations. Especially critical for roles where accuracy and reliability matter.

E

Extraversion

Measures sociability, assertiveness, and energy drawn from interaction with others. Extraverts are talkative, outgoing, and energised by social contact. Introverts prefer quieter, more independent work.

Hiring signal: High Extraversion predicts success in sales, client-facing roles, and leadership. Low Extraversion fits well in analytical, research, and specialist roles.

A

Agreeableness

Measures cooperativeness, empathy, and consideration for others. Agreeable people are warm, helpful, and conflict-averse. Less agreeable people are more competitive, direct, and comfortable with confrontation.

Hiring signal: High Agreeableness predicts success in caregiving, support, and team-oriented roles. Low Agreeableness fits well in negotiation, management, and decision-making under pressure.

N

Neuroticism

Measures emotional sensitivity and tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, frustration, and self-doubt. People high in Neuroticism react more strongly to stress. People low in Neuroticism are emotionally stable and calm under pressure.

Hiring signal: Low Neuroticism predicts resilience in high-stress environments — emergency services, leadership, and customer complaints. Understanding this trait helps you match people to roles they can sustain.

Why Use a Big Five Test When Hiring?

Most hiring decisions rely on CVs and interviews. But research consistently shows that unstructured interviews are poor predictors of job performance — roughly on par with a coin flip. Structured personality assessments close that gap by measuring traits that actually correlate with how someone will perform, collaborate, and stay in a role.

The Big Five model is the only personality framework with widespread scientific consensus behind it. Meta-analyses covering hundreds of thousands of participants confirm that Conscientiousness predicts performance across nearly all job types, Extraversion predicts success in sales and leadership roles, and Agreeableness predicts performance in team-based and service-oriented work.

This is not guesswork. It is the same science that companies have been paying 50–200 EUR per candidate for through enterprise assessment vendors like SHL, Saville, and Hogrefe. The difference with Sky Talent is that we removed the certification requirements, the consultants, and the enterprise pricing — and made the same science available from €3.30 per test.

You do not need a psychology degree. You do not need a certified practitioner. You send a link, the candidate completes the test in their own language on any device, and you get a clear, readable report that any manager can interpret.

See What You Get

A complete personality report for every candidate. No psychology degree needed to understand the results.

How It Works

  1. 1

    Send a Test

    Pick the Big Five personality test, enter the candidate's email, and send. No account needed for your first test.

  2. 2

    Candidate Completes It

    The candidate receives a link, picks their language, and answers the questions on any device. Takes about 10 minutes.

  3. 3

    Read the Report

    Get a clear report with scores on all five personality traits. Written for managers, not psychologists.

Big Five vs. Other Personality Tests

There are hundreds of personality tests on the market. Most of them — including many popular tools used in hiring — are based on type models that sort people into fixed categories. The problem is that type models have weak scientific backing. They produce inconsistent results and do a poor job of predicting actual job performance.

The Big Five model is fundamentally different. It measures traits on a continuous scale, which makes it more precise and more predictive. It is the only personality model that has broad consensus among academic psychologists. That is why every serious commercial assessment — SHL's OPQ, Saville's Wave, Hogrefe's NEO PI-R — is built on this science. They just wrap it in different branding and charge 50–200 EUR per candidate.

Sky Talent gives you direct access to the same Big Five science. No rebranding, no certification requirements, no consulting fees. From €3.30 per test. The science is identical — you just skip the overhead.

Simple, Transparent Pricing

Monthly or yearly billing — your choice. Credits reset every month. First test is free. Cancel anytime.

Monthly Yearly Save 17%

Starter

30 tests — ~€3.30 per test

€99 /month

  • 30 tests per month
  • Credits reset monthly
  • Full candidate reports
  • Email support
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Professional

Most Popular

100 tests — ~€1.99 per test

€199 /month

  • 100 tests per month
  • Credits reset monthly
  • Full candidate reports
  • Custom branding
  • Priority support
Try a free test

Expert

300 tests — ~€1.00 per test

€299 /month

  • 300 tests per month
  • Credits reset monthly
  • Full candidate reports
  • Custom branding & integrations
  • Dedicated account manager
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Need more tests this month?

Add 50 extra tests to your account. Valid for one month from purchase.

€99 /pack

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Extra credits expire one month after purchase, regardless of your billing cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Big Five Test

What is the Big Five personality test?

The Big Five is a personality model that measures five core traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN). It is the most validated personality framework in psychology — backed by 60+ years of research across 50+ countries. Unlike type-based tests, it measures each trait on a scale, which produces more accurate and useful results.

Is the Big Five scientifically valid?

Yes. The Big Five is the gold standard in personality science. It is the only personality model with broad consensus among academic researchers. Meta-analyses covering hundreds of thousands of participants consistently show that Big Five traits predict job performance, team fit, and turnover. It is the scientific foundation behind commercial tests from SHL, Saville, and Hogrefe.

How is the Big Five different from Myers-Briggs or DISC?

Myers-Briggs and DISC are type-based tools that sort people into fixed categories. The Big Five measures traits on a continuous scale — which is more accurate and more predictive. Psychologists widely consider Myers-Briggs unreliable for hiring because the same person often gets different results on retesting. The Big Five does not have this problem. It measures stable traits that predict real-world behaviour.

Do I need a certification to use this test?

No. Sky Talent is designed so any manager can send a test and read the results. No certification, no training, no specialist knowledge required. You send a link, the candidate completes the test, you get a clear report.

How long does the Big Five test take?

The test takes about 10 minutes for the candidate to complete. They receive a link, pick their language, and answer the questions on any device. You get notified when the report is ready.

What does the report look like?

The report shows a score on each of the five traits, with a clear explanation of what the score means and how it relates to the role. It is written in plain language — no jargon, no academic terminology. Any manager can read it and understand the results.