Comparing the 5 Best Career Tests for College Students & College Grads
Including Sample Test Questions, Sample Result Reports,
and How the Tests Differ
What follows is the most comprehensive assessment of career tests that is available online.
Unlike other career test review sites, you won't find any affiliate links on this site. We don't sugarcoat it; we tell it like we see it.
Whether you're choosing your first career, contemplating a career change, or heading off to college, the search for the ideal profession can feel overwhelming.
Choosing the RIGHT career test for you can be incredibly helpful in finding the career success and satisfaction you want.
With many different career tests available, it’s easy to choose the wrong one. That’s why we've researched and analyzed the 7 popular career tests and created this comprehensive assessment.
If you prefer not to read the full analysis below,
Here are our picks for the 3 best career tests
Career Clarifier $34.95
Ideal for college graduates, current college students, and those on the path to higher education.... who seek to identify their preferred skills and understand which careers requiring a college degree best fit them.
$29.95
Ideal for people with high school or college educations who want insights into their style and traits... and how these factors correlate with careers requiring either a high school diploma or college education.
Ideal for individuals who have an interest in social services, helping roles, or positions involving physical labor.
Career Clarifier
Overview
Career Clarifier is the only career test designed specifically for college graduates and students, ensuring that its career recommendations are very relevant.
Unlike most career assessments that rely on personality traits, Career Clarifier determines your preferred skills and interests and uses them to pinpoint matching career options.
Career Clarifier uses this unique career matching strategy because its research shows that people who use their best and preferred skills at work are much more likely to enjoy their job and excel at it, leading to career advancement, higher pay, and higher work satisfaction.
Career Clarifier's job recommendations are notably more suitable for individuals with a college education than those from any other career test. Our test-taker, a college graduate, found 19 out of the 20 recommended jobs as strong matches.
The price of the Career Clarifier is $34.95, and it comes with a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee.
Privacy Policy
Career Clarifier does not share test-takers' private data with external entities for promotional activities.
Who Is The Career Clarifier Test Best For?
The Career Clarifier test is best for:
- College graduates who want to get clarity on their best career options
- College students who want to choose a major or career path
- High school students who are college-bound
- Adults who are considering enrolling in college and want to know their best career options and majors
Career Clarifier Test Questions
The Career Clarifier test has 100 questions and takes about 25 minutes to complete. As you answer the questions, the career test reveals in real-time your unique career ‘fingerprint’ as you answer the test questions.
To pinpoint your preferred skills and interests, the questions explore many topics:
- 16 questions are about fields of work (e.g., business, marketing, law, technology, human resources, advertising, marketing, banking, finance, science, communications, real estate, education, art & design, technology, healthcare / medicine)
- 7 questions are about relationship skills (e.g., fostering collaboration between people; networking; influencing people; negotiating agreements)
- 8 questions are about business tasks (e.g., fixing business processes; logistics; business operations; vendor management)
- 5 questions are about preferred writing style (e.g., writing persuasive content; copywriting; business writing; storytelling)
- 5 questions are about financial tasks (e.g., conducting financial analysis; managing a budget; managing a company's finances; developing investment strategies)
- 5 questions about marketing (e.g., social media; conducting market research; promoting a product or service)
- 7 questions are about supporting people (e.g., training; offering personal advice; learning why people think and behave the way they do; creating rewarding experiences for people)
- 5 questions about different types and aspects of project management
- 5 questions about technology (e.g., programming and writing software code; developing artificial intelligence and/or machine learning; managing a business' technology strategy)
- 5 questions about business development (e.g., figuring out a long-term strategy to help a business grow; bringing a new product to market; selling products and services that you believe in)
- 4 questions about preferred math skills (e.g. would you enjoy working with complex mathematical concepts; analyzing quantitative data to discover useful information; using Python or R to conduct statistical analysis)
- 5 questions are about artistic creativity (e.g., creating photographs, video, artistic design)
- 4 questions about legal skills (e.g., having knowledge of the law; investigating and evaluating legal issues; managing compliance)
- 4 questions about working with information (e.g., preparing reports to assist in decision-making; organizing information in a way that logically and easily meets the needs of users; records management)
- 4 questions about administrative tasks (e.g., reviewing documents such as forms, records, or letters; managing contracts; organizing information)
- 5 questions are about scientific activities (e.g., conducting scientific experiments; using physics, chemistry, or biology to create something; working in a laboratory)
The Career Clarifier Results Report
Of the 20 jobs recommended, 19 were considered a great fit by our test-taker, a college graduate.
The Career Clarifier results report is 90 pages and is emailed to you immediately after completing the test as a PDF file. The benefit of a downloadable report is that it's easy to print and store the report on your computer for future reference.
The report begins with an overview of the 20 specific career recommendations that best match you and shows how each of them aligns with your preferred skills and abilities.
The report also provides detailed summary profiles for each recommended option so you can quickly understand each role, its responsibilities, salary range, typical education, and more.
Because companies often use different titles for the same role, Career Clarifier stands out by being the only career test that equips you with specific job search phrases, making it easy to find relevant job listings.
If you're a college student or considering college-level studies, Career Clarifier also distinguishes itself by providing exceptionally detailed educational information for each career choice, which can assist you in making informed decisions about your academic path.
The Career Clarifier results report also includes a list of types of employers that match 5 of your personal and professional interests.
The report also includes an evaluation workbook and additional online reseources to help you choose the best career for you.
Cost: $34.95 (You can take the career test for free and choose to pay for your results once you've finished it.)
Satisfaction Guarantee: Yes. Career Clarifier offers a 100% refund.
Career Explorer
Overview
Career Explorer assessment is a comprehensive assessment that comprises 328 questions to build your personality profile and identify career ideas. The test requires more than 75 minutes to complete.
Some of the questions are deeply personal - perhaps private - and seemingly irrelevant to choosing a career (See Personal Questions below). According to Career Explorer's website, they can share this information with vendors for promotional activities is concerning to us.
Of the 30 jobs recommended, 5 were considered an excellent fit by our test-taker, a college graduate.
Some of the education options were discreet advertisements from 'promotion partners' and not relevant to the recommended careers, potentially causing confusion or a poor decision.
While the test itself is free, it generates revenue through promotional partnerships, which can lead to test takers finding it challenging to differentiate between recommended career and education options and those that are being promoted through discreet promotions.
Privacy Policy
Career Explorer shares personal information with third parties “…who offer products or services we believe may be of value to you.”
The Test Questions
Career Explorer has six sections with a total of 83 career-related questions and 245 personal questions.
The assessment takes 75 minutes or more to complete.
- 27 questions are about fields (e.g., business, marketing, law, technology, human resources, advertising, marketing, banking, finance, science, communications, real estate, education, art & design, technology, healthcare / medicine)
- 33 questions are about work related skills (e.g., business, quantitative analysis, counseling, art & music, research, construction, medical, science, financial management, equipment, law, customer services, sales, administration, writing and technology)
Personal Questions
Career Explorer has 245 personal questions, some of which are very personal:
The Results Report
You must view your recommended career and degrees on Career Explorer’s website – it is the only way to access them. After completing the test, the company will email a link to you that takes you to the website, where you can create an account to access your report in the future.
Of the 30 jobs recommended, 5 were considered an excellent fit by our test-taker, a college graduate.
Career Explorer provides excellent overviews of each recommended career, including job description, responsibilities, and typical compensation.
The results report includes promotions from 'partners', but the promotional educational paths highlighted were entirely unrelated to any career idea, which could be misleading for test-takers with limited knowledge.
Distince from the promoted education progframs, CareerExplorer provides overviews of many different types of degrees, but the content remains generic and does not relate directly to the recommended choice.
Cost: While the test itself is free, it generates revenue through promotional partnerships, which can lead to test takers finding it challenging to differentiate between recommended career and education options and those that are being promoted through discreet advertisements.
Career Fitter
Overview
CareerFitter's assessment primarily focuses on evaluating eight aspects of a test taker's personality and matching them with potential career paths.
The results report excellently encapsulates the test-taker's personal style.
Among the 60 recommended jobs, our test-taker identified 5 as strong matches.
This evaluation is most suitable for individuals with any level of education who are interested in gaining insights into their personal characteristics.
The cost of the Career Fitter tests is $29.95, and there is no satisfaction guarantee provided.
Privacy Policy
CareerFitter shares your private data with external entities for promotional activities.
Who Is The CareerFitter Test Best For?
The CareerFitter career test is best for people with any educational background who want to understand their style and traits... and how they combine to match different careersCareerFitter Test Questions
The Career Fitter test comprises a 60-question quiz and takes 25 to 30 minutes. Eight Real-time personality and trait icons track your answers.
All of the questions are about your preferred style, such as are you:
- analytical or feeling
- creative or realistic
- serious and disciplined or easy going and free-spirited
- practical or conceptual
- reserved or outgoing
- adaptable or control
- critique or compliment
- sincerity & enthusiasm or facts and data
- seek justice or give benefit of doubt
As you can see below, for each question you are given two answers to choose from. Some people prefer this format while others might resonate with both answers.
The CareerFitter Results Report
Of the 60 jobs recommended, 5 were considered a great match and 2 were considered a potential match by our test-taker, a college graduate with an interest in business.
The CareerFitter results are shown online. You have access to your results for 12 months, which is when they expire. You are not able to download or print the results.
The results report begins with your personality fingerprint that reveals your style. You can click on each of the eight traits to learn more about them.
The report also reveals and discusses your:
- Preferred work style
- Strongest and most valuable work personality character strengths
- Potential weaknesses
- Communication style
- Ideal work environment
- Teaming building approach
- Management style
The report ends with a list of recommended careers. Here's a sample screenshot:
The Premium User dashboard provides links to a role description, a list of responsibilities, average and high compensation, and job outlook.
Click here to see a sample Career Fitter report.
CareerFitter's free report provides no career recommendations. Click here to see CareerFitter's free report.
Cost: $29.95 (You can take the career test for free and choose to pay for your results once you've finished it.)
Satisfaction Guarantee: No
MAPP Career Assessment
Overview
MAPP Career Assessment has 71 'preference-style' questions, each presenting three options that must be categorized as most or least preferred, with the least preferable option left blank.
The questions primarily inquire about the test-taker's inclinations towards various job types, with subtle distinctions among them.
MAPP's results report is 18 pages and includes 20 very general career recommendations, which is very surprising given that it is the most expensive career test by far.
Despite its hefty price tag, MAPP's results report is surprisingly brief, consisting of just 18 pages with 20 exceedingly broad career recommendations.
Of the recommended jobs, just 3 were considered an 'ok' fit by our test-taker, a college graduate.
The cost of the MAPP Career Assessment is $89.95 to 149.95, and there is no satisfaction guarantee provided.
Privacy Policy
MAPP shares your private data with external entities for promotional activities.
Who Is The MAPP Career Test Best For?
The Truity Career test is excellent for people who want to gain clarity on their style and traits.
However, we determined that the career recommendations were overly general and offered little practical value.
The Test Questions
MAPP consists of 71 questions and takes about twenty-five minutes to complete the test.
The test has 'preference-style' questions, each presenting three options that must be categorized as most or least preferred, with the least preferable option left blank.
Since the inquiries prompt you to prioritize your preferences for three tasks, familiarity with those tasks is essential, or you'll need to make assumptions about them.
Here are sample questions:
The MAPP Results Report
The free MAPP report has extremely limited information: Click here to see the free MAPP career test report
MAPP's paid results report is 18 pages and includes 20 very general career recommendations.
Of the 20 jobs recommended, 3 were considered an 'ok' fit by our test-taker, a college graduate.
The first 16 page of the results report contain a complete - and accurate - description of the test taker's personality, including:
- Temperment for the job
- Motivators & preferences
- How you relate to people
- How you relate to things
- How you relate to data
- How you relate to reasoning
- How you related to applied usage of math
- How you relate to usages of langauge
The work suggestions, however, are very general and were not judged as a good fit by our test-taker who enjoyed his career as a business manager.
Cost: $89.95 to 149.95 (You can take the career test for free and choose to pay for your results once you've finished it.)
Satisfaction Guarantee: No.
Truity Career Aptitude Test
Overview
The Truity Career Aptitude test evaluates your personality traits, strengths, values, and interests, leveraging these scores to curate a tailored list of recommended careers.
The results report excellently encapsulates the test-taker's personal style.
It appears this test is best for people interest in roles that require physical labor, social services, or other helping professions. Of the 65 jobs recommended, 4 were considered a great fit by our test-taker, a college graduate.
The cost of the Truity Career Aptitude test is $29.95, and includes a satisfaction guarantee.
Privacy Policy
Truity shares your private data with external entities for promotional activities.
Who is the Truity career test best for?
This test is best for:
- People who are interested in jobs that require physical labor
- People interested in social services and helping roles
- People who want to identify a very wide range of job ideas that could fit them with either a high school degree or a college degree.
The Test Questions
The Truity Career Aptitude Test contains 55 questions about skills and interests and 39 questions about personal traits. The test takes about 10 minutes to complete. Here's an overview of those questions:
- 8 questions are about physical labor (e.g., inspecting a roof, repairing an air conditioning system, installing kitchen cabinets, installing an alarm system)
- 10 questions are about social and human service activities (e.g., teaching social skills to disabled children, helping a disabled person with their daily routine, counseling a person recovering from drug addiction, helping customers fill out loan applications)
- 6 questions are about artistic creativity (e.g., painting a portrait, designing a magazine cover, designing a greeting card, illustrating a children's book)
- 5 questions are about broad business tasks (e.g., coordinating a business conference, closing an important business deal, starting a new business, plan a marketing strategy for a new company)
- 5 questions are about financial tasks (e.g., tracking monthly expenses of a company, reviewing financial records for accuracy, using spreadsheets to organize financial data, developing a budget for a city government)
- 5 questions are about scientific activities (e.g., analyzing the structure of molecules, doing scientific experiments, researching the properties of nuclear energy, looking at cells through a microscope)
- 2 questions are about writing (e.g., writing a poem, writing a script for a television show)
- 39 questions are about your style / personality (e.g. persuading others to your point of view, treating everyone with kindness and sympathy, always being prepared, often being troubled by negative thoughts, having a vivid imagination, being the life of a party)
There were no questions about technology or law.
The Truity Career Assessment Results Report
Of the 65 jobs recommended, 4 were considered a great fit by our test-taker, a college graduate with an interest in business.
The free, limited results report primarily shows your personality style and lists 3 career ideas.
The full report ($29) is 50 pages – 11 pages explain your personality and 39 pages explain your 65 wide-ranging career ideas. Each matching career is described briefly and contains a weblink with useful information about that career.
Of the 65 recommended careers for our test taker (who has a college degree):
- 4 felt like a potentially good match (e.g., production manager, administrative services manager, logistics, property manager)
- About one-third of the recommended roles did not require a college degree (e.g., travel agent, bill collector, office clerk, waiter), so they were immediately ruled out.
- About 10 ideas required strong persuasion skills, which doesn't match my style (e.g., advertising sales, real estate sales, fundraising)
- About 10 of the recommended careers were unrelated to personal interests (e.g., dancer, photographer, model)
- About 5 of the recommended career ideas were in finance (e.g., finance manager, accountant, tax examiner). While these ideas align with my analytical skills, I don't have an interest in finance.
The Truity Career Aptitute Assessment uses easy to understand images and descriptions to describe:
- How you think and solve problems
- How you get motivated
- How you interact with others
- How you communicate
- How you contribute to a team
- How you manage tasks and projects
Here's a sample report page:
Cost of Truity Career Test: $29.95 (You can take the career test for free - which offers very limited information - and choose to pay for the full results report once you've finished the career test.
Satisfaction Guarantee: Yes. The Truity Career Apptitude Assessment offers a 100% refund.
