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Growth mindset test

Do you believe talent is set at birth or that it grows with practice? Rate 10 statements to see where you sit between a fixed and a growth mindset, and how to move toward growth.

Your answers are scored in this tab. Nothing is uploaded, saved, or sent anywhere.

How well does each statement describe you? Answer as you usually are, not as you would like to be.

  1. With enough practice, I can get much better at almost anything.

  2. You're either born good at something or you're not.

  3. Mistakes show me what to work on next.

  4. If I have to try hard at something, it means I'm not naturally good at it.

  5. I like challenges that stretch me, even if I might fail.

  6. I avoid tasks where I might look stupid.

  7. Feedback, even harsh feedback, helps me improve.

  8. My intelligence is something I can't change much.

  9. When someone is better than me, I want to learn how they did it.

  10. When I fail at something, I tend to give up on it.

0 of 10 answered

About this test

The psychologist Carol Dweck of Stanford University found that people differ in what they believe about ability. With a fixed mindset, intelligence and talent are things you either have or don't, so mistakes feel like proof of your limits. With a growth mindset, abilities develop through effort, good strategies and help from others, so mistakes are information.

The statements here were written for cv.cm and inspired by Dweck's work; half describe a growth view and half a fixed one. Your score runs from 0 (strongly fixed) to 40 (strongly growth). Nobody has a pure growth mindset all the time, and mindsets can change with practice.

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FAQ

What is the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset?

A fixed mindset sees talent and intelligence as set; a growth mindset sees them as abilities that develop with effort, strategy and feedback. The difference shows most when things get hard.

How is the score worked out?

Each statement is scored 0 to 4. Growth statements count as you agree; fixed statements count as you disagree. The total runs from 0 to 40: 13 or less leans fixed, 14 to 26 is mixed, 27 or more leans growth.

Can I change my mindset?

Yes. Notice fixed-mindset thoughts ("I'm just not a math person"), add "yet" to them, treat mistakes as feedback, and praise effort and strategy rather than talent, in yourself and in others.

Does a growth mindset guarantee success?

No. Later studies found its effects on grades are real but often small, and bigger for struggling students. It helps most when combined with good teaching, effective strategies and support.