What is a personality scale? How do I interpret a candidate's score?
What is a personality scale?
A personality scale is a duel-ended trait, tapping into a singular element of a person’s personality at work. Candidates rate their preference for adopting the trait across multiple items. Their score is generated by calculating their ratings across several items and then comparing this to a large group of people who have taken the questionnaire before, known as a norm group.
Sten scores
Clevry's personality results are described results using Sten scores. This is a standard scoring system that compares the candidate’s score to that of the comparison group to arrive at a score between 1-10. The Sten score describes the strength of preference from one end of the scale to the other indicated by the candidate’s responses compared to this norm group.
Interpreting Sten scores
- Scores of 5 or 6 indicate that the individual sees themselves as fairly typical in this area compared to others, or may be heavily context-dependent.
- Scores of 7, 8, 9, and 10 suggest a progressively stronger tendency towards the high end of the scale.
- Scores of 4, 3, 2, and 1 suggest a progressively stronger tendency towards the low end of the scale
For example, a score of 8 on the scale of Listening indicates a strong preference, compared to others, for taking time to consider other people’s opinions. The individual considers themselves easy to talk to and is prepared to take the time to listen to the people around them.
When reading personality information, please remember the following points:
- Personality is not fixed – it may vary over time, change through training/development, or vary depending on the situation.
- There are no rights or wrongs. The scores do not measure ability, skills, capability or competence. They are merely indications of preferences or typical styles of behaviour.
- The questionnaire is very reliable but not infallible.
- All profiles are based on the individual's self-perception. It does not provide a wholly objective measure. Individuals may also disagree with some of the personality questionnaire results. You can discuss their scores with them during an exploration discussion.
- For further interpretation over and above what you see in the reports, you should seek the advice of a trained Clevry user.
- The results of a personality questionnaire should be kept within the bounds of confidentiality agreed with the individual.
- The results must be kept securely and not retained beyond the period agreed with the individual.
Last Updated: January 2024