Narcissistic Traits Test
About you — because nobody can diagnose someone else from a quiz.
Published by the Healthio+ editorial team · Based on A self-report traits screener covering the content themes sampled by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Ames, Rose & Anderson, 2006) — grandiosity, superiority, entitlement, exploitativeness, authority and vanity — alongside vulnerable/covert traits. It measures traits on a spectrum, like the NPI does. It is NOT a test for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which only a psychiatrist or psychologist can diagnose.
How we build our tests →This test is about you, not about someone else — no questionnaire can diagnose another person, and this one doesn't try. Narcissistic traits exist on a spectrum that everyone sits somewhere on. Answer honestly rather than generously; nothing you enter is saved or linked to you.
This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Results are for self-reflection only. Only a licensed professional can diagnose a condition.
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About the Narcissistic Traits Test
Also known as: am I a narcissist test, narcissism test, narcissistic personality test, covert narcissism test, vulnerable narcissist quiz, NPI narcissism quiz.
Narcissistic traits and Narcissistic Personality Disorder are not the same thing, and conflating them is the single most common error in how the word gets used. Traits sit on a spectrum that everyone is somewhere on. NPD is a clinical diagnosis.
The best-known research measure, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, was designed to measure subclinical narcissism — ordinary variation in the general population. The NPI-16 short form (Ames, Rose & Anderson, 2006) samples content themes including grandiosity, superiority, entitlement, exploitativeness, authority, self-sufficiency and vanity, producing a single total score. Scoring highly on it means you have more of these traits than average. It does not mean you have a disorder.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is defined in the DSM-5-TR by nine criteria, of which a person must meet at least five. They include a grandiose sense of self-importance, fantasies about deserved success or power, belief in one's own superiority and special status, a need for admiration alongside fragile self-esteem, entitlement, willingness to exploit others, lack of empathy, envy, and arrogant or condescending behaviour.
Cleveland Clinic notes that an estimated 0.5% to 5% of people in the US may have NPD, that between 50% and 75% of diagnosed cases are male, and that diagnosis is made by a healthcare provider — usually a psychiatrist or psychologist — through conversation and questioning. There are no diagnostic, lab or imaging tests for it.
Narcissism is also not all one shape. The grandiose type is the familiar one: openly superior, attention-seeking, overt. The vulnerable or covert type is often shy, introverted and anxious while privately believing in their own superiority, with the antagonism hidden behind apparent fragility. Vulnerable narcissism runs on the same scale, from low levels through to pathological (NPD) levels.
This test is about your own traits. No questionnaire can diagnose another person, and any test claiming to tell you whether your partner, parent or ex is a narcissist is not doing something psychology can actually do.
This test is a free, anonymous online screening you can complete in about three minutes. It has 12 questions and is adapted from A self-report traits screener covering the content themes sampled by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Ames, Rose & Anderson, 2006) — grandiosity, superiority, entitlement, exploitativeness, authority and vanity — alongside vulnerable/covert traits. It measures traits on a spectrum, like the NPI does. It is NOT a test for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which only a psychiatrist or psychologist can diagnose. Your answers are scored privately in your browser — nothing is saved or linked to you — and you get an instant result framed for self-reflection rather than as a diagnosis.
Signs and symptoms of Narcissistic
Traits commonly described, across both presentations:
- A grandiose sense of self-importance.
- Fantasies of success, power, brilliance, beauty or ideal love.
- Belief in being special, superior, or only understood by other special people.
- A need for admiration, alongside self-esteem that is more fragile than it looks.
- A sense of entitlement — expecting favourable treatment.
- Willingness to exploit other people to get what you want.
- Difficulty feeling genuine empathy.
- Envy of others, or the belief that others envy you.
- Arrogant or condescending behaviour.
- Vulnerable/covert presentation: hypersensitivity to criticism and perceived rejection.
- Vulnerable/covert presentation: a victim mentality and self-portrayal as misunderstood.
- Vulnerable/covert presentation: passive grandiosity — fishing for compliments rather than demanding them.
- Vulnerable/covert presentation: emotional instability that leaves others walking on eggshells.
Who is this test for?
Anyone who has been noticing these feelings or patterns and wants a structured, private way to reflect on them. It's a starting point for people wondering whether what they're experiencing is worth paying attention to — not a way to label or diagnose yourself. It is not suitable for anyone in crisis or in need of urgent help — if that's you, please contact your local emergency services or a crisis line right away.
How to read your results
Low (score 0–15)
You don't report many narcissistic traits. Worth knowing: a great many people who take this test are here because someone accused them of being a narcissist, or because they're anxious they might be. Genuine worry about the question is not, on its own, characteristic of the pattern.
Moderate (score 16–31)
You recognise a moderate number of these traits. That is genuinely unremarkable — narcissistic traits sit on a spectrum that everybody is somewhere on, and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory was built to measure exactly this ordinary variation, not disorder. Traits become a problem when they cost you relationships, not when they exist.
High (score 32–48)
You recognise a lot of these traits. This is a spectrum score, not a diagnosis — Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a clinical condition affecting an estimated 0.5% to 5% of people, and only a psychiatrist or psychologist can assess for it. What's worth paying attention to is impact: if these patterns are costing you relationships or causing you distress, a therapist is a genuinely useful place to take that. Being willing to look at this at all is not a small thing.
Where this test comes from
This screening is adapted from A self-report traits screener covering the content themes sampled by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Ames, Rose & Anderson, 2006) — grandiosity, superiority, entitlement, exploitativeness, authority and vanity — alongside vulnerable/covert traits. It measures traits on a spectrum, like the NPI does. It is NOT a test for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which only a psychiatrist or psychologist can diagnose. We keep the original questions and validated scoring intact and add plain-language explanations of what each result means. You can read our full process, including how we handle sources and sensitive topics, in how we build our tests.
What to do with your result
Whatever your result, treat it as information, not a verdict. If it resonates, it can be a useful thing to bring to a doctor or mental-health professional — they can see the full picture a short questionnaire can't. Feelings and circumstances change, so retaking the test after a few weeks can also show whether things are shifting over time.
Frequently asked questions
Can this test tell me if I have Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
No. NPD is a clinical diagnosis made by a psychiatrist or psychologist through conversation and assessment — Cleveland Clinic notes there are no diagnostic, lab or imaging tests for it. This is a traits screener measuring where you fall on a spectrum, which is what research measures like the Narcissistic Personality Inventory were built to do.
Can I use this to find out if my partner or parent is a narcissist?
No — and no test can do that, including the ones that claim to. You cannot diagnose another person from a questionnaire, particularly not one you're filling in on their behalf while hurt. If someone is treating you badly, the more useful question is what they are actually doing, not what label fits them. Our emotional abuse and gaslighting tests ask about documented behaviours, which is a question you can genuinely answer.
Is having narcissistic traits bad?
Traits themselves are ordinary. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory was designed to measure subclinical narcissism — normal variation across the general population — and everyone sits somewhere on that spectrum. What matters is impact: whether the patterns are damaging your relationships or causing distress. That is also the line the DSM draws for a disorder, which requires significant distress or impairment.
What is covert or vulnerable narcissism?
Vulnerable (covert) narcissism is a presentation that looks nothing like the stereotype. Rather than being loud and openly superior, the person is often shy, introverted and anxious, while privately believing in their own superiority. Signs described include hypersensitivity to criticism, a victim mentality, passive grandiosity such as fishing for compliments, covert manipulation, and emotional instability that has others walking on eggshells.
How common is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Cleveland Clinic reports that an estimated 0.5% to 5% of people in the US may have NPD, and that between 50% and 75% of diagnosed cases are male. That range is far narrower than how often the word is used, which is worth keeping in mind.
I'm worried I'm a narcissist. Does worrying about it mean I'm not?
It isn't proof either way, and anyone who tells you it settles the question is overstating it. But it is worth knowing that a great many people who take tests like this arrive after being accused during a conflict, or while anxious about being a bad person. Sustained anxiety about your own impact on others is not a hallmark of the pattern. If the worry itself is persistent and distressing, that is worth talking to someone about in its own right.
Is the Narcissistic Traits Test free?
Yes — completely free. No signup, no email, and no paywall. Healthio+ is supported by advertising, which is what keeps every test free to take.
Is this test anonymous, and is my data saved?
It's fully anonymous. Your answers are scored entirely in your browser and are never sent to us or stored anywhere. We keep only an anonymous count of how many people take each test, plus which browser family was used and which site you arrived from — never who took it or how they answered.
Is this test a diagnosis?
No. This is a screening tool for self-reflection, not a medical or psychological diagnosis. No online test can diagnose you. If your result resonates, consider speaking with a qualified doctor or mental-health professional.
How long does this test take?
About three minutes. It has 12 questions and gives you an instant result the moment you finish.
What is this test based on?
A self-report traits screener covering the content themes sampled by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Ames, Rose & Anderson, 2006) — grandiosity, superiority, entitlement, exploitativeness, authority and vanity — alongside vulnerable/covert traits. It measures traits on a spectrum, like the NPI does. It is NOT a test for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which only a psychiatrist or psychologist can diagnose.
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References
- Cleveland Clinic — Narcissistic Personality Disorder (DSM-5-TR criteria, prevalence, diagnosis)
- Ames, D. R., Rose, P., & Anderson, C. P. (2006). The NPI-16 as a short measure of narcissism. Journal of Research in Personality, 40, 440–450.
- Simply Psychology — Vulnerable (Covert) Narcissism: signs and how it differs from grandiose narcissism