What Are the Different Types of Self-Esteem Tests?

Psychologists and psychiatrists often give a patient self-esteem tests when initially evaluating the psychological state of an individual. These tests can include questions that ask about relationship status, with either a friend or family member, as well as the patient's daily, regular thoughts. Most self-esteem tests are carefully scored based on multiple choice answers that help pinpoint the amount of improvement needed to strengthen the sense of self-confidence. Self-esteem tests may also be taken orally with a therapist or counselor, along with appropriate psychological methods to work on particular esteem issues. Art therapy can also be used as a way to assess an individual's self-esteem.

Some self-esteem tests do not include multiple choice questions, and are often orally presented to a patient by a psychologist or psychoanalyst in a traditional therapy setting. This is probably the most common way of finding the level of confidence a person has and where that person can make improvement in his or her life to increase levels of confidence and self-esteem. Often, a question will be asked about everyday thoughts and emotions, and whether these thoughts and emotions are experienced in positive or negative ways. It isn't uncommon for a psychologist to present a patient with a written self-esteem test, which includes various questions with multiple choice answers.

Common questions on self-esteem tests focus on relationship status, mainly regarding those with friends, relatives and present or future love interests. Often, these questions ask an individual about his or her social life, because a poor social life is usually associated with a lower rating on self-confidence tests. The feeling of being rejected by friends or loved ones is a common multiple choice answer when psychologists ask about an individual's relationships with others. Knowing how an individual makes friends, as well as knowing how many friends he or she has, can also determine the self-confidence rating at the end of the test.

Art therapy can often be used as a form of self-esteem testing, as it helps a person express how he feels about himself and his life through drawing, painting or sculpting. This form of assessment, although therapeutic and often revealing, does not follow scientific approaches to discovering levels of self-confidence. Reputable psychology organizations often publish books, articles or websites with self-esteem tests that any individual can take and rate for himself. The exams and rating systems are determined by psychology professionals who might also give suggestions for creating improvement based on each individual outcome.