What Is a Self-Esteem Inventory?

A self-esteem inventory is a test taken to identify areas of weakness and strength of an individual's personality and to examine how he or she view's himself or herself. The inventory not only helps an individual to assess his or her confidence level, but also highlights how well he or she may interact with other people. This type of psychological test is often available online, and a report and graph that visually allow you to review your test results typically accompany the inventory.

To complete a self-esteem test, an individual must assess how he or she feels about himself or herself in a wide range of categories using numerals. For instance, ratings are selected based on a scale of “1” to “5,” with “1” representing an emotion never felt or a behavior never exhibited, and “5” indicating that behavior or feeling occurring all of the time. A “3” would signal an emotion felt half of the time. At the end of the self-esteem inventory, an individual may be asked to total all of the scores, which will indicate the overall self-esteem level, ranging from a level of severe depression to strong self-esteem.

An inventory that assesses self-esteem may ask several questions regarding personal attributes. For instance, an individual may be asked to rate feelings of being inherently worthy of happiness or if he or she compares himself or herself to others. The self-esteem inventory evaluates an person's view of self-worth based on personal appearance or perceived intelligence quotient. Questions will also focus on independent thinking and personal expectations, both realistic and impractical, as well.

Other topics that a self-esteem inventory covers include actions typically taken in a given day. The test asks about balancing personal needs with other people’s needs, decision-making skills, and making mistakes — whether you own up to them or discredit them. In the inventory, an individual will also examine the areas of forgiveness and reliability.

After completing a self-esteem inventory, a person can examine his or her lowest scoring areas and determine areas for improvement. In addition, looking over high-scoring statements presents the opportunity to see one's self in a positive light and know the strengths on which to capitalize. Regularly completing the self-esteem inventory about twice a year enables an individual to note potential progress in self-esteem.