What the Grit & Perseverance measures
Developed by Angela Duckworth, grit describes the stamina to sustain effort and interest over years, through failure, adversity and long plateaus. Duckworth's argument was that this kind of persistence predicts achievement beyond what a talent or IQ measure captures. The scale is best known from a study of which West Point cadets completed the initial "Beast Barracks" summer training. A previous version of this paragraph said the concept "proved that talent and IQ are often inversely correlated with long-term achievement". That is not what the research shows, and it inverted a real finding into a false one: grit was reported to add predictive power alongside ability measures, not to make ability count against you. Note also that grit's independent contribution is contested — it overlaps heavily with conscientiousness, and later meta-analytic work found it adds less beyond that trait than the original framing implied.
The dimensions it assesses
- Consistency of Interest (Passion): The ability to remain focused on a singular, overarching top-level goal without becoming distracted by new ideas, novelties, or changing career paths.
- Perseverance of Effort (Perseverance): The ability to maintain high physical or cognitive effort in the face of setbacks, failures, or lack of immediate positive feedback.
Already have a Grit & Perseverance score from somewhere else? Look it up without retaking the questionnaire.
What your score means
First, apply reverse scoring to the Consistency of Interest items (1, 3, 5, 7): Apply direct scoring to the Perseverance of Effort items (2, 4, 6, 8): (Theoretical Range: 1.0 to 5.0)
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 – 2.9 | Easily distracted by novel ideas. Highly prone to quitting when the initial enthusiasm (the "honeymoon phase") of a project wears off. | |
| 3.0 – 3.8 | Typical persistence. Can maintain effort for moderate-length projects, but may abandon years-long pursuits if the friction becomes too high. | |
| 3.9 – 5.0 | Exceptional stamina. Treats life like a marathon rather than a sprint. Highly likely to achieve top-tier success in their chosen field regardless of innate talent. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- Developing Consistency (Passion): If Q1, Q3, Q5, Q7 are low, the user suffers from "Shiny Object Syndrome." They must implement a "Top Level Goal" hierarchy. If a new idea does not directly serve the singular top-level goal, it must be discarded or delegated.
- Developing Perseverance: Effort is sustained by adopting a "Growth Mindset" (Carol Dweck). The user must reframe failure from a permanent lack of ability to a temporary lack of specific tactics or effort.
- The Rule of "Hard Thing": To build grit in children and adults, implement the "Hard Thing Rule": Everyone must do one hard thing (where deliberate practice is required). You cannot quit until the season/term is over. If you quit, you must pick a new hard thing immediately.
Common questions about the Grit & Perseverance
- What does the Grit & Perseverance measure?
- The measurement of "Grit," defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
- Can the Grit & Perseverance diagnose me?
- No. Grit & Perseverance is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. It describes tendencies rather than diagnosing anything, and no result here is a condition or something to fix.
- How long does the Grit & Perseverance take?
- 8 questions, which most people finish in 2 – 3 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this Grit & Perseverance test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the Grit & Perseverance?
- Traits and preferences move slowly, so retaking this every few months is more informative than retaking it often. Larger shifts usually follow a genuine change in circumstances.
- How accurate is the Grit & Perseverance?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Rights held by Angela Duckworth / University of Pennsylvania. Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101.
- Duckworth, A. L., & Quinn, P. D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(2), 166-174.
Licensing
free-permitted. Free for non-commercial research and educational use.