Achievement Motivation Scale Test

Understand your drive to achieve results and reach goals in about 4 minutes. Use the insights to guide coaching, team roles, and development with just 20 items.

Start Online Test

Questions: 204 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

19,385 views

2,481 completion

1,893 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

58/100

Achievement Motivation (AM)

Measures a person’s drive to achieve success, overcome challenges, and persist toward goals.

Low

Average

High

20 – 35: Low | 36 – 66: Average | 67 – 100: High

A score of 58 falls in the Average range, suggesting a balanced, steady orientation toward goals with realistic ambition and resilience to setbacks.

Start Online Test

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Job candidates and applicants

41%OF USERS

People applying for roles take it to show how driven they are to meet goals, handle challenges, and deliver results.

Managers and team leads

34%OF USERS

Leaders use it to quickly gauge team members’ win orientation and tailor coaching, feedback, and development plans.

Students and young professionals

25%OF USERS

Early-career people take it to understand their ambition level and identify what helps or blocks their progress toward goals.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Achievement Motivation (AM)

Average

Normal range

32.9 — 53.1

min.

max.

100

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Start Online Test

Featured On

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

You are presented with a list of statements describing human behavior. Some behavioral characteristics may be more pronounced in you, while others may be less pronounced. Please respond as quickly as possible, without spending too much time on any one item. Remember that there are no “good” or “bad” answers. Indicate the degree to which each characteristic applies. Select the response that most accurately describes your behavior at the present time.

- Not at all characteristic
- Rather uncharacteristic
- Characteristic
- Clearly characteristic
- Very characteristic
- Not at all
- Rather not
- Yes
- Markedly
- Very much
- Not at all characteristic of me
- Rather uncharacteristic of me
- Characteristic of me
- Clearly characteristic of me
- Very characteristic of me

These are 3 of the 20 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

Start Online Test

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Achievement Motivation Scale Test - Symptoms and Signs

achieving success

motivation

A brief self-report measure, the Achievement Motivation Scale is used to assess an individual’s achievement-oriented motivational tendencies, including typical goal focus and persistence when pursuing results. It is commonly used in research and applied settings to support a snapshot understanding of achievement-related motivation.

The instrument comprises 20 items and typically requires about 4 minutes to complete. Atkinson and McClelland are cited as authors.

Results from the Achievement Motivation Scale are generally interpreted as indicators of relative strength of achievement motivation and may be used to inform clinical formulation, performance-related consultation, or program planning when considered alongside other assessment data and relevant contextual factors.

Author: David C. McClelland, John W. Atkinson

Literature: Elliot, A. J., & Dweck, C. S. (Eds.). Handbook of competence and motivation. Guilford Press. 2005.