Hardiness Scale Test

Understand how you handle ongoing stress and uncertainty in about 9 minutes. Get a clear snapshot of resilience and coping strengths to guide coaching or therapy goals.

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Questions: 459 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

18,253 views

2,136 completions

1,736 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

15/30

Challenge (C)

Measures how much a person tends to view uncertainty as a challenge and is willing to act without guarantees to gain experience and learn.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 8: Low | 9 – 18: Moderate | 19 – 30: High

A score of 15 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a balanced tendency to take risks in uncertain situations while still relying on some predictability and control.

example score

24/51

Control (C)

Measures the extent to which a person believes they can influence events and outcomes despite uncertainty and stress.

Low control

Moderate control

High control

0 – 20: Low control | 21 – 38: Moderate control | 39 – 51: High control

A score of 24 indicates a moderate sense of control, suggesting you generally feel some ability to influence situations but may feel less autonomous under higher pressure or uncertainty.

example score

48/54

Commitment (C)

Engagement measures the degree to which a person feels involved in life and activities, finding them meaningful and interesting rather than alienating.

Low engagement

Moderate engagement

High engagement

0 – 29: Low engagement | 30 – 46: Moderate engagement | 47 – 54: High engagement

A score of 48 indicates high engagement, suggesting a strong tendency to stay involved and find value in ongoing experiences even under stress or uncertainty.

example score

50/135

Hardiness (H)

Measures psychological hardiness as a belief-based capacity to stay engaged, feel influence over events, and accept challenge under stress and uncertainty.

Low hardiness

Moderate hardiness

High hardiness

0 – 61: Low hardiness | 62 – 99: Moderate hardiness | 100 – 135: High hardiness

A score of 50 falls in the Low hardiness range, suggesting reduced access to commitment, control, and risk acceptance when coping with sustained stress and uncertainty.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Stressed professionals

41%OF USERS

People facing ongoing work pressure and uncertainty take it to understand how well they stay balanced and effective under stress.

Clients in therapy or coaching

33%OF USERS

People working on anxiety, burnout, or major life decisions use it to see their coping resources and what to strengthen.

Psychologists and HR specialists

26%OF USERS

Practitioners use it to assess resilience in clients, students, or employees and tailor support or development plans.

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.

Taking a Risk (TaR)

Average

11.6

Normal range

6.9 — 16.3

min.

max.

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.

Control (C)

Average

24.2

Normal range

14.7 — 33.7

min.

max.

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.

Engagement (E)

Average

40.4

Normal range

31.9 — 49

min.

max.

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.

Resilience (R)

Average

65.2

Normal range

46.2 — 84.3

min.

max.

135

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.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Please answer a few questions about yourself. Select the response option that best reflects your opinion. There are no right or wrong answers; only your opinion is important. Please work at a steady pace and do not spend too much time thinking about each response.

- No
- Probably not
- Probably yes
- Yes
- No
- Probably not
- Probably yes
- Yes
- No
- Probably no
- Probably yes
- Yes

These are 3 of the 45 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Hardiness Scale Test - Symptoms and Signs

existential psychology

resilience

This measure is used to assess psychological hardiness, a dispositional pattern often linked to how individuals interpret and respond to stress and uncertainty. The Hardiness Scale is typically administered as a self-report questionnaire in clinical, counseling, and research contexts.

The instrument consists of 45 items and takes about 9 minutes to complete. Item content is intended to capture stable attitudes and coping-related tendencies associated with resilience under pressure, and results are generally interpreted as an index of hardiness that may inform case formulation or monitoring over time.

The Hardiness Scale should be interpreted in conjunction with interview findings and other assessment data, especially when elevated stress, anxiety, or adjustment difficulties are present. As with other self-report measures, response style, current distress, and contextual factors can influence scores.

Author: Salvatore R. Maddi

Literature: Maddi, S. R. Hardiness: Turning stressful circumstances into resilient growth. Springer. 2013.

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