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Achievement Motivation and Fear of Failure Scale Test

In 3 minutes, see whether learning is driven more by striving for success or avoiding failure. Get fast, actionable insight to tailor support, boost confidence, and reduce avoidance in students.
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Questions: 203 minutes
Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.
08:30
October 2, 2025
October 2, 2025
Material has been updated
13397 views
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How the Scales are Structured
example score
7/20
Motivational Scale (MS)
This scale measures the balance between motivation to achieve success and motivation to avoid failure in an educational context.
Failure-avoidant
Balanced
Success-oriented
0 – 8: Failure-avoidant | 9 – 13: Balanced | 14 – 20: Success-oriented
A score of 7 falls in the Failure-avoidant range, suggesting that concerns about making mistakes may more often guide task choice than striving for achievement.
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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS
Who Usually Takes This Test?
Teachers and school psychologists
41%OF USERS
Use it to quickly see whether a student is driven more by striving to achieve or by avoiding mistakes, so they can choose the right support approach.
Students facing exams
34%OF USERS
Take it to understand what is fueling their study efforts and what fears may be reducing confidence and performance under pressure.
Parents of schoolchildren
25%OF USERS
Use it to better understand a child’s reactions to grades and challenges and adjust encouragement, expectations, and daily routines.
BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.
RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE
What You’ll See After You Finish the Test
Scale Results
— Explained Clearly
Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.
AI-Powered
Interpretation
A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.
Statistical
Comparison
See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.
Practical
Recommendations
Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.
AI-Detected
Insights
Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.
Discuss with
an AI Psychologist
Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.
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Used in 52+ countries
Benchmarking
See How You Compare
Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.
Motivational scale (Ms)
Average
9
Normal range
5.5 — 12.4
min.
0
max.
20
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
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“Freudly really helped me discover parts of my personality I hadn’t noticed before. It strengthened the areas where I needed to grow and made me feel more grounded and confident in the parts that already worked well.”
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“Reading each question felt like someone really understood me. Even though I’ve already dealt with much of this, reflecting still helped me learn something new about myself.”
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“I really enjoyed this experience. I learned a lot, and it helped me make sense of my thoughts and the feeling I’ve had for a long time that I may have grown up with undiagnosed ADHD.”
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Trusted by 22k+ Users Worldwide
CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire measure?
It measures two motivational tendencies in learning: hope for success and fear of failure. Results indicate which tendency is more likely to guide behavior in achievement situations.
Who is this questionnaire intended for?
It is designed for students and school-age participants in educational settings. It may also be used with adults when the focus is learning or performance under evaluation.
How long does it take and how many items are included?
It contains 20 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete. Responses should be given without extended reflection.
How should responses be chosen?
Select the option that best matches typical behavior or usual reactions to success and failure. Use the first clear answer rather than an ideal or socially expected response.
How should the results be interpreted?
Scores reflect the relative strength of approach motivation versus avoidance motivation in learning tasks. Interpretation is intended to guide support strategies and should be combined with other information when decisions are made.
WHAT THE TEST MEASURES
About This Assessment
Motivation for success and fear of failure, MSF Test

Achievement Motivation and Fear of Failure Scale Test

achieving successmotivation

This brief self-report measure assesses individual differences in achievement-oriented motivation, with attention to approach tendencies toward success and avoidance tendencies related to anticipated failure. The Achievement Motivation and Fear of Failure Scale is commonly used as a screening tool to inform hypotheses about motivational style in performance contexts.

The instrument consists of 20 items and typically requires about 3 minutes to complete. It yields indicators that can support clinical or educational case formulation, such as identifying whether effort and task engagement are more strongly driven by striving for success versus concerns about negative outcomes. Authors are John W. Atkinson and David C. McClelland.

Interpretation should be integrated with collateral information (e.g., history of performance situations, observed behavior, and current stressors) and should not be used as a stand-alone diagnostic method. When used as part of a broader assessment, the Achievement Motivation and Fear of Failure Scale can help guide targeted interventions (e.g., goal-setting strategies, feedback practices, and anxiety-related supports) consistent with the individual’s motivational profile.

Author: David C. McClelland, John W. Atkinson
Literature: Atkinson, J. W. An introduction to motivation. Van Nostrand. 1964.
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