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Subjective Locus of Control Questionnaire3

Subjective Locus of Control Questionnaire Test

Learn in about 6 minutes whether you tend to credit outcomes to your own actions or to outside forces. With 32 items, it offers a fast, research-based snapshot to guide coaching, teaching, and support.

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Questions: 326 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

18,949 views

1,394 completions

1,146 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

6/10

Externality (E) Scale (ES)

Measures the extent to which a person attributes life events to external forces such as luck, circumstances, or other people rather than their own actions.

Low externality

Moderate externality

High externality

0 – 3: Low externality | 4 – 6: Moderate externality | 7 – 10: High externality

A score of 6 indicates moderate externality, suggesting a noticeable tendency to explain outcomes by circumstances or others while still allowing some role for personal influence.

example score

5/10

Internality (I) (I)

This scale measures the extent to which a person attributes life outcomes to their own effort and decisions rather than to external circumstances.

More external

Balanced

More internal

0 – 3: More external | 4 – 6: Balanced | 7 – 10: More internal

A score of 5 falls in the Balanced range, suggesting a mixed tendency to explain outcomes through both personal actions and external factors.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Students seeking self-insight

41%OF USERS

They want to understand whether they usually take responsibility for outcomes or attribute them to circumstances.

School and university psychologists

34%OF USERS

They use it to quickly assess students’ responsibility orientation and tailor support or counseling plans.

Education and youth researchers

25%OF USERS

They include it in studies to link locus of control with motivation, achievement, and engagement patterns.

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

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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.

Externality Scale (E) (ES()

Average

5.4

Normal range

4.1 — 6.7

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.

Internality Scale (I) (IS()

Average

5.5

Normal range

3.7 — 7.3

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.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Many misfortunes in people's lives are due to bad luck.
- People's misfortunes are the result of their own mistakes.
- There are certain people in whom there is nothing good.
- There is something good in everyone.
- What happens to me is the result of my own actions and behavior.
- Sometimes it seems to me that my life just happens on its own.

These are 3 of the 32 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

Subjective Locus of Control Questionnaire Test - Symptoms and Signs

locus of control

This measure is used to assess perceived control over life events and the extent to which individuals attribute outcomes to personal actions versus external forces. The Subjective Locus of Control Questionnaire is typically administered as a brief self-report measure in clinical, counseling, and research settings.

The instrument contains 32 items and usually requires about 6 minutes to complete. Items ask respondents to endorse statements reflecting differing explanations for everyday successes and difficulties; responses are summed to characterize relative internal versus external control orientation, which may inform case conceptualization and treatment planning. A commonly cited lineage for locus of control measurement includes work by Julian B. Rotter and Hanna Levenson.

Results from the Subjective Locus of Control Questionnaire should be interpreted within the broader assessment context, considering relevant demographic, cultural, and situational factors, and integrated with collateral information when available.

Author: Hanna Levenson, Julian B. Rotter

Literature: Rotter, J. B. Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied. 1966.