The dark triad test that gives you no verdict
You probably searched for a dark triad test. Here is what you get: 24 statements, about four minutes, and a result that shows four sides of you — the mask, the cold calculator, the hunger for status and the stage — each with its measurement error. Immediately, free, without an account.
Start the test (24 statements, free) We call it the shadow test.
What the dark triad is
A research term for three traits within the normal spectrum: narcissism (being admired, standing above others), Machiavellianism (strategic manipulation, a cynical view of people) and subclinical psychopathy (impulsivity, callousness, little remorse). All three are continua — everyone sits somewhere, most in the middle. They share a core that research calls antagonism: one's own advantage counts for more than fairness towards others. Soberly explained →
What this test measures — and what it does not
Our test measures exactly that common core through four everyday sides: showing whatever is useful right now (the mask); own advantage against the rules (the cold calculator); the pull of status, money and influence (the hunger); standing taller than the others (the stage). It does NOT deliver three separate scores for narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy, and it is not a clinical instrument: elevated values are common and human, they are no diagnosis of a personality disorder.
And it only measures the person who answers. If you are looking for a label for someone else, this is the wrong place — for that there is the second perspective below, and it runs the other way round.
Numbers you can check
The 24 statements come from the public-domain scientific IPIP item pool. We recomputed the reliability of our shortened version on a public dataset of about 22,800 people: 0.88 for the overall value, 0.72 to 0.77 for the four sides. Every result shows its measurement error, and a difference is only claimed when it exceeds that error. Method & values →
The second perspective (free)
After your result you can invite one person to answer 12 of the statements about you. The comparison shows where self-image and outside view agree and where they differ — the part a single questionnaire cannot show. Voluntary, free, and the invited person sees no verdict either.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a real dark triad test?
It measures the common core of the three traits with statements from the scientific IPIP item pool — not the three terms as separate clinical scales. If you need a validated research instrument for a study, use one; if you want an honest mirror with the measurement error shown, you are in the right place.
Can I test someone else with it?
No. The test only measures the person who answers. You can, however, invite that person to rate you — the other way round.
Is the result really free?
Yes, completely: the result, the second perspective and the comparison. There is no paid report for this test.
24 statements, about 4 minutes, result immediately and free. In eight languages. No account, no e-mail, no verdict.
Start the test (24 statements, free)