About this test
ORVIS measures eight interest areas: Leadership, Organization, Altruism, Creativity, Analysis, Production, Adventure and Erudition. Each area has between 10 and 14 activities.
The scales were described by Pozzebon, Visser, Ashton, Lee and Goldberg in the Journal of Personality Assessment in 2010 as a public-domain measure of vocational interests.
It works well alongside our RIASEC career interest test: six of the ORVIS areas resemble the RIASEC areas, and ORVIS adds Adventure and Erudition (an interest in languages, books and words).
The test takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Your answers stay in your browser; they are not sent to us.
How your results are calculated
- For each activity, rate how much you would like to do it: Strongly dislike, Dislike, Neutral, Like or Strongly like (1 to 5 points).
- Every activity counts toward its area in the same direction; no answers are reverse-scored.
- Each area’s percentage shows where your total falls between the lowest possible score (every answer “Strongly dislike”, 0%) and the highest (every answer “Strongly like”, 100%).
- Your result lists the areas from highest to lowest. If two or more areas tie for the highest score, they are shown together so you can decide which fits you best.
- The percentages describe your own answers. They are not norms, and they do not compare you with other people.
Tips for honest results
- Think only about whether you would enjoy the activity, not about pay, training or whether you could do it today.
- Use “Neutral” when you really feel neither way, not as a quick answer for every activity.
- Some activities are whole jobs and others are hobbies; rate each one as it is written.
- Compare your top areas with our RIASEC test results to see which interests appear in both.
What this test is not
Interests show the kind of work you like, not what you are able to do. A high score is not a prediction of success in any job.
This test is for self-understanding only. It is not a psychological assessment, and it should not be used on its own to make decisions about hiring or education.
Frequently asked questions
What is ORVIS?
The Oregon Vocational Interest Scales: 92 activities in eight interest areas, published in the public domain on the International Personality Item Pool.
How is this different from the RIASEC test?
Both measure work interests. ORVIS uses eight areas instead of six and rates each activity on a five-point scale instead of a yes-or-no choice.
Can my results change?
Yes. Interests can shift with new experiences, and your answers may vary from day to day. Taking the test again later may give somewhat different scores.
Is this a diagnosis or a hiring test?
No. It is a self-reflection tool to help you think about work you might enjoy. It is not a psychological assessment.
This test is for self-understanding only. It is not a psychological assessment, a diagnosis or professional advice.