About the test
Workaholism test
Sixteen statements from open research scales show how much room work takes in your life, and whether perfectionism or plain effort lies behind it.
Questionnaire / instrument: CAT-PD Workaholism Scales
The test at a glance
- Price
- Free, including results
- Registration
- No account required
- Length
- 16 statements
- Time
- About 3 minutes
- Format
- Self-report · five response options
- Your report
- Score, pattern and three parts
The three parts
The first part gives the score. The other two help explain it:
Workaholism
Working too much, longer than most, and at the cost of fun, rest or relationships.
Perfectionism
Expecting perfection from yourself and others, and not being done until every detail is right.
Effort
Working hard and doing more than expected, which is not a problem in itself.
What your results show
Your report is available straight after the last statement. You can preview an example before starting.
- A workaholism score from 0 to 100 and what it means.
- A pattern that compares the score with your standards and your effort.
- Your score on each of the three parts, with tips that fit your result.
What does it measure?
How much room work takes in your life, as you describe it, shown as one score. Beside it, the test shows your perfectionism and how much effort you put into your work, to help tell workaholism apart from simply working hard.
Where does it come from?
The score comes from the Workaholism scale in the CAT-PD static form, by Simms and colleagues, published through IPIP. Perfectionism comes from the same form, and effort from the Achievement-Striving facet of the IPIP-NEO-120. The CAT-PD was made to study personality traits that can cause problems in everyday life. The names of the parts are our own.
How is the result calculated?
Answers are scored from 1 to 5, with negatively worded statements reversed, and each part is shown from 0 to 100. The main score uses only the six workaholism statements. The labels only describe where your answers fall on the answer scale. The report also compares your score with your standards and your effort.
What can the result tell you?
This is a self-report, so it shows how you see yourself. The scores have no norms here, so the test cannot show how you compare with others. Long hours are not always a sign of workaholism, and the test cannot diagnose work addiction or burnout.
Languages and adaptations
English follows the IPIP statements. The four effort statements come from our IPIP-NEO translations, and the rest are our own AI-assisted translations. They have not been independently validated. Our explanations and result commentary are written for this website.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between working hard and being a workaholic?
Researchers often separate engagement, where work gives energy and still leaves room for the rest of life, from workaholism, where work crowds out other things and is hard to stop. That is why the test shows effort as a separate part.
Is workaholism a diagnosis?
No. Workaholism, or work addiction, is not a diagnosis in the major diagnostic manuals. It is a pattern that researchers study, and this test cannot diagnose it.
Does the test count only paid work?
No. Work can also mean studies, running a business or other tasks you take on. Answer for whatever takes up most of your working time.
What does perfectionism have to do with it?
High standards can make it hard to finish and hard to stop. Not all workaholics are perfectionists, so the test shows it as a separate part.
Can workaholism lead to burnout?
Working too much over time is linked to exhaustion and poorer health, but many other things also matter. If you feel worn out, our burnout test is a better place to start.
Are my answers anonymous?
Answers are stored without your name or contact details, and you can delete your result later.
License and reuse
Public domainIPIP places its items and scales in the public domain. They may be used, copied, adapted and translated for commercial and non-commercial purposes without a fee or separate permission.
The terms below apply to the test materials. Articles, translations, software and our result descriptions may have separate terms.
Sources and further reading
Simms, L. J., Goldberg, L. R., Roberts, J. E., Watson, D., Welte, J., & Rotterman, J. H. (2011). Computerized adaptive assessment of personality disorder: Introducing the CAT–PD project. Journal of Personality Assessment, 93(4), 380–389. Static form v1.1, IPIP: https://ipip.ori.org/newCAT-PD-SFv1.1Keys.htm. Achievement-Striving: Johnson, J. A. (2014), IPIP-NEO-120.