Big Five traits · the C in OCEAN
Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness is the Big Five trait that describes how organized, dependable and self-disciplined you are. High scorers plan ahead, keep promises and finish what they start; low scorers are more flexible and spontaneous, and more likely to leave things to the last minute.
Sometimes called dependability or diligence. It is the C in OCEAN.
By the Personality Test editorial team · Updated · 7 sources
The six facets of conscientiousness
In the IPIP-NEO-120, the questionnaire this site uses, conscientiousness splits into six narrower facets of four statements each. Other Big Five questionnaires divide it in slightly different ways. Two people with the same conscientiousness score can differ a lot facet by facet.
C1Self-efficacy
Confidence that you can get things done. High scorers feel capable and prepared; low scorers often doubt they will manage.
C2Orderliness
Liking for tidiness, lists, schedules and systems. Low scorers can work in a mess and don’t mind it.
C3Dutifulness
A strong sense of obligation: keeping your word, following rules and paying debts on time.
C4Achievement-striving
Ambition and drive. High scorers set demanding goals and push hard to reach them; low scorers are content with doing enough.
C5Self-discipline
Starting tasks and seeing them through when they are boring or hard. A low score here is the facet most tied to procrastination.
C6Cautiousness
Thinking before acting. High scorers weigh options carefully; low scorers act on their first idea and decide fast.
High vs. low conscientiousness
Conscientiousness is a scale, not a type. Most people score somewhere in the middle, and both ends come with strengths and costs.
Low conscientiousness
Flexible, spontaneous and relaxed about plans.
- Comfortable improvising and changing course
- Works in bursts, often close to deadlines
- Less bothered by mess or loose ends
- May struggle with long, dull tasks and with keeping track of commitments
High conscientiousness
Organized, reliable and goal-driven.
- Plans ahead and keeps to schedules
- Does what they said they would, on time
- Works steadily toward long-term goals
- Can become rigid, perfectionist or overworked
What conscientiousness is linked to
Of the five traits, conscientiousness is the most consistent predictor of job performance. A meta-analysis of 117 studies found it related to performance in every occupational group examined, from professionals to sales and skilled labor (Barrick & Mount, 1991).
It is also linked to health. Conscientious people are less likely to smoke, drink heavily, drive dangerously or eat poorly, and more likely to exercise (Bogg & Roberts, 2004). In studies that followed people for years, conscientiousness predicted longer life about as well as socioeconomic status and IQ did (Roberts et al., 2007).
These are average effects across thousands of people, not destiny. Many successful people score low on conscientiousness and build systems, partners or deadlines that do the organizing for them.
Does conscientiousness change with age?
It rises for most people, mainly between about 20 and 40, as work, relationships and parenting reward reliability (Roberts et al., 2006). A study of more than 130,000 adults found conscientiousness still increasing through middle age (Srivastava et al., 2003).
Conscientiousness at work and in relationships
High scorers thrive where reliability is visible and rewarded, and they are often the person others hand the important deadline to. Their risk is overwork: they keep raising the bar and find it hard to stop. Low scorers can shine in work that rewards quick improvisation and tolerance for mess, such as crises, creative sprints or sales, and do better with structure from outside: deadlines, checklists, an organized colleague.
People tend to be more satisfied with a partner who scores higher on conscientiousness (Malouff et al., 2010). At home, differences show up as friction over chores, money and punctuality. Agreeing on a few shared systems, such as who pays which bills and when, usually works better than one partner trying to change the other.
How the test measures conscientiousness
The IPIP-NEO-120 uses 24 statements, four per facet, such as "I complete tasks successfully" and "I like to tidy up" (Johnson, 2014). Your score is compared with a large online sample to give a percentile from 1 to 99.
Find your conscientiousness score
The free Big Five test scores conscientiousness and the other four traits in about 12 minutes, with no sign-up. You get each score as a percentile right away; your six conscientiousness facet scores are in the optional full report. See a sample report
Questions about conscientiousness
Is high conscientiousness always good?
Mostly helpful, not always. Very high scorers can be perfectionist, inflexible and slow to adapt when plans fall apart. Low scorers often handle surprises and creative chaos better.
Is low conscientiousness the same as ADHD?
No. Conscientiousness is a normal personality trait that everyone has to some degree. ADHD is a clinical condition with specific symptoms that start in childhood and need assessment by a professional. People with ADHD do tend to score lower on conscientiousness, but a low score alone says nothing about a diagnosis.
Can you become more conscientious?
Yes. It rises naturally with age, and habits help: fixed routines, written lists, breaking work into small steps and making commitments to other people all compensate for a low score.
How do I find my conscientiousness score?
Take the free Big Five test on our homepage. It takes about 12 minutes and gives your conscientiousness percentile along with the other four traits. The optional full report adds your six facet scores.
Sources
Written by the Personality Test editorial team from published research. We don’t claim clinical credentials. This page is for education and self-reflection, not a medical or psychological diagnosis.
- Barrick, M. R., & Mount, M. K. (1991). The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44(1), 1–26. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.1991.tb00688.x
- Bogg, T., & Roberts, B. W. (2004). Conscientiousness and health-related behaviors: A meta-analysis of the leading behavioral contributors to mortality. Psychological Bulletin, 130(6), 887–919. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.130.6.887
- Roberts, B. W., Kuncel, N. R., Shiner, R., Caspi, A., & Goldberg, L. R. (2007). The power of personality: The comparative validity of personality traits, socioeconomic status, and cognitive ability for predicting important life outcomes. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2(4), 313–345. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6916.2007.00047.x
- Malouff, J. M., Thorsteinsson, E. B., Schutte, N. S., Bhullar, N., & Rooke, S. E. (2010). The Five-Factor Model of personality and relationship satisfaction of intimate partners: A meta-analysis. Journal of Research in Personality, 44(1), 124–127. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2009.09.004
- Roberts, B. W., Walton, K. E., & Viechtbauer, W. (2006). Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132(1), 1–25. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.1.1
- Srivastava, S., John, O. P., Gosling, S. D., & Potter, J. (2003). Development of personality in early and middle adulthood: Set like plaster or persistent change? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(5), 1041–1053. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.5.1041
- Johnson, J. A. (2014). Measuring thirty facets of the Five Factor Model with a 120-item public domain inventory: Development of the IPIP-NEO-120. Journal of Research in Personality, 51, 78–89. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2014.05.003