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3 Minute Impostor Syndrome Test

Based on the work of Dr. Pauline Rose Clance, Ph.D.

Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern where one doubts one's accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. People with impostor syndrome often believe that they do not deserve what they have achieved in life; they attribute their success to luck or interpret it as the result of them deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they really are.

Instructions: Below is a list of questions that relate to life experiences common among people who have been suffering from impostor syndrome. Read each question carefully and indicate whether it applies to you or not.

Your privacy is protected. All results are anonymous.

Question 1 of 10

I feel uneasy and discouraged if I’m not “the best” or at least “very special” in situations that involve achievement.

Not me. Describes me somewhat. Definitely me.

The IDRlabs 3 Minute Impostor Syndrome Test (IDR-3MIST) was developed by IDRlabs. The IDR-3MIST is based on the work of Dr. Pauline Rose Clance, who created the Clance Impostor Phenomenon (IP) Scale. The IDR-3MIST is not associated with any specific researchers in the field of psychopathology or any affiliated research institutions.

The IDRlabs 3 Minute Impostor Syndrome Test was informed by the Clance IP Scale’s criteria for Impostor Syndrome, as published in Clance, P. (1985). The impostor phenomenon: When success makes you feel like a fake. Toronto: Bantam Books. Bravata, D. et al., (2019). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine. Holmes, S.W., Adamson, K., Holland, C.L., & Clance, P.R. (1993). Measuring the impostor phenomenon: A comparison of Clance’s IP Scale and Harvey’s I-P Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 60(1):48-59.

The work of Dr. Pauline Rose Clance has also informed some of the criteria in the form of the widely used psychological instrument, the Clance IP Scale for clinical use, which is often used by qualified mental health professionals. The present test is intended for educational purposes only. IDRlabs and the present IDRlabs 3 Minute Impostor Syndrome Test are independent from the above researchers, organizations, or their affiliated institutions.

The 3 Minute Impostor Syndrome Quiz is based on a famous and well-regarded inventory for the assessment of the clinical concept of Impostor Syndrome, which is also known as impostor phenomenon, fraud syndrome, impostor experience, or impostorism. However, please note that free online tests and quizzes such as this one are solely first takes and cannot provide accurate assessments of your potential behavioral pattern. Hence, the test is intended to be used for educational purposes only. A definitive mental health assessment can be made only by a qualified mental health professional.

As the publishers of this free online 3 Minute Impostor Syndrome test, which allows you to screen yourself for the indications of the impostor syndrome phenomenon, we have strived to make the test as reliable and valid as possible by subjecting this test to statistical controls and validation. However, free online quizzes such as the present 3 Minute Impostor Syndrome Test do not provide professional assessments or recommendations of any kind; the test is provided entirely “as-is.” For more information about the any of our online tests and quizzes, please consult our Terms of Service.

Why Use This Test?

1. Free. This 3 Minute Impostor Syndrome Test is delivered to you free of charge and will allow you to obtain your scores related to a pattern of doubting accomplishments and having a persistent irrational fear of being exposed as a fraud.

2. Clinically oriented. The feedback delivered by this instrument is based on the work of Ph.D.s and M.D.s and is designed to deliver a clear clinical picture of the respondent’s current symptoms indicating impostor syndrome as measured according to standardized items.

3. Statistical controls. Statistical analysis of the test is conducted to ensure maximum accuracy and validity of the test scores.

4. Made by professionals. The present test has been made with the input of people who work professionally with psychology and individual differences research.