Dark Core Personality Test — Free D Factor Test, 20 Questions
- Free
- 20 questions
- ~3 min
- No sign-up
- Instant result
What do egoism, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy and spite have in common? The D factor — the dark core of personality. Check yours in 20 questions, about 3 minutes: free, with scores on four facets, interpretation and reflection questions. A self-insight tool, not a diagnosis.
What's included
- Questions
- 20 items
- Time
- ~3 min
- Price
- Free
- Dimensions
- 4
The D factor: one core shared by dark traits
For a long time, psychology studied dark traits one by one. In 2002, Paulhus and Williams grouped Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy as the 'dark triad,' and later everyday sadism was added to form the 'dark tetrad.' Yet these traits overlap heavily: people who score high on one often score high on the others.
Moshagen, Hilbig and Zettler (2018) named the common core behind this overlap the 'D factor': the tendency to maximize one's own benefit while disregarding, accepting or deliberately causing costs to others, together with beliefs that justify it. Each dark trait is seen as this core showing up in a different shape.
The four facets this test looks at
Soundary's dark core test splits the definition of the D factor into four everyday facets: 'self-interest first' (taking your share first from what should be shared), 'self-justification' (settling your mind with 'everyone does it' or 'they started it'), 'using others' (turning kindness and guilt into levers) and 'spite' (welcoming others' trouble, or wanting to get back at someone even at a cost to yourself).
There are 20 questions, five per facet, two of which in each facet are reverse-worded, and they're mixed so that no two from the same facet come in a row. They use only scenes students and working adults both know — group projects, games, online comments — and never ask about violence. Your score is the average of the four facets (0–100), with 40 and 60 as reading guides.
Reading your score: reflection, not a label
The D factor is a matter of degree, not something you either have or don't. Anyone exhausted or cornered will put their own share first and look for excuses. A low score isn't a 'good person' certificate, and a high score doesn't make you dangerous. Because it's a self-report test, the result can also shift with your mood that day and how candid you were.
If your score is high, rather than feeling ashamed, look at which situations switch that calculation on. In research, the trait closest to the opposite of the D factor is Honesty-Humility (H) in the HEXACO model. Small practices — sharing fairly, giving others credit out loud, apologizing first — are concrete ways to grow that opposite side.
How it works
Answer each item on a 5-point scale from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'. There are no right answers — going with your first instinct gives a result closer to your actual tendencies. When you finish you'll get dimension scores, your headline type, and an interpretation with practical advice.
Sample questions
- 1. Even with things meant to be shared — snacks, common supplies, speaking time — I take a generous share for myself first.
- 2. Since everybody fudges things a little, I don't see a problem with doing it myself.
- 3. I'm extra nice, on purpose, to people I might need a favor from later.
- 4. When someone who's been showing off gets embarrassed in front of others, I secretly enjoy it.
FAQ
How is this different from the dark triad or the dark tetrad?
The dark triad measures three separate traits — Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy — and the dark tetrad adds everyday sadism as a fourth. The D factor looks at the single core those traits share. So this test tells you less about which dark trait is highest and more about how strong the common ground beneath them is. For separate scores on the three classic traits, try Soundary's Dark Triad test as well.
Is this a psychopathy test?
No. This test does not assess or diagnose psychopathy or antisocial personality disorder — that kind of evaluation needs a professional working from interviews and several sources of information. Your result is a self-report score for reflecting on tendencies everyone has to some degree. A high score doesn't mean you're dangerous, and a low score doesn't certify that you're a good person.
Is this the researchers' original D factor scale?
No. The D factor researchers developed scales such as the D70, D35 and D16, but this test is none of them and does not copy or rework their items. Soundary wrote 20 new questions based only on the published definition of the D factor. That means your score can't be compared directly with research findings or norms from the original scales.
What about the 'dark empath' — is that related?
'Dark empath' is a label proposed by Heym and colleagues (2021) for a group of people who score high on dark traits yet are also good at reading others' feelings. Empathy has two sides — knowing what others feel and feeling with them — and the knowing side can serve care or manipulation alike. This test doesn't measure empathy, so looking at your 'using others' score alongside Soundary's emotional intelligence (EQ) test can hint at how the two fit together in you. Keep in mind that it's a profile name from research, not a diagnosis.
Source
Moshagen, M., Hilbig, B. E., & Zettler, I. (2018). The dark core of personality. Psychological Review, 125(5), 656–688. · Paulhus, D. L., & Williams, K. M. (2002). The Dark Triad of personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Journal of Research in Personality, 36(6), 556–563. · Buckels, E. E., Jones, D. N., & Paulhus, D. L. (2013). Behavioral confirmation of everyday sadism. Psychological Science, 24(11), 2201–2209. · Heym, N., Kibowski, F., Bloxsom, C. A. J., et al. (2021). The Dark Empath: Characterising dark traits in the presence of empathy. Personality and Individual Differences, 169, 110172. This test uses items written by Soundary based on published theoretical models and academic literature. It is not any commercial instrument or a translation of one.
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Personality results describe current tendencies, not fixed labels. They can change when you retake the test later.