College Major Quiz — Free 24-Question Test: Which Field of Study Fits You?
- Free
- 24 questions
- ~4 min
- No sign-up
- Instant result
Not sure what to study? Find which of 8 fields of study fits your interests — engineering, natural sciences, health, computing, business, social sciences, humanities, arts — in 24 questions, about 4 minutes. Free, no sign-up, with example majors, related careers and ways to explore.
What's included
- Questions
- 24 items
- Time
- ~4 min
- Price
- Free
- Dimensions
- 8
Why look at interests when choosing a major?
Holland's theory (Holland, 1997), one of the best known in career psychology, holds that people are more satisfied and stay longer when their interests match the environment they're in. A major is an environment too: when the classes, assignments and classmates you meet every day fit your interests, the same effort carries you further.
Research backs this up. A meta-analysis pulling together more than 60 years of studies (Nye, Su, Rounds, & Drasgow, 2012) found that interests are related to performance in study and work, and to whether people stay on that path. A study following college students (Allen & Robbins, 2008) found that students whose interests fit their major were more likely to stay in it. Interests don't decide the outcome alone, though — preparation, grades and motivation matter too.
How does the test work?
We grouped university programs into 8 fields: engineering and technology; natural sciences; health, medicine and nursing; computing, IT and data; business, economics and accounting; social sciences, education and counseling; humanities and languages; and arts, design and media. For each field, the questions describe activities you'd actually do or topics you'd deal with there. They ask only how much something appeals to you, not about grades or experience, so you can answer even for fields you haven't studied yet.
There are 24 questions, three per field, mixed so that two questions from the same field never come in a row. As in most interest inventories, every question is worded in the “this appeals to me” direction. Each field is converted to a 0–100 score and shown as a bar. The highest field becomes your main result, and ties follow a fixed order of fields. Looking at your top two or three fields together tells you more than the single top one.
How should I use the result?
The result isn't a verdict telling you which major to take; it's a starting point for what to explore first. Pick two or three example majors from your top fields, look up their actual curriculum and first-year courses, and talk to current students or graduates. A free online introductory course or a taster program quickly shows how close the real subject is to what you imagined.
Interests are one clue among several. Seeing what you're good at (multiple intelligences test), which kinds of work draw you (career interests test, RIASEC) and what matters to you (values test) together makes the picture much clearer. Interests also shift with new experiences, so take the test again when a new term or school year begins.
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. I'd enjoy figuring out why a machine or device has stopped working and fixing it.
- 2. I'd enjoy running experiments to find out why something in nature happens the way it does.
- 3. I'd like to learn how the human body works and what goes wrong in it when someone gets ill.
- 4. I'd enjoy tracking down why an app or website isn't working properly and fixing it.
FAQ
Can teachers or school counselors use this with a class?
Yes. With a class group link, students take part without logging in, and you see only the anonymous spread of fields across the class. Use the results to start conversations about the future — for example, ask students to research example majors from their top two fields, or group students with the same field to share what they found. Please don't use it for grades or to assign students to a field. Paired with the career interests test (RIASEC), it lets you connect “what to study” with “what kind of work to do.”
How is this different from the RIASEC career interest test?
The career interests test (RIASEC) uses Holland's six interest types to show which kinds of work and work environments suit you. This test moves the question one step earlier: what to study at university, by field of study. The two overlap a lot but aren't the same. Someone high on the Investigative (I) type, for example, could go into natural sciences, health, computing or social sciences, and this test narrows down which of those draws you most. Taking both makes it easier to link what you study with the work you want to do.
My scores are similar across several fields. What does that mean?
That's common, and it means your interests are broad. Your main result is the highest field, and ties follow a fixed order, so read the descriptions of your top two or three fields together. There are also interdisciplinary majors that combine fields, such as bioinformatics (biology + computing), cognitive science (psychology + computing + philosophy), design engineering (engineering + design) and health policy (health + social sciences). If you gave every question the same answer, no differences between fields can show up, so try again and answer honestly lower for what appeals to you less.
Can this test tell me which university or major to choose?
No. This is a self-reflection tool that helps you look at your interests; it isn't an aptitude test that measures ability or your chances of admission. Soundary wrote all 24 questions from scratch. When choosing a major, weigh your interests together with what you're good at, what you value, the subjects and entry requirements involved, practical matters such as cost and location, and the opportunities open to you. Interests can change with experience, so talk your result over with a school counselor or someone working in the field.
Source
Holland, J. L. (1997). Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments (3rd ed.). Psychological Assessment Resources. · Nye, C. D., Su, R., Rounds, J., & Drasgow, F. (2012). Vocational interests and performance: A quantitative summary of over 60 years of research. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(4), 384–403. · Allen, J., & Robbins, S. B. (2008). Prediction of college major persistence based on vocational interests, academic preparation, and first-year academic performance. Research in Higher Education, 49(1), 62–79. 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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