Life Satisfaction Test — Free 8-Question Check Across Life Areas (SLS-8)
- Free
- 8 questions
- No sign-up
- Instant result
A free life satisfaction test covering eight areas at once: work or study, relationships, health, finances, leisure, growth, self-acceptance and life direction. Eight questions about the past month take about a minute and give a 0-32 total plus a view of which areas are pulling satisfaction down.
What's included
- Questions
- 8 items
- Price
- Free
- Areas measured
- Total Life Satisfaction Score
When this check is useful
It suits moments when life looks fine on the surface yet feels hollow, when you want to pin down why hard work is not adding up to satisfaction, or when a decision such as a job change, a move or a shift in a relationship makes you want to sort out which parts of life feel full and which feel empty. The heart of this check is the profile across eight areas rather than the total, which helps turn vague dissatisfaction into specific items.
The eight items cover achievement at work or study, close relationships, physical health and energy, financial situation, leisure and recharging, learning and growth, self-acceptance and life direction, answered with the past month in mind. The items were written by Soundary with reference to life satisfaction research; standard tools on the same topic exist, such as Diener's Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), but the items and score bands here differ from them, and the check is for reference ahead of clinical validation.
What to do with your result
Out of 0-32, the neutral point is 16. A score of 26-32 reflects high satisfaction across life; knowing which areas hold it up gives you somewhere to return to when things shake. A score of 17-25 is a moderate level, mostly fine but likely with one or two low areas, so pick one small change in one of them. A score of 11-16 is somewhat low satisfaction; if several areas are low, start with the easiest to touch rather than changing everything at once.
A score of 0-10 means satisfaction is hard to find across many areas. If broadly low satisfaction comes with low mood or loss of drive, check for symptoms with the Mood Weather depression check (SMW-16) or the PHQ-4 ultra-brief screen, and talk to a professional if it lasts more than two weeks. Satisfaction does not change much over short periods, so a retest interval of one to three months is about right, and logging it alongside the four-question ONS4 personal well-being measure shows how your evaluation of life differs from your day-to-day feelings.
How scores are interpreted
Total Life Satisfaction Score
This is the sum of the 8 items (0-4 points each), ranging from 0 to 32 points. A higher score indicates higher overall satisfaction with your life. The classification criteria are theoretical, provisional standards based on the neutral point per item (2 points, total 16 points) and are for reference purposes prior to clinical validation.
0–10pts · Low Life Satisfaction
Your overall life satisfaction is reported to be distinctly low. If low life satisfaction persists, it may be accompanied by feelings of depression or burnout. Therefore, we recommend taking a mood self-test (e.g., a depression scale) as well, and if your distress continues, consulting a mental health professional is advised.
11–16pts · Somewhat Low Life Satisfaction
Your evaluation of your life is below neutral, suggesting there may be areas where you feel regret or dissatisfaction. Try to specifically identify the areas of high dissatisfaction (work, relationships, health, finances, etc.) and attempt small changes first. If a low mood persists for more than 2 weeks, we recommend considering a consultation with a professional.
17–25pts · Moderate Life Satisfaction
You tend to evaluate your life in a generally positive manner. While maintaining the areas you are satisfied with, try picking one area you would like to improve, and track changes over time through regular retesting.
26–32pts · High Life Satisfaction
Your overall life satisfaction is reported to be at a high level. Continue to maintain your current life rhythm, precious relationships, and meaningful activities, and check the flow of your satisfaction through periodic retesting.
Sample questions
- 1. I generally like my day-to-day life lately.
- 2. I feel that my life is heading in the direction I want.
- 3. I am generally satisfied with my current living conditions (work/studies, relationships, health, finances, etc.).
- 4. I view the path my life has taken so far positively.
Thinking about your life over the past 1 month, please choose the answer that best describes how much you agree with each statement. There are no right or wrong answers, so please respond honestly without overthinking.
FAQ
How do I read my life satisfaction score?
Each of the eight items scores 0-4, for a total of 0-32, with 16 as the neutral point. Read 0-10 as low satisfaction, 11-16 as somewhat low, 17-25 as moderate and 26-32 as high. What matters more than the total, though, is which of the eight areas are low, and these bands are Soundary's own reference thresholds.
Does low life satisfaction mean depression?
No. Life satisfaction is about how you evaluate your life, whereas depression is about symptoms such as mood, drive and sleep, so they are different things. Satisfaction can be low without any symptoms, and conversely depression often pulls satisfaction down with it. If low satisfaction comes with low mood lasting more than two weeks, take a depression check and consider talking to a professional.
Is this the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)?
No. This is Soundary's own eight-item self-check (SLS-8). Diener's SWLS is a five-item global evaluation of life, whereas this check asks separately about eight areas: work, relationships, health, finances, leisure, growth, self-acceptance and direction. Because the items and score bands differ, it cannot be compared with SWLS scores, and it is for reference ahead of clinical validation.
How often should I take it, and how can I use the result?
Satisfaction does not shift much over short periods, so one to three months between checks is about right. Pick the single lowest area in your result, decide on one small action to try there this month, and see whether that item moves at the next check. Taking it once before and once after a big change such as a job move, relocation or relationship shift lets you look back on how the decision affected your life.
Source
The items in this test are a self-check adaptation based on the original instrument and literature below: Items written by Soundary with reference to published literature on life satisfaction; not a translation or adaptation of any standardized instrument, and for reference ahead of clinical validation. A representative standard tool on the same topic is the Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75), but the item count, items and score bands of this check differ from it.
Related tests
This is a self-screening tool, not a medical diagnosis. If the result concerns you, please consult a mental health professional.