Strong Interest Inventory
The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) is a career assessment used in counseling and guidance. It helps people learn what kinds of work they might enjoy and how their interests match different careers.
History: It began in 1927, created by psychologist Edward Kellogg Strong Jr. to help military veterans find jobs. It was revised over the years by Jo-Ida Hansen and David P. Campbell. The current form (2004) is based on John L. Holland’s six-interest theory, known as RIASEC.
Who should take it: The SII is designed for high school students, college students, and adults. It is written at about a ninth‑grade reading level.
How it works: The test has 291 items. The first 282 ask you to rate how much you like or dislike each item with five options: strongly like, like, indifferent, dislike, or strongly dislike. The last 9 items (Your Characteristics) use a slightly different set of choices about how well statements describe you.
Scoring and results: After completion, a computer scores your responses. You get your six RIASEC themes: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Most people see their top three themes, but some may show one or two major themes.
What the results tell you: Your results show how your interests compare with those of people in various careers, helping you make education and work plans. Access to the career comparison database and interpretation is often a paid service. The SII is a registered trademark of The Myers-Briggs Company.
Quality and updates: The SII has strong reliability and validity and is widely used by counselors. It’s regularly updated to reflect new jobs and changes in technology.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:00 (CET).