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Free psychological test · Transactional Analysis (TA)
The Ego State Test — The Parent, Adult and Child (P-A-C) Inside You
The ratio of your three selves — Parent, Adult and Child
“Why does nagging always come out of me first?” “Why do I shrink like a small child the moment I stand in front of that person?” You have probably had times when your own reaction, repeated in the same situation, felt strange even to you. Transactional Analysis gives that repetition a name: inside us there are three ego states — Parent (P), Adult (A) and Child (C) — and at each moment one of them is speaking and acting.
This is the most basic and the best-known test in Transactional Analysis. When you answer 25 questions, you can see in what ratio each of the three ego states is working, and which self is dominant. It takes about 4 minutes.
There is no good or bad in the result. All three selves are resources of the mind that you need. What matters is the ratio and the balance — that is, knowing which self is often at the wheel in the scenes of your life now.
Quick sign-up, then start right away · About 4 minutes · 25 questions
The theory behind this test
Ego state theory is a core concept of Transactional Analysis, systematized by the psychiatrist Eric Berne in his 1961 book Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy. Through clinical observation, Berne found that at each moment a person thinks, feels and acts from one of three distinct states of mind: Parent, Adult and Child.
This P-A-C model has since been widely used for more than half a century in counseling, psychotherapy and organizational training, and has become one of the most accessible frameworks for understanding your own habits of conversation and patterns of relationship.
The types you will meet in your result
P (the Parent ego state)
This is the voice of values, norms and care that you inherited in childhood from your parents or other important adults. The power to tell right from wrong, to keep what ought to be kept, and to look after others comes from here. When this self is dominant you become a responsible, dependable person, but when it goes too far, your yardstick can become strict toward both yourself and others.
A (the Adult ego state)
This is the cool-headed calculator and coordinator in the mind, which sees the here-and-now reality as it is and makes judgments. Without being swept along by emotion or by the rules of the past, it gathers information and decides rationally. When this self is dominant you are strong at solving problems, but when it grows too large on its own, life can feel dry and joyless.
C (the Child ego state)
This is the place where the feelings and reactions you actually had in childhood are still alive, unchanged. It is the source of vitality — joy, curiosity, creativity — and at the same time it holds the childhood habits of reading the room and going along. When this self is dominant you are expressive and attractive, but you can also be easily shaken by waves of emotion.
Who this test is for
- People who are curious about why they always react in a similar way in the same situation
- People who nag their family or partner unusually much, or who end up behaving like a child with them
- People who feel that they only work, without feeling, or that they are swayed too much by their feelings
- People who are new to Transactional Analysis (TA) and want to start with the most basic test
- People who want to draw a map of their mind first, before counseling or self-understanding work
Frequently asked questions
Is the test free? Do I need to log in?
Yes, it is free. When you take the test after a quick sign-up, your result is saved, and the test result is used automatically in the AI analysis and counseling you use later, so you can get a deeper interpretation.
Is the result of this test a medical diagnosis?
No. The ego state test is not a medical diagnostic tool for identifying disease. It is a self-understanding tool that helps you understand your habits of conversation and patterns of relationship. If the difficulties of your mind feel severe, we recommend counseling with a professional as well.
Which of P, A and C is it good to have high?
There is no right answer. All three selves are resources of the mind that you need, and the standard of health is a balance in which you can move among them flexibly to suit the situation. Along with which self is dominant now, the result shows you the points to look at for the sake of balance.