Learning Style Assessment

Find out how you learn best in about five minutes. This free learning style quiz asks you to rate 30 short statements. When you click Send Results, you get three scores right away: one each for auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic learning. No sign-up and no email address needed.

Your highest score points to your preferred learning style, the way new information sticks for you most easily. Below the quiz you will find what each style means and the study strategies that fit it.

Answer honestly. There are no right or wrong answers, and most people are a mix of all three.

Learning Style Assessment

To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I follow oral directions better than written directions.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I learn better by listening to a lecture than by reading a textbook.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I need explanations of diagrams, graphs, and maps in order to understand them.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I enjoy participating in classroom discussions and debates.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I sound words out when I am trying to learn to spell them.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I create songs and jingles to remember information.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I remember things I hear better than things I see.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
My best school subjects are English and foreign languages.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
It helps me to read out loud when studying from my textbooks.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I prefer teachers who spend a lot of time explaining things.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I try to remember information by picturing it in my mind.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I prefer teachers who write information on the chalkboard.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I am good at designing graphs, charts, and diagrams.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I learn a lot about a person by observing their facial expressions and body language.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I learn a lot from diagrams and illustrations in textbooks.I learn a lot from diagrams and illustrations in textbooks.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I can tell if a word is spelled correctly by looking at it.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I do best in subjects such as math and science.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I use pictures, arrows, and other symbols when I take notes.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I am good at doing word search puzzles.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
When I take a test, I can see the answer in my head the way it appeared in my notes or textbook.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I am good at using my hands to fix things.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I use my hands when explaining something to another person.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I need to participate in an activity in order to learn how to do it.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I draw the letters of a word with my fingers when trying to learn its spelling.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I learn how objects work by taking them apart and putting them back together.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I am good at acting out stories.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I am good at drawing things.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I am good at drawing things.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
I do well in lab classes.(Required)
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To what extent does the following statement apply to you?
When learning to spell a word, I trace the letters with my finger.(Required)
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How the learning style quiz is scored

Each of the 30 statements belongs to one of the three learning styles, ten per style. Every answer adds to that style's score. "A lot like me" counts the most toward a style, "Somewhat like me" counts less, and "Not like me" counts least. When you submit, the results page shows your auditory, visual, and kinesthetic scores side by side, with study recommendations for each.

Your preferred learning style is the one with the highest score. A clear gap between your top score and the other two means a strong preference. Two scores close together mean you learn well in more than one way, which is common and useful. Three close scores mean you are a flexible learner who can pick strategies from every list below.

A preference is not a limit. Everyone learns through all three channels, and the best study plans use more than one. Use your top style to choose your go-to strategies, then borrow from the others when a class or an assignment calls for it.

The three learning styles, and how to study for each

Auditory learners

Auditory learners learn best when information is spoken and heard. If this is your top score, you probably follow a lecture more easily than a textbook chapter, remember what people said, and talk problems through to understand them.

How to study if you are an auditory learner:

  • Read your notes and your textbook out loud, and explain each step of a math problem to yourself as you work it.
  • Join a study group where you can talk the material through.
  • Record class sessions when your teacher allows it, and listen back while you review your written notes.
  • Turn facts and definitions into rhymes, jingles, or songs.
  • Study somewhere quiet. Background noise competes with the channel you learn through.

More strategies: Auditory Learner.

Visual learners

Visual learners learn best when information is written down or shown as a picture, chart, or diagram. If this is your top score, you probably remember what a page looked like, picture information in your mind, and prefer teachers who write on the board and hand out clear notes.

How to study if you are a visual learner:

  • Turn your notes into diagrams, concept maps, timelines, and charts.
  • Color-code your notes and textbooks with highlighters.
  • Sit near the front so you can see the board and your teacher's expressions.
  • Keep flashcards short so each one forms a single mental picture.
  • Rewrite or redraw information from memory when you review.

More strategies: Visual Learner.

Tactile/kinesthetic learners

Tactile/kinesthetic learners learn best by touching, building, and moving. If this is your top score, you probably like labs and hands-on projects, figure out how things work by taking them apart, and find it hard to sit still through a long reading session.

How to study if you are a tactile/kinesthetic learner:

  • Study in short blocks with short breaks, and move while you review: walk with your notes or read standing up.
  • Build models, act out events, and use real objects to work through math.
  • Take plenty of notes by hand in class, then type them up later.
  • Use your finger as a guide while reading, and "write" spelling words in the air.
  • Keep your hands busy with a stress ball or a pencil while you listen.

More strategies: Tactile/Kinesthetic Learner.

For teachers and counselors

This quiz works well as a first-week activity or as the opener for a study skills unit. Students finish it in about five minutes on any device, see their scores immediately, and can print or screenshot the results page. There is no login, no account, and no email collected, so you can assign it through Google Classroom, Canvas, Moodle, or any other learning platform by linking to this page.

Ways to use it in class:

  • Have students take the quiz, then write a short reflection on which strategies from their top style they will try this term.
  • Pair students with different top styles to compare how they prepare for the same test.
  • Come back to the results before exams, when a change in study strategy is most likely to pay off.

If you teach study skills as a unit, this quiz is one piece of a larger skill set. SOAR Learning, which runs this site, publishes a study skills curriculum for schools built around the same ideas, and the other free self-assessments here cover concentration, motivation, test anxiety, procrastination, and more.

Frequently asked questions

Is this learning style quiz free? Yes. It is free to take and free to share, and there is nothing to sign up for.

How long does it take? About five minutes for the 30 statements. Your results appear as soon as you click Send Results.

What type of learner am I? The quiz above tells you. Your highest of the three scores is your preferred learning style, and the sections above explain what each one means.

Is this the same as a learning style test or inventory? Yes. Quiz, test, assessment, and inventory are different names for the same kind of short self-report tool.

What age is it for? It is written for students in middle school, high school, and college. Younger students can take it with a parent or teacher reading the statements aloud.

What if my scores are close together? You learn well through more than one style. Use strategies from each of your top styles.

Does my learning style change? Preferences can shift as you get older and as you practice new strategies. Retaking the quiz each school year is a good habit.

Is this a diagnosis? No. (NOTE: This assessment is designed to help guide learners in identifying perceived strengths and weaknesses, but should not be used for diagnosing medical conditions or learning disabilities.)

Where can I read more about learning styles? Start with Your Preferred Learning Style, then the pages for auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic learners.