Career assessment tools can help you learn more about your interests, strengths, values, aptitudes, and personality.
All assessments are available for UW-Madison undergraduate students to take free of charge as the Career Exploration Center covers any fees. Some assessments, however, do require you to meet with a CEC career advisor.
The CEC offers 2 types of career assessments:
Self-guided (Focus 2)
- It is recommended you meet with a CEC career advisor to discuss your results
Professional, in-depth interpretation required (MBTI and Strengths Quest)
- It is required you meet with a CEC career advisor to discuss your results
Learn more about each assessment below.
Things to consider before taking an assessment:
- It’s important to know why you want to take an assessment and what you hope to get out of it. CEC advisors can help you identify which assessment (if any) makes the most sense for you based on your unique goals.
- No assessment will give you all the answers or tell you what you should do with your life! Figuring that out takes reflection, time, and experience.
- Whether or not it is required, it is always best to meet with a career advisor after taking an assessment. CEC advisors can interpret your results and help you plan your next steps.
Looking to further explore your career and major options?
These assessments can provide a starting point for major and career exploration. To take your exploration further, we encourage you to:
- Meet with a CEC advisor
- Check out our upcoming events
- Review additional resources on our Explore Majors and Explore Careers pages
With this online career resource, you can:
- Learn about the foundations of the career planning process
- Take Self Assessments related to work and leisure interests, personality, values, and skills to discover occupations that could be a good fit for you based on your unique attributes
- Explore career options by major and Job Family
- Create a road map of your academic and career development activities
To use FOCUS 2:
- First-time users: Create a new account. Use this access code: uwm
- Returning users: Log on using the account you have already created
We encourage you to discuss your results with one of our career advisors. Please schedule an appointment with us through Starfish.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, provides a description of a person’s personality type through their preferences for how they relate to others, gather information, make decisions, and organize their time. This information can then be related to career interests.
More information about the MBTI
If you are interested in learning more about, or taking, this assessment, please schedule an appointment with a CEC advisor.
StrengthsQuest helps students think about developing strengths by building on their greatest talents – the way in which they most naturally think, feel, and behave as unique individuals, and how those strengths can relate to career and academic paths.
More information about Strengths Quest
If you are interested in learning more about, or taking, this assessment, please schedule an appointment with a CEC advisor.