If you are in college/university or even high school yo ushould check with your organization. A lot of them will allow you to take it at a discount. (I paid $15, woot woot, actually I should get those results sometime!)
I'm long out of college so no discount for me. Looks like I'll be applying Patches method.
E/I:
INITIATING (Sociable, congenial, introduce people) vs RECEIVING (Reserved, low-key, are introduced)
I'd say more receiving although I can certaintly be sociable and congenial when comfortable. In general I give off a reserved, low-key demeanor and almost never introduce other people.
EXPRESSIVE (Demonstrative, easier to know, self-revealing) vs CONTAINED (Controlled, harder to know, private)
Definitely more contained. I hold alot of myself back, although I'm somewhat more expressive in online forums, I'm very contained in real life. I hold alot of myself back. Theres alot even my family members don't know about me.
GREGARIOUS (Seek popularity, broad circle, join groups) vs INTIMATE (Seek intimacy, one-on-one, find individuals)
Probably out of preference here. I seem to care more about popularity compared to other introverts. I want intimacy but am rather afraid of it. I tend to have a broad circle- I have alot of acquaintances but not many close friends. I like joining groups of people that share similar interests.
ACTIVE (Interactive, want contact, listen and speak) vs REFLECTIVE (Onlooker, prefer space, read and write)
Definitely more reflective. I can spend long periods of time alone and never get bored. I definitely need lots of personal space. Reading and writing appeals to me more than listening and speaking.
ENTHUSIASTIC (Lively, energetic, seek spotlight) vs QUIET (Calm, enjoy solitude, seek background)
Probably more quiet. I seek calm and enjoy solitude much of the time although I can be lively and energetic at times too. Generally, I prefer being in the background to being in the spotlight.
S/N:
CONCRETE (Exact facts, literal, tangible) vs ABSTRACT (Figurative, symbolic, intangible)
I think I'm out of pattern here. Compared to other N types, I tend to press for specifics more, I seem to need things more exact and precise and am prone to taking things to literally. When reading, I prefer a literal, straightforward style, I get frustrated and bored with too much figurative, symbolic stuff. Although, I am interested in many things that are rather intangible like philosophy.
REALISTIC (Sensible, matter-of-fact, seek efficiency) vs IMAGINATIVE (Resourceful, inventive, seek novelty)
Probably more imaginative. Resourceful, inventive, and seeking novelty highly appeal to me. I can certainly be sensible, matter-of-fact, and efficiency seeking but I seem to do those more out of necessity. Imaginative sounds like more fun.
PRACTICAL (Pragmatic, results oriented, applied) vs CONCEPTUAL (Scholarly, idea oriented, intellectual)
Strongly conceptual. My whole life revolves around ideas and intellectual ideas. Learning for the sake of learning and the ideas themselves are more interesting than applying them. Although I do identify with being results oriented.
EXPERIENTIAL (Hands-on, empirical, trust experience) vs THEORETICAL (Seek patterns, hypothetical, trust theories)
Definitely more theoretical. I love seeking out patterns and thinking about hypothetical scenarios. Hands-on stuff tends to bore me. I trust both experience and theories and like them both. I say theoretical, because I don't have to have the hands-on component when learning.
TRADITIONAL (Conventional, customary, tried-and-true) vs ORIGINAL (Unconventional, different, new and unusual)
Clearly more original. Traditional sounds boring to me. I don't like tradition for its own sake although there's are a few traditions that I like that I keep up. I am always questioning conventions and the way things are done. I'm intrigued by the different and new and unusual. I don't mind sticking to methods that work but I'm quick to discard something that's no longer effective and replace it with something better.
T/F:
LOGICAL (Impersonal, seek impartiality, objective analysis) vs EMPATHETIC (Personal, seek harmony, central values)
I'd say more somewhat more logical. I try to take an impartial, objective analysis when possible. Although I do care about having a personal approach and I definitely seek and need harmony. I'm not sure I have that clear of a sense of 'central' values.
REASONABLE (Truthful, cause and effect, apply principles) vs COMPASSIONATE (Tactful, sympathetic, loyal)
I think I lean slightly towards being reasonable but it is a close call. I value both truth and tact highly but if someone were to put a gun to my head and make me decide, I'd probably go with truth. I'm always thinking about cause and effect and applying principles towards things. But at the same time I'm sympathetic and loyal.
QUESTIONING (Precise, challenging, want discussion) vs ACCOMODATING (Approving, agreeable, want harmony)
Honestly, I don't know. I strongly identify with both sides. I'm very precise and always challenging conventions and things. I love a good discussion. However, I value harmony very highly and when discussions get too heated, I'm out of there. Most of the time I have an agreeable and approving demeanor.
CRITICAL (Skeptical, want proof, critique) vs ACCEPTING (Tolerant, trusting, give praise)
Another one I have trouble with. When younger I was far more critical but today I'm pretty balanced between the two. So I guess my natural tendency is probably the former, LOL. In life I've learned to be more tolerant and not critique so much. I want proof for somethings but not everything. There are things I believe in that can't be proved. In some ways I'm too skeptical but in other ways I'm too trusting. I am careful to balance constructive criticism with praise.
TOUGH (Firm, tough-minded, ends-oriented) vs TENDER (Gentle, tender-hearted, means-oriented)
I think I'm somewhat more tender than tough but not in the extreme because I can be tough when necessary. Sometimes I have trouble firmly standing my ground, especially when there's strong opposition. I care about the end result but I don't believe the ends justify the means. It's no good to accomplish something if you have to step on others' toes to get there.
Overall, my preferences on T/F subscales just aren't as clearly defined as they are on E/I and S/N. That's kind of why I'd like to take the real test to see. I don't think three word descriptions tell you the whole story.
J/P:
SYSTEMATIC (Orderly, structured, dislike diversions) vs CASUAL (Relaxed, easygoing, welcome diversions)
Somewhere in the middle. Honestly, I don't know. I am quite orderly and structured but I'm also relaxed and easygoing most of the time. I have mixed feelings towards diversions. If I'm working on something unimportant or something not very exciting, I welcome them, even seek them but if I'm concentrating intensively on a task, diversions are annoying. I hate being interrupted when focused intensely on something.
PLANFUL (Future-focused, advance planner, make firm plans) vs OPEN ENDED (Present focused, go-with-the-flow, make flexible plans)
Again, somewhere in between. I am more future than present focused and I will make plans to ensure the future is well taken care of. Like making sure I have enough money when I retire. But I would much prefer that I didn't have to do any of that stuff. I find planning all the details on things like vacations and weddings tedioius and prefer that others do it. Once plans are made, I do like to stick to them but I don't like overly firm plans. I like some wiggle room in my plans but not too much.
EARLY STARTING (Motivated by self-discipline, steady progress, late start stressful) vs PRESSURE PROMPTED (Motivated by pressure, bursts and spurts, early start unstimulating)
When I was young, I was very much pressure prompted but today I'm more balanced (can subscale preferences change with time?) In truth, pressure is and has always been a strong motivator for me. However, I hate having a lot of pressure on me and late starts are definitely stressful. But if I start too early, its hard to be motivated. My natural tendency is to work more in bursts and spurts than steady progress. I guess if I had to pick I'd be a pressure prompted person whose learned to utilize the early starting side more.
SCHEDULED (want routine, make lists, procedures help) vs SPONTANEOUS (want variety, enjoy the unexpected, procedures hinder)
Again, help me out on this one. I prefer variety to routine and I find things like exercise routines and other tight schedules hard to maintain. I am a rather compulsive list maker and I generally don't like surprises or the unexpected. In general, procedures help more than hinder although having a procedure that's too rigid or complicated is more of a hindrance than a help.
METHODICAL (plan specific tasks, note subtasks, organized) vs EMERGENT (plunge in, let strategies emerge, adaptable)
I think I'm more emergent. I find it hard to plan all the specifics of a task and sometimes I fail to anticipate what's needed until I jump in and start goofing up. Sometimes though, my being emergent is more due to impatience. I get anxious to start some new task or endeavor so I don't think it all through carefully enough beforehand. I would like to be more methodical but sometimes don't know what's needed beforehand.
So overall, maybe I'm just a tad more P than J. With the exception of the last subscale I don't seem to a have a solid preference on any of them.
I took the official MBTI and scored INTP and then INTJ at a later time. Both times the J/P preference was slight. It would be interesting to see where I'd fall on the subscales.