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Imposter Syndrome Self Assessment

Do you sometimes feel that you'll be 'found out' by colleagues or that your career success is down to chance or pure luck? You may be experiencing imposter syndrome and that can create a serious roadblock when you're attempting to make positive changes. Surprisingly, you're not alone. Pioneered by Dr Pauline Clance in the 70s, it's estimated that the majority of us will experience the phenomenon at some point in our lives.

Still wondering if you're affected by imposter syndrome? Take our self assessment and find out.

  1. I'm successful but I feel like a fraud.

  2. My friends think that they know me. But if they really knew me they'd know I'm not as clever as they think I am.

  3. I worry that I going to be found out on my next big project.

  4. I look at what I've achieved and think I should have accomplished more than I have.

  5. Whenever I'm praised by someone I feel awkward and embarrassed. I don't feel like I deserve it.

  6. All of my successes are down to pure luck rather than talent.

  7. If people ask me what I have achieved I try to be humble, I don't want them thinking I'm better than I really am.

  8. I often avoid speaking up in work or educational situations for fear of sounding stupid. Others seem to know so much more than me.

  9. My performance at work or school is generally seen as good but when I start something new I wonder if I'll be able to do it.

  10. When I do something well I am scared and anxious that I won't be able to repeat that success.

  11. I look at my colleagues/peers and think I am not in the same league as them.

  12. I often negate past successes and believe that I succeeded because the task was way too easy

  13. When other people believe that I can achieve something, I seriously worry about their judgement and fear I will let them down.

  14. There's always someone cleverer than me in all situations and it confirms my suspicions about my own lack of ability

  15. I sometimes wonder what on earth my current employer was thinking when they offered me my current role.

  16. I am frightened to push myself towards new goals because I feel that I'm not really good enough to achieve them and then I'll feel even worse when I fail.

  17. I'm scared that people who know me would shun me if they really knew how I feel about myself.

  18. I constantly feel like I don't 'belong'.

  19. I feel as though I have faked my way through most of my life.

  20. I have qualifications but they don't represent who I really am or what I know.

  21. I am constantly pushing myself to work harder than everyone else. If my work isn't perfect I'll be discovered as a fake.

Show Result

Mostly True

The chances are that you're very familiar with imposter syndrome and how the phenomenon impacts upon your performance. You feel as though you'll be found out at any moment and you're exhausted with always feeling that you have to put 110% into everything you do to keep up.

Remember every single one of us will feel like this at some point. In fact, we'll bet that if you start the conversation, others will tell you how it's also affected them sometimes too. It's part of being human and there is nothing wrong with you. You're not a fake or less intelligent than others around you, you just need to fine tune your thinking.

The good news? Taking this test is the first step to identifying imposter syndrome and starting your journey to develop more effective thinking. You're in the right place! We've got your back with a whole host of tools, techniques, blogs and podcasts to help you do just that.

Mostly False

You've occasionally experienced imposter syndrome but you recognise that it's something everyone goes through from time to time. You don't dwell on past failures, you've learned from them and used that information to move forwards.

You'll probably still benefit from some new tools and techniques to help you achieve your goals and keep that mental saw sharp! Take a look at our huge range of resources from podcasts, self assessments, blogs and videos to keep you up to date with the latest research. There's always something here that can help you to boost your performance.