Locus of Control Test: Who Controls Your Destiny?

Are you the driver or the passenger in your own life?

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | Last Updated: March 19, 2026

The concept of "Locus of Control" is a fundamental aspect of personality psychology that describes how strongly people believe they have control over the situations and experiences that affect their lives. Individuals with an "internal" locus of control generally believe that their success or failure is a result of their own hard work and decisions. Conversely, those with an "external" locus of control attribute their outcomes to factors outside their influence, such as luck, fate, or the actions of others.

Understanding where you fall on this spectrum can be incredibly empowering. If you lean heavily towards an external locus, you might often feel helpless or like a victim of circumstance, which can lead to passivity in the face of challenges. On the other hand, an extreme internal locus can sometimes lead to excessive self-blame when things go wrong. Balancing these perspectives is key to developing resilience and a healthy self-image.

This test is designed to help you identify your dominant orientation. By recognizing your natural tendencies, you can begin to adjust your mindset for better emotional well-being. If you are interested in exploring other aspects of your personality and how you react to the world, consider taking our Anxiety Sensitivity Test or the Realistic Optimism Scale.

Take The Locus Of Control Scale

For each statement, indicate how much you agree. For best results, answer honestly and trust your first instinct.

1. Deciphering if someone genuinely likes you can be very difficult.

2. Over the long term, good fortune and bad fortune tend to balance each other out.

3. The public has little sway over the actions of politicians once they are in office.

4. Grading systems used by teachers often seem baffling and arbitrary to me.

5. I frequently feel powerless to affect the events unfolding in my life.

6. Trying to win people over is often a waste of time; their opinion is already set.

7. I sometimes feel like a passenger in my own life, lacking control over its direction.

8. The behavior of politicians is often incomprehensible to me.

9. Unhappiness in life is often the result of misfortune or bad luck.

10. Conflict and war are inevitable, regardless of how hard people try to prevent them.

11. People's true worth frequently goes unnoticed, despite their best efforts to prove themselves.

12. Students often underestimate how much random events and accidental happenings affect their academic marks.

13. Effective leadership is nearly impossible without catching a lucky break.

14. You can't please everyone; some people will simply dislike you regardless of your efforts.

15. I believe that destiny plays a large role and events will generally unfold as they are meant to.

16. Studying often feels pointless because exam questions are frequently unrelated to the coursework.

17. Securing a great job is mostly about timing and being in the right place rather than just skill.

18. Ordinary people have little influence in a world dominated by a few powerful individuals.

19. Long-term planning is often futile since luck determines so much of the outcome anyway.

20. Given how unpredictable life is, decisions might as well be made by flipping a coin.

21. Promotion to leadership positions is often just a matter of who got there first by luck.

22. Global events are driven by forces beyond the average person's comprehension or control.

23. The significant role of chance and accidental happenings in shaping our lives is often overlooked by most.

24. Physical illness is often a matter of bad luck, regardless of how well a person takes care of themselves.

Now, enter your demographics to see how you stack up against others.

First Name

Age

Gender

Region

References

Inspired by work by Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological monographs: General and applied, 80(1), 1-28.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this scale take?
It takes a few minutes to complete.

Are my responses private?
Yes, all responses are anonymized and confidential.

Can I take this test more than once?
Yes, you can retake the test any time to see how your results may have changed.

Disclaimer

This scale is designed for entertainment purposes and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Locus of Control Test: Who Controls Your Destiny?

Take The Locus Of Control Scale

Now, enter your demographics to see how you stack up against others.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Disclaimer

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