- Type
- P
- Code
- 12A
- Holder
- You
- Axes
- 12
- Categories
- 4
- Statements
- 60 or 288
- Languages
- English
- Fee
- Free
- Issued
- On completion
12 Axes TestWhere do you stand?
12 axes in 4 categories, 60 or 288 statements, 7 answer levels, 38 ideologies, 44 historical figures and 40 countries to match: your political passport takes about 10 minutes in the short version.
Twelve axes in four categories
Left and right is one line. Your passport records twelve. Each axis sits between two values, and every statement you answer moves you along one of them. The score is the percent of the first value, so 100 minus the score is the second.
Government
Power held by regions and cities, or by one national government.
Leaders chosen by voters, or authority that does not answer to them.
Order and protection first, or liberty and privacy first.
Diplomacy
Cooperation through shared institutions, or the nation first.
Military strength as a tool of policy, or peace as the rule.
Newcomers adopt the host culture, or many cultures live side by side.
Economy
Shared and public ownership, or private property and enterprise.
The state steers the economy, or prices and competition do.
Protect local industry, or open trade across borders.
Society
A secular public life, or faith as a guide for society.
Change norms through reform, or keep inherited values.
Adopt new technology fast, or limit it to protect human nature.
Applied, processed, issued
Application
Answer 60 statements, one at a time, from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Go back whenever you like.
Processing
Your answers are plotted on twelve axes and compared with 38 ideologies.
Issued
Your passport is stamped with your closest ideology, then saved as an image or a link to share.
- Political home
- South Africa
- Countersigned by
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Specimen: example scores, not a real person.
How the 12 axes test is scored
The test follows the open-source 12axes code. Each of the seven answers has a weight. A statement adds its weight to its axis, or subtracts it when the statement is worded from the opposite side. The short version scores 50 + 5 × the sum in steps of 2.5, the full version 50 + the sum in steps of 0.5.
| Category | First value (high score) | Second value (low score) | Full test | Short test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government | Federal | Unitary | 24 | 5 |
| Government | Democratic | Autocratic | 24 | 5 |
| Government | Security | Freedom | 24 | 5 |
| Diplomacy | Internationalism | Nationalism | 24 | 5 |
| Diplomacy | Militarist | Pacifist | 24 | 5 |
| Diplomacy | Assimilationist | Multiculturalist | 24 | 5 |
| Economy | Collectivize | Privatize | 24 | 5 |
| Economy | Planned | Markets | 24 | 5 |
| Economy | Isolationism | Globalism | 24 | 5 |
| Society | Irreligious | Religious | 24 | 5 |
| Society | Progressive | Traditional | 24 | 5 |
| Society | Acceleration | Bioconservative | 24 | 5 |
| Answer | Weight |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree | 2 |
| Agree | 1 |
| Partially Agree | 0.5 |
| Neutral/Unsure | 0 |
| Partially Disagree | −0.5 |
| Disagree | −1 |
| Strongly Disagree | −2 |
Questions
What is the 12 Axes test?
A political values test built on the open-source 12axes question bank. It places you on 12 axes in 4 categories, government, diplomacy, economy and society, then shows the closest of 38 ideologies.
How many questions does the 12 Axes test have?
The bank holds 288 statements: 12 axes, each with 24 statements in 8 groups of three. The short version asks 60 of them, 5 per axis, and the full version asks all 288.
What do the 12 axes measure?
Each axis sits between two values, for example Federal and Unitary or Planned and Markets. Your score is the percent of the first value, so 100 minus the score is the second. The axes are grouped as government, diplomacy, economy and society, three in each.
How is the 12 Axes test scored?
Each answer has a weight: 2, 1, 0.5, 0, −0.5, −1, −2, from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. A statement adds its weight to its axis, or subtracts it when it is worded from the opposite side. The short version scores 50 + 5 × the sum, the full version 50 + the sum.
What is the difference between the short and the long version?
The short version has 60 statements and takes about 10 minutes; scores move in steps of 2.5 points. The full version has all 288, takes about 45 minutes and moves in steps of 0.5, so it is finer, with scores between 2 and 98.
Is the 12 Axes test accurate?
It is meant for self-reflection, not as a scientific measurement. The statements are short, the ideology match uses only four of the twelve axes, and the same answer can mean different things in different countries. Use it to see where you lean, not to label yourself.
Is the 12 Axes test free, and do I need an account?
It is free, with no account and no email. Your answers stay in your browser, and a share link carries only your twelve scores.