Free 12 Axes political test
The 12 Axes Test, for politics that won't fit on one line.
The 12 Axes test is a free political quiz that scores you on twelve separate axes instead of one left-right line. Rate 36, 60 or 288 statements and see your twelve results, your closest ideology, the country governed most like you think and the historical figure nearest to you. There is no account, and your answers never leave your browser.
- 12
- axes
- 288
- statements in the bank
- 38
- ideologies
- 109
- countries
- 109
- historical figures
01
What is the 12 Axes test?
The 12 Axes test is an online political values quiz. It shows you a series of statements, asks how far you agree with each one and turns your answers into twelve percentages, one for each axis. The axes fall into four groups: government, diplomacy, economy and society.
The 12 Axes test began as an open-source project that reworked the 9Axes quiz, which was itself built on 8values. Its idea is that one left-right line hides too much. Someone can want open trade and closed borders, or a strong welfare state and a small military, and the test keeps each of those positions visible instead of averaging them away.
On this site the 12 Axes test is free in three lengths. When you finish you get your twelve scores, a chart of your own, the closest of 38 ideologies, the closest of 109 countries and the closest of 109 historical figures, plus a link and an image to share.
02
The twelve axes the 12 Axes test measures
Every axis in the test is a tug of war between two values. Your score is the share of the first one, so 62% Federal also means 38% Unitary. Neither end is the right answer.
Government
- a
Structure
FederalUnitary
Where power should sit: with regions and cities, or with one national government.
- b
Representation
DemocraticAutocratic
Who decides: voters, or leaders who do not answer to them.
- e
Power
SecurityFreedom
What the state is for: keeping order, or staying out of the way.
Diplomacy
- c
Intervention
InternationalistNationalist
How a country should relate to the rest of the world.
- d
Military
MilitaristPacifist
The place of armed force in policy.
- i
Immigration
AssimilationistMulticulturalist
What a country should ask of the people who move to it.
Economy
- f
Economy
CollectivizePrivatize
Who should own wealth and the means of making it.
- j
Control
PlannedLaissez-faire
Who steers the economy: the state, or prices.
- k
Trade
ProtectionistGlobalist
How open an economy should be to the outside.
Society
- g
Religion
IrreligiousReligious
The role of faith in public life.
- h
Culture
ProgressiveTraditional
How fast social norms should change.
- l
Technology
AccelerationBioconservative
How far and how fast technology should go.
03
How the 12 Axes test works
- 1
Pick a test length
36 statements for a first look, 60 for the standard 12 Axes test, or all 288. Every length draws on the same bank and scores the same twelve axes.
- 2
Rate each statement
Seven choices run from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Use a mouse, a finger or keys 1 to 7. You can step back, and progress is saved on your device if you close the tab.
- 3
Read twelve results, not one
The 12 Axes test gives every axis its own percentage, then compares your profile with 38 ideologies, 109 countries and 109 historical figures to find your closest matches.
How the 12 Axes test is scored
score = 50 + 50 × total ÷ maximum
Strongly agree counts 2, agree 1, partially agree 0.5 and neutral 0, with the same values in negative for disagreement. A statement written for the second pole of its axis has its sign flipped. Your score on an axis is 50, plus 50 times your total divided by the highest total possible. That puts every length of the test on the same 0 to 100 scale.
Read the full test methodology04
What your 12 Axes test results show
Closest of 38 ideologies
Social Liberalism
Government
Diplomacy
Economy
Society
A shape that is yours
Twelve axes become twelve lines through one centre. A perfect centrist draws a circle. Every opinion you hold pulls it out of round.
Twelve percentages with plain labels
Each axis shows both sides and names the band you fall in, from Confederal to Fully centralized, or from Antitheist to Theocratic.
Your closest ideology, country and figure
The 12 Axes test names the closest of 38 ideologies, the country whose government sits nearest to your answers and the historical figure who thought most like you, each with a closeness score.
A result card to share
Your test result comes with a link and a card you can download. The link holds your twelve scores and nothing else.
05
Which country and historical figure match your 12 Axes test?
The 12 Axes test on this site compares your twelve scores with 109 countries and 109 historical figures. Countries are placed by how they are governed today, and figures by what they argued for and what they did.
For the sample result above
The placements are editorial estimates, not measurements. The methodology page explains how they were made.
06
12 Axes test lengths: 36, 60 or 288 statements
Longer versions of the test ask about more situations, so one odd answer moves the result less. They are not more scientific.
07
The 12 Axes test compared with other political tests
The 12 Axes test began as a rework of 9Axes, which was itself built on the open-source 8values. It keeps the agree-or-disagree format and divides the picture further: trade is separated from ownership, immigration from foreign policy, and technology gets an axis of its own.
| Test | Axes | Questions | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Political Compass | 2 | 62 | One dot on an economic and social grid |
| 8values | 4 | 70 | Four bars and a closest ideology |
| 9Axes | 9 | 45 or 216 | Nine bars |
| 12 Axes test | 12, in 4 categories | 36, 60 or 288 on this site | Twelve bars, a shape, and your closest ideology, country and historical figure |
08
12 Axes test FAQ
What is the 12 Axes test?
The 12 Axes test is a free political values quiz that scores you on twelve separate axes instead of one left-right line. The axes are grouped into government, diplomacy, economy and society. It began as an open-source rework of the 9Axes and 8values tests.
How many questions does the 12 Axes test have?
The test bank holds 288 statements, 24 for each axis. This site offers a quick version with 36, the standard version with 60 and the full version with all 288.
How long does the 12 Axes test take?
About 5 minutes for 36 statements, 9 minutes for 60 and around 40 minutes for 288. There is no timer, and your progress is saved in your browser if you leave.
Is the 12 Axes test free?
Yes. Every version of the test, the complete result, the ideology, country and figure matches and the share card are free. There is no account and no paid report.
Is the 12 Axes test accurate?
The test is a tool for reflection, not a scientific instrument. The statements are short, some reflect the politics of the English-speaking world, and nobody has validated the scales. Treat the result as a starting point for thinking, not as a verdict.
How is the 12 Axes test scored?
Each answer adds or subtracts between 0 and 2 points on the axis its statement belongs to. Your total is divided by the highest total possible and placed on a 0 to 100 scale, where 50 is the exact middle. The methodology page shows the full calculation.
Which country does the 12 Axes test match me with?
This site compares your twelve scores with 109 countries, each placed by how it is governed today. The nearest one is your match. The placement describes a government's policies, not the views of the people who live there.
Which historical figures are in the 12 Axes test?
There are 109, among them Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Karl Marx, Margaret Thatcher, Simón Bolívar and Getúlio Vargas. Only people who are no longer living are included, so no current politician is scored.
Which ideologies can the 12 Axes test give me?
There are 38, running from anarcho-communism to anarcho-capitalism and including social democracy, liberalism, conservatism and many more. The ideology match uses four of your axes: economy, power, intervention and culture.
What happens to my 12 Axes test answers?
They stay in your browser. Scores are calculated on your device and progress is kept in local storage. The address of a result page contains your twelve scores and nothing else, so only people you send it to can see it.
How do I share my 12 Axes test result?
The result page has a button that copies its link and two buttons that download a result card, one wide and one tall. Anyone who opens the link sees your chart and matches, and can take the test to compare.
Is this the official 12 Axes test or the 12axes Vercel app?
No. This is an independent site built on the open-source 12axes question bank. It is not affiliated with politicaltests.github.io, 12axes.vercel.app or any other 12 Axes website.
Is 12 Axes the same as 12axes or the 12 axis test?
Yes. People write it as 12 Axes, 12axes, 12 axes test or 12 axis test. All of them mean the same twelve-axis political quiz.
Can I take the 12 Axes test in other languages?
Yes. The test on this site is available in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Switching language keeps the same twelve axes and the same scoring.
Can I retake the 12 Axes test?
As often as you like. The 36 and 60 statement versions draw a fresh selection from the bank each time, so a result can shift by a few points between attempts.
09
About this 12 Axes test
The statements in this 12 Axes test come from the open-source 12axes question bank, published under the MIT licence, with typing errors corrected. This site is independent. It is not affiliated with politicaltests.github.io, 12axes.vercel.app or any other 12 Axes website. The test is for reflection and conversation. Nobody has validated it as a measuring instrument, and it does not tell you how to vote.
About this site and the licenceTwelve lines. Draw yours.
Take the 12 Axes test: 60 statements, nine minutes, no sign-up.