MBTI – Form M, Step I, Form Q, Step II – what’s the difference?

You most likely have heard about the MBTI® Form M, Form Q, Step I and Step II. In the United States we refer to these assessments interchangeably however, they are very different. 

 What is the difference?

MBTI® Form M is the basic MBTI® form used in the United States.  Form M consists of 93 items and provides an individual with their whole type (ESTP, INFP, etc.).   Scoring is based on Item Response Theory.  The scoring is presented as a preference clarity index from 0-30 for each dichotomy.  The MBTI® Form M is based on a US normative sample.  The MBTI® Form M is available in US English, North American Spanish and French Canadian.

MBTI® Form Q is sometimes referred to as the long version or Step II of the MBTI®.  Form Q consists of 144 items and provides an individual with their whole type plus 20 facets (subscales).  The facets describe a preferred behavior of an individual and demonstrate how an individual is unique in his/her preferred style.  The whole type is based on the Form M and the facets are scored based on Item Response Theory.  The facets are scored on a scale of 1-5 with 0 being the center point.  The MBTI® Form Q is based on a US normative sample.  The MBTI® Form Q is available in US English and French Canadian.

Important note: The first 93 questions of Form Q are the same as the Form M assessment.  If you think you may use the Form Q with any of your clients then, have them all take the Form Q in SkillsOne.  With SkillsOne, you only pay for the reports that you print and not the assessment questionnaire. This approach saves you and your clients’ time in administering the assessment if you plan on using Form Q in the future with them.

MBTI® Step I is the European form of the basic MBTI®.  The Step I consists of 88 items and provides the client with the whole type (ESTP, INFP, etc.)  It is the UK version of the basic MBTI® assessment. Step I uses “Prediction Ratio” to score the items.  The scoring system is based on a scale of 0-60.  The MBTI® Step I is based on a UK normative sample.  The MBTI® Step I instrument and report is currently available in UK English, Danish, Dutch, French, German and Swedish.  It is available in instrument form only in Italian, Norwegian and Spanish.  This assessment is available through OPP for European customers or through CPP scoring services for US customers.

MBTI® Step II is the European expanded form.  The European Step II consists of 166 items and provides the client with the whole type and 20 facets (subscales).  The facets are scored by Item Response Theory and they whole type is based on the Step I.  The scoring for the facets is based on a scale of 1-5 with 0 being the center point.  The MBTI® Step II is based on a Pan-European normative sample.  The MBTI® Step II instrument and report is currently available in UK English, Danish, Dutch, French, German and Swedish.  It is available in instrument form only in Italian, Norwegian and Spanish.  The reports look similar to the US versions but may vary in length due to the translations. This assessment is available through OPP for European customers or through CPP scoring services for US customers.