Enneagram Tritype® Test: How and Why it Evolved and Why it Works When You Understand It!
The Enneagram Tritype® Test didn’t come about by chance or a casual whim. It was born from over four decades of observing a persistent, frustrating pattern among Enneagram enthusiasts in search of self-knowledge: people mistyping themselves by focusing on their behaviors rather than their deeper, often hidden motivations that truly define their Enneagram types and Tritypes®. For some, this confusion can lead to years—sometimes decades—spent trying on types, wondering why they do not have the “aha” moment of certainty or the ability to use the system to create the meaningful and lasting change they desire. Many end up trying to make sense of inaccurate types, leading to unintentional and misguided self-understanding.
Backstory
I did not need a new test; however, I felt test-takers did, due to these common mistypings. Recognizing this, I committed significant time, energy, and resources to develop a tool that could navigate the intricate patterns underlying the Enneagram Personality Types. During the stillness and pause of the 2020 pandemic lockdown, I found a rare programmer who could translate these complexities into a precise, responsive digital test. He was an advanced programmer who could incorporate the testing patterns I had observed for four decades.
Together, we developed the Enneagram Tritype Test Version 8 (ETTv8), a carefully crafted testing instrument comprising 10 individual tests seamlessly integrated into a single platform. It was designed not only to measure surface traits, but also to illuminate the inner dynamics of the Enneagram Types and the three types that form each person’s Tritype®.
What sets this test apart are its intelligent alerts—special notices that signal when test-takers may be caught in common mistyping traps, especially involving Types 6 and 9. These “adaptable primary types” at the core of each center within the Enneagram are hardwired to blend behaviors and deflect recognition of the idealized images they must maintain, the core fears that arise if an idealized image feels threatened, and the strategies employed to defend their view of reality. They do not realize that the motivations at the core of their behavioral process are an innate part of their defense strategies. This pattern can derail the typing process and lead to frustrations. The test invites users to look beyond their observable actions and dive into the motivations that lie beneath their behaviors, helping them shed the need for a “perfect” behavioral description.
When understood and applied with an open mind, the Enneagram Tritype® Test becomes a powerful compass. It guides people past the mirages of behavior and onto the terrain of motivation, providing clarity and precision. This clarity prevents the common pitfalls of mistyping that often trap seekers in false identities, freeing them to embrace a more authentic and transformative self-awareness—sooner rather than later.
If you take the test and encounter a special notice, don’t ignore it. Consider it a meaningful invitation to explore deeper—to consider that you may be identified with the need to focus on current situations and behaviors rather than on the adjectives that define the overarching personality qualities that are permanent character traits and not situational. Your type and Tritype® are based on your motivation. Listen with fresh ears to your inner voice beneath the surface. When motivation and fear come into focus, the fog of mistyping lifts—and the true Tritype® shines through.
Steps for Accurate Typing Using the Enneagram Tritype® Test
1. Shift the focus from behavior to motivation.
Understand that true Enneagram typing—and Trityping®—is not based on what you do, but why you do it. Behaviors are fluid and adaptive; motivations are enduring and reveal the inner architecture of your psyche.
2. Recognize the lifelong character traits.
Pay attention to adjectives that describe permanent qualities and traits you’ve displayed consistently over your lifetime, rather than situational behaviors or current coping mechanisms.
3. Be aware of common mistyping traps.
Even if you do not resonate with Types 6 or 9, be aware that these types are known for blending and deflecting, adapting and avoiding, as an innate part of their defenses. This commonly leads to mistyping. Realize you may unknowingly have the 6, 9, or even 3 in your Tritype®—types that often struggle to recognize their idealized self-images, core fears, and defense strategies. These types are naturally adaptive and often misidentified due to their defense mechanisms.
4. Take the test with an open, curious mindset.
The Enneagram Tritype® Test v8 (ETTv8) is not a conventional personality quiz—it is a diagnostic tool designed to detect patterns beneath the surface. Be willing to explore unexpected results rather than dismiss them.
5. Pay attention to the alerts and special notices.
If the test flags a potential mistyping, don’t disregard it. These alerts are built in to point you toward blind spots in self-perception—especially when motivations are masked by learned behaviors or roles.
6. Consider how your motivations have shaped your life.
Reflect on your core fears, idealized self-images, and defense strategies, and how they’ve shown up across your lifespan. Your Tritype® will reflect a consistent pattern of motivational drivers across the Head (5, 6, 7), Heart (2, 3, 4), and Gut (8, 9, 1) types.
7. Explore your Tritype® as a synergy of three types.
Realize that your Tritype® isn’t just three separate types—it is a unified personality structure made up of your dominant types in each center. These merge, forming a new archetype with a specific focus of attention and worldview, based on the combination of three sets of idealized self-images, core fears, and defense strategies.
8. Accept the difference between identification and truth.
You may identify with a type due to roles, wounds, or social conditioning, but that doesn’t mean it’s your core type. Allow the test and your inner inquiry to reveal who you are underneath your adaptations.
9. Understand that transformation comes from motivation.
Behavioral change is superficial unless it stems from an understanding of the motivations and fears that drive it. The Enneagram Tritype® Test is a tool for accessing this deeper domain.
10. Trust the process and revisit as needed.
Self-awareness unfolds in layers. You may return to the test with new insights and clarity over time. Each pass offers a deeper understanding of your inner map. Compare and contrast different experiences that have troubled you. Go beyond what happened or who was at fault to explore: Why were you upset? Why did you react the way you did? Discover the deeper idealized images you maintain to feel safe, identify the core fears beneath your fixed beliefs, and the defenses beneath your dogmatic convictions.