Locus of Control Test Results: Internal vs External Explained

Which locus of control test is linked here?

OpenLearn’s Am I In Control? is an educational activity from The Open University, presented by John Oates and based on Rotter’s framework. It offers 23 pairs of statements, asks readers to keep their answers and provides scoring instructions on the page. It is a self-scored activity rather than a test hosted by 12 axes. Use its own instructions; we do not copy the statements or calculate this result.

Internal and external: what are the poles?

The framework concerns beliefs about whether outcomes depend more on one’s own actions or on external influences such as circumstances, chance or other people. OpenLearn explains this as a continuum and notes that expectations may vary by situation. A label summarizes a response pattern. It does not establish how much power you actually have in every setting, and it is not a pair of fixed personality boxes.

Which direction does the OpenLearn score run?

For this specific activity, the range is 0–23. Higher scores indicate a more external orientation and lower scores a more internal orientation. The page states that there is no fixed boundary between high, middle and low scores. Do not apply this direction or range to an unrelated online questionnaire without checking its instructions. Neither endpoint is an accuracy score or a probability that an event will occur.

Separate influence from responsibility

Our suggested reading exercise is to choose a routine event and make three lists: actions you could take, conditions you could influence with help, and conditions outside your control. For a group project, these might include your preparation, a shared timetable and a cancelled venue. These are invented examples, not test items. The exercise makes room for action without treating every outcome as your fault.

Compare a belief with what the situation allows

Ask what information supported your answer at the time. Were the rules clear? Did someone else make the final decision? Was the outcome partly random? A general statement can hide very different situations. Rather than trying to force every answer toward one pole, identify where more information would help you distinguish an available choice from a genuine constraint. This is an editorial reflection method, not an additional scoring stage.

How to use the result in a practical discussion

Choose one decision you expect to face soon. Describe what you want to influence and what evidence would tell you whether an action helped. Invite another person to identify assumptions or missing resources. Keep the conversation about the decision rather than labeling each other. Recording the outcome can be useful even when nothing changes, because it separates a prediction from what subsequently happened.

FAQ: Is an internal result always better?

Do not treat the scale as a contest. OpenLearn’s explanatory article cautions that internal explanations can be unhelpful when people have little actual control. For reflection, ask whether your interpretation fits the circumstances. Recognizing an external constraint need not prevent you from identifying an available next step, and believing strongly in personal agency does not prove that a barrier is removable.

FAQ: Why does another test give me a different result?

Check the source, wording, scoring direction and context before comparing numbers. Some tools discuss general expectations; others focus on one domain. This article only describes the linked OpenLearn activity and does not certify equivalence with other forms based on Rotter. If the versions differ, retain both descriptions rather than converting their scores to a common percentage.

FAQ: Does the result diagnose a problem or predict politics?

No diagnostic or party prediction is supplied here. A score cannot establish whether someone is ill, blameworthy or suited to a job. Nor does believing that action matters specify which policies a person supports. Political participation, preferences and beliefs about control are different questions. Avoid inferring a vote or an ideology from a personal reflection activity.

FAQ: How does this compare with grit or 12 axes?

Grit concerns sustained pursuit of goals; locus of control concerns expectations about influence; 12 axes asks about policy preferences. You may find it useful to consider all three questions, but we provide no numerical conversion among them. Recommendations are the same for everyone. Links to OpenLearn contain no 12 axes answers or scores, and this guide is not affiliated with The Open University.

Explore the twelve axes