PrismaTest
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Difficult Person Test: Are You Hard To Get Along With?

Thirty-five honest statements score you on seven traits that make people harder to live and work with, from callousness to control.

  • 35 questions
  • About 6 min
  • Free, no sign-up
  • Based on research on antagonistic personality traits

35 questions, about 6 min

Be honest, not modest. Think about how you actually behave with family, partners, friends and colleagues, including on your bad days.

35 statements, 5 answer options. You get an overall score and a score on seven traits that make people harder to get along with.

What This Test Measures

Some people are easy to be around. Others leave a trail of arguments, hurt feelings and broken trust, often without meaning to. This test looks at seven traits that psychologists link with friction in relationships and gives you a score for each, plus an overall score.

TraitWhat it looks like day to day
CallousnessNot noticing or caring how your words land
GrandiosityFeeling more deserving or capable than others
HostilityQuick temper, grudges, arguing to win
SuspicionExpecting people to deceive or let you down
ManipulationUsing charm, flattery or half-truths to get your way
ControlNeeding things done your way and directing others
Thrill-seekingActing on impulse and pushing boundaries

How The Test Works And How It Is Scored

You rate 35 statements from “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree”. There are five statements per trait. One in each set is reversed, so agreeing with it means less of that trait. For example, “I stay calm when people criticise me” lowers your hostility score if you agree.

Each answer scores 0 to 4. We add up your answers for each trait and overall, and show them as percentages.

Overall scoreResult
0% to 20%Easygoing
21% to 35%Mostly easy to get along with
36% to 50%Sometimes difficult
51% to 65%Often difficult
66% to 100%Very difficult to get along with

Sample statement (Suspicion): “I check up on people because I do not fully trust them.” Strong agreement adds 4 points to your suspicion score.

All statements were written by PrismaTest for this test.

The Research Behind It

Personality researchers describe a broad trait called antagonism: the opposite end of agreeableness. People high in antagonism tend to put themselves first, distrust others and are more willing to use them. It is one of the main dimensions in modern models of personality, including the Big Five (as low agreeableness) and the HEXACO model (as low honesty-humility and agreeableness).

Research led by psychologists including Chelsea Sleep, Joshua Miller and Donald Lynam has studied how antagonism breaks down into narrower parts such as callousness, grandiosity, suspicion and manipulativeness. These traits predict real-life problems, including conflict, aggression and relationship breakdown. Our seven traits are based on that body of work, with thrill-seeking added because impulsive risk-taking is a common source of tension in close relationships.

A popular online “difficult person test” went viral in 2022. It was inspired by this research, but the researchers themselves did not create it. This PrismaTest version is independent, with its own statements and scoring.

Limits

Self-report has an obvious weakness here: the most difficult people may be the least likely to see it. If you want an honest picture, ask someone close to you to take the test while thinking of you, and compare.

All Possible Results

Easygoing

Warm, trusting and even-tempered. Your main risk is avoiding conflict that would be healthy.

Mostly Easy To Get Along With

A few rough edges, usually under stress. Your top trait bar shows what others notice.

Sometimes Difficult

Difficult traits appear in particular situations. People may see you as strong-willed or sharp.

Often Difficult

Several traits show up regularly and can strain trust. Working on your highest trait will help most.

Very Difficult To Get Along With

High scores across many traits. Talking to a counsellor can help untangle the patterns behind them.

How To Read Your Result

Your trait bars matter more than your overall label. Two people with “Sometimes Difficult” can be very different: one quick-tempered but honest, the other calm but manipulative.

  • Find your top trait. Ask yourself when it shows up most: at work, with a partner, with family?
  • Look for pairs. Suspicion plus control often shows up as checking up on people. Grandiosity plus callousness often shows up as dismissing others’ ideas.
  • Choose one small change. For hostility, a ten-second pause before replying. For control, letting one task be done someone else’s way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes someone a difficult person?

Research points to a cluster of antagonistic traits: low empathy, a sense of superiority, hostility, distrust and willingness to manipulate. Most people show some of these at times; difficult people show them often and across situations.

Is a high score a sign of a personality disorder?

No. This test cannot diagnose anything. Antagonistic traits exist on a scale in everyone. If your relationships are often in conflict and it is causing distress, a mental health professional can give a proper assessment.

Can you become less difficult?

Yes. Personality traits change slowly through life, and behaviours can change faster. Noticing your triggers, pausing before reacting and asking for honest feedback all help.

Why are some questions reversed?

Reversed statements stop people from getting a high or low score just by agreeing with everything. They also make it a little harder to guess which answer looks best.

Related Tests

See how your antagonism compares with your wider personality in the 16 personality types test, or check your relationship habits with the red flag test.

For self-reflection only. This is not a psychological assessment or diagnosis. See how we build our tests.