How do you actually feel about yourself? The RSES asks 10 direct questions about your sense of self-worth. No account needed.

What It Measures

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) asks one basic question: how do you actually feel about yourself as a person? Not how you perform at work, not what other people think of you -- just your own sense of worth.

Morris Rosenberg came up with these 10 items in 1965 while studying adolescent self-image. It stuck around because it is short, gets the job done, and the data holds up across all sorts of populations.

Questions

10 statements -- some positive ("I take a positive attitude toward myself"), some negative ("At times I think I am no good at all"). You rate each from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree.

Scoring

Higher score = higher self-esteem.

Score Guide

  • 10-19: Low self-esteem. You are hard on yourself.
  • 20-25: Moderately low. Below average but not critically so.
  • 26-34: Moderate. Normal range. Most people land here.
  • 35-40: High. Strong sense of self-worth.

Psychometrics

Internal consistency: alpha = .77-.88. Test-retest (2 weeks): .85. IRT confirms a single-factor structure, and measurement invariance holds across 53 countries.

Note

Self-check tool, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your self-esteem, talk to a professional. RSES is public domain -- free to use.

Result Interpretation

After completing the 10 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:

  • Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
  • Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
  • Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available

All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.