Self Description Test (SDT)
Five honest paragraphs that match the real you
You write five short paragraphs: what your parents, your teachers/employers, your friends think of you, what you think of yourself, and the kind of person you want to become. It's the one test where you describe yourself directly — and the psychologist checks it against everything else you wrote.
The five paragraphs
- Parents — what they value in you, and one thing they'd want you to improve.
- Teachers / employer — your conduct, ability, reliability as they'd describe it.
- Friends — your social qualities: loyalty, helpfulness, humour.
- Yourself — honest strengths and one weakness you're working on.
- Aspiration — a sincere, realistic person you want to become.
Honesty and consistency over praise
Don't write a glowing advertisement. Include a genuine weakness and what you're doing about it — that shows self-awareness, which is itself an officer-like quality. The picture here must match the personality your TAT, WAT and SRT already revealed.
If your SDT says 'calm and patient' but your other tests are full of anger and haste, the inconsistency is a red flag. Describe the person your other answers actually show.
Make the aspiration believable
The fifth paragraph should be a realistic next step in your growth — 'a more patient leader who stays calm under pressure' — not a grand fantasy. It should connect naturally to the weakness you admitted.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ✗Writing pure self-praise with no real weakness.
- ✗A self-image that contradicts your other psych tests.
- ✗Vague clichés ('hardworking and honest') with no substance.
- ✗An aspiration that's a fantasy rather than genuine growth.
Now practise it — free
Reading is step one. Create a free WishWas account to practise Self Description Test (SDT) in a realistic simulator, get question banks and model answers, and study in your own language — all free.