Why should I PAY for a career quiz?

There are many free career search quizzes online, so I often get asked: "Why should I PAY for your career quiz?"

Great question!

There are many free quizzes - a commonly used free career quiz in New Zealand is "CareerQuest" at https://www.careers.govt.nz/resources/tools-and-activities/careerquest-guide/ This is a government quiz (Careers New Zealand) that most high school students complete. When I ask them about it, students and parents are VERY dismissive of the results.

But here's the issue with this quiz - the results tell a student what JOB they should do. Humans are more complex than that, and we don't have ONE JOB in our life - from my career search quiz, I identify a CAREER FIELD that best suits each young adult, and then once they have secured qualifications in that career field, then they have a range of role options in THAT field, and options for growing their career within that field.

Also, the Careers New Zealand is a quiz made up by someone - there is no scientific basis, no testing or validation. There is NO evidence to suggest that an answer is directly related to the job they are suggesting!

My career search questionnaire is a scientifically-based psychometric test, as it's based on psychological principles and here's the blurb that supports this:

The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) is considered a well-validated, reliable, and psychometrically sound career assessment tool, with extensive empirical support demonstrating its validity and consistency across diverse cultural and ethnic groups, and its ability to predict future career satisfaction and performance. Its validity is supported by strong internal consistency. It has been widely used for many years and is constantly updated to reflect emerging careers.

Here's some other differences between free career quizzes, and the SII quiz that I use:

Feature	Free Online Career Quizzes (e.g. Career Quest)	Professional Psychometric Tools (e.g. Strong Interest Inventory®)
Purpose	Quick match of interests to a single job or small list of jobs	In-depth measurement of personality, interests, and work style for long-term career planning
Scientific Basis	Limited — often based on simple preference surveys	Developed through decades of research, statistically validated, and widely used by career professionals
Depth of Insight	Shallow — mainly lists job titles that might match your teen’s stated likes	Deep — reveals strengths, blind spots, motivation drivers, and ideal work environments
Reliability	Low — results can change if the quiz is taken on a different day	High — consistent results across time, because it measures stable traits and preferences
Career Predictability	Short-term suggestions only	Better long-term predictability of satisfaction and performance in chosen fields
Job vs. Career Field	Suggests specific jobs, which may limit thinking and options	Identifies broader career fields, giving your teen more flexibility and opportunity as their career develops
Personalisation	Generic results with limited explanation and no personal feedback	Tailored reports with personalised feedback and coaching support
Cost	Free	Paid, but the value is in accuracy, depth, and professional interpretation
Best For	Initial curiosity or conversation starters	Serious career planning, subject choices, and major life decisions

Bottom line for parents:

If you just want to spark a conversation with your teen about careers, a free quiz can be a fun starting point. But if you want reliable, science-based insights that can guide them through school, tertiary study, and into the workforce, professional tools like the one I use - the Strong Interest Inventory® are worth the investment.