What is my Enneagram tri-center? Gut, heart, head center tests


Enneagram Centers

Often referred to incorrectly by Enneagram enthusiasts as Trifix or Tritype (they're actually more specific trademarked implementations), the tri-center approach to using the Enneagram types identifies three types instead of simply one. With this approach the three types come from each of the centers (often referred to as a gut or body type, a heart type, and a head type).

Because your basic type is the dominant type in one center, the dominant types in the other two centers need to be determined with this approach. The gut type will be either 8, 9, or 1. The heart type will be 2, 3, or 4. The head type 5, 6, or 7.

While you still are your basic type, you can also think of yourself as a specific variation of that type by looking at the two other center types. For example, someone identifying as type 1 with a tri-center of 1-2-5 will be similar to someone identifying as 1-4-7 because both their basic types are 1 but they will also be different because their other two center types are different (i.e., 2-5 vs. 4-7).

Wings may also be combined with this approach as well. For instance, including the preferred wings for 1-4-7 may result in something like 1w2-4w5-7w6.

Tests that explicitly suggest tri-center

Some test results will suggest your tri-center or tri-center with wings.

Dave's Enneagram - Composite Test
  • Interpretation(s): Multiple Sampling
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 72
  • Test results: Score for each type, suggests basic type and all type variations except instinct
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Personality Probe - Enneagram Personality Test
  • Interpretation(s): Enneagram User Guide
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 72
  • Test results: Score for each type, suggests basic type and all type variations except instinct
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Enneagram User Guide - Type Preference Test
  • Interpretation(s): Enneagram User Guide
  • Testing method: Forced-choice
  • Number of test items: Short version = 36, Long version = 108
  • Test results: Score for each type, suggests basic type and all type variations except instinct
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Enneagram User Guide - Tri-Center with Wings
  • Interpretation(s): Enneagram User Guide
  • Testing method: Forced-choice
  • Number of test items: Short version = 8, Long version = 24-28
  • Test results: Suggests tri-center with wings
  • Cost: Free to take the test

Tests where tri-center can be derived

If a test results in scores for all nine type then you can:
  1. Find the highest score in each center to determine gut (891), heart (234), and head (567) types
  2. Compare the scores for the gut, heart, and head types to rank the order of the centers
Open Psychometrics - Open Enneagram of Personality Scales
  • Interpretation(s): *Unknown
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 36
  • Test results: Score for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Enneagram Institute - Riso-Hudson Type Indicator (RHETI)
  • Interpretation(s): Enneagram Institute
  • Testing method: Forced-choice
  • Number of test items: 144
  • Test results: Score for each type
  • Cost: Pay to take the test
Enneagram Institute - Riso-Hudson Type Indicator (RHETI) Sampler
  • Interpretation(s): Enneagram Institute
  • Testing method: Forced-choice
  • Number of test items: 36
  • Test results: Score for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test
similarminds.com Enneagram Word Test
  • Interpretation(s): similarminds.com
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 45
  • Test results: Score % for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Dave's Enneagram - Composite Test
  • Interpretation(s): Multiple Sampling
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 72
  • Test results: Score for each type, suggests basic type and all type variations except instinct
  • Cost: Free to take the test
similarminds.com - Instinctual Variant Test
  • Interpretation(s): similarminds.com
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 25
  • Test results: Score % for each instinct
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Personality Data - Enneagram Test
  • Interpretation(s): Personality Data
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 48
  • Test results: Score for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Personality Probe - Enneagram Personality Test
  • Interpretation(s): Enneagram User Guide
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 72
  • Test results: Score for each type, suggests basic type and all type variations except instinct
  • Cost: Free to take the test
enneagram-personality.com - Enneagram Test
  • Interpretation(s): enneagram-personality.com
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 72
  • Test results: Score for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Enneagram Approach - Enneagram Assessment
  • Interpretation(s): *Unknown
  • Testing method: Multiple-choice
  • Number of test items: 36
  • Test results: Score % for types with a score
  • Cost: Free to take
Truity - Enneagram Test
  • Interpretation(s): Truity
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 105
  • Test results: Score for each type, suggests basic type
  • Cost: Free to take the test, pay for full results
Personality Path - Enneagram Personality Test
  • Interpretation(s): Personality Path
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 45
  • Test results: Score for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test, pay for result
similarminds.com - Enneagram Test (short version)
  • Interpretation(s): similarminds.com
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 60
  • Test results: Score % for each type, instinctual stacking
  • Cost: Free to take the test
similarminds.com - Enneagram Test (long version)
  • Interpretation(s): similarminds.com
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 131
  • Test results: Score % for each type, instinctual stacking
  • Cost: Free to take the test
similarminds.com Enneagram + Jung Test
  • Interpretation(s): similarminds.com
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 102
  • Test results: Myers-Briggs type, score % for each Enneagram type, instinctual stacking
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Enneagram User Guide - Type Preference Test
  • Interpretation(s): Enneagram User Guide
  • Testing method: Forced-choice
  • Number of test items: Short version = 36, Long version = 108
  • Test results: Score for each type, suggests basic type and all type variations except instinct
  • Cost: Free to take the test
IDR Labs - Enneagram Test
  • Interpretation(s): *Unknown
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 45
  • Test results: Score for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Your Enneagram Coach - Enneagram Type Assessment
  • Interpretation(s): Your Enneagram Coach
  • Testing method: Likert scale, forced-choice
  • Number of test items: 68
  • Test results: Score % for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test
AREALME - Enneagram Test
  • Interpretation(s): *Unknown
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 108
  • Test results: Score % for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test
Psycho Tests - Enneagram Test
  • Interpretation(s): Psycho Tests
  • Testing method: Likert scale
  • Number of test items: 45
  • Test results: Score % for each type
  • Cost: Free to take the test

*Unknown interpretations are where the test website has no type descriptions and the test itself makes no mention of which interpretation is being used.