Guide
RIASEC (Holland code) test: the six interest types explained
The short answer
RIASEC is John Holland's model of six interest types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. Your strongest two or three letters describe the kinds of work you are likely to find engaging. They describe interests, not ability. Aptitudo's free Interest Explorer uses sixty activities across the six types and takes about twenty minutes.
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Short facts
- Holland's model of six interest types has been used in career research since the 1950s.
- A Holland code is your strongest letters in order, usually three, such as SAE or IRC.
- Interest Explorer, free, about twenty minutes: sixty activities, and how much each of six kinds of work appeals to you.
- Most occupations in the O*NET database carry an interest profile, so letters can be compared with what a kind of work asks.
The six types in plain words
Each letter is a kind of activity people tend to enjoy.
- Realistic: practical, working with things. Building, repairing, machines, the outdoors.
- Investigative: analytical and scientific. Research, working things out, data.
- Artistic: creative and expressive. Design, writing, music, media.
- Social: helping and teaching. Teaching, counselling, nursing, community work.
- Enterprising: persuading and leading. Business, sales, law, starting things.
- Conventional: organising and working to a system. Accounts, records, administration, finance operations.
How to read a three letter code
Read the letters as an order of interest, not as a type you belong to.
Your first letter is the kind of work that appealed to you most in your answers, the second the next, and so on. When two letters are close, treat them as level: the order between them is not a finding. Most people have a mix, and the mix is more useful than any single letter. That is why Interest Explorer shows all six counts rather than printing a code, so you can see how close they are.
How the letters link to careers
Each career asks for a mix of interests too, and the two can be compared.
The O*NET database gives most occupations an interest profile. Career Discovery compares your interests, together with your thinking strengths, personality and values, with the profiles of careers and courses, ranks them, and gives the reason for each. Interest Explorer on its own describes each of the six kinds of work in plain words, in school, in a group and at work.
What any test cannot tell you
Interests describe what you are likely to enjoy, not what you are good at, and they can shift with age and experience. A code from one sitting is a starting point for exploring, not a verdict, and it cannot tell you how you will do in any course or job.
Where to start
The full report
Interests, strengths, personality, values, readiness and real situations, then careers and courses ranked for you with the reasons shown.
About fifty five minutes₹999, or ₹1,499 with Plus, paid after you finish and only if you open the reportLog in to startUnder 18s need a parent's consent
Or start with a free test
No card needed. Log in to start. Under 18s: a parent agrees before the result is shown.
Questions
What does RIASEC stand for?
The first letters of Holland's six interest types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional.
Is there a free Holland code test?
Yes. Aptitudo's Interest Explorer is free and takes about twenty minutes. It shows your count on each of the six types, and your highest counts are your strongest letters.
Can my Holland code change?
Yes. Interests often shift during school and college years, as you try new things. A code is worth checking again a year or two later.