Grit-S · Duckworth & Quinn (2009) · 8 items · ~3 minutes
Learn about the research behind this test and how it's scored →
Scores below are on a 1–5 scale (1 = low, 5 = high) — a score like 2.8 sits just below the midpoint, not on a 0–100 scale.
| Group | Total Grit Mean | Perseverance Mean | Consistency Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| American adults (general) | ~3.8 | ~3.7–4.0 | ~2.9–3.4 |
| Adults age 25–34 | ~3.4–3.5 | — | — |
| Adults age 65+ | ~4.0 | — | — |
| Ivy League undergraduates | ~3.6 | — | — |
| West Point cadets | ~3.7–3.8 | — | — |
| Spelling Bee finalists | ~3.5 | — | — |
Sources: Duckworth et al. (2007); Duckworth & Quinn (2009). The ~3.8 average American adult figure is reported by Duckworth in published research. Note that Grit-S scores tend to increase with age — lower scores in younger people are developmentally normal. Duckworth herself cautions against using grit scores for high-stakes decisions.