The three most common learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. To learn, we depend on our senses to process the information around us. Most people tend to use one of their senses more than the others.
Below, there is a series of questions that are related to the three main learning styles. Read the question and select the answer that closest fits your answer. Don't think about the questions too much. Go with your first choice. You can print a version of this quiz here.
After you answer each of these questions, see how many of your answers are in each column. The column with the most answers is your primary learning style. Sometimes people have two that all have about the same number of choices. Some people depend on two or more types of learning styles.
It is not unusual to use different learning styles for different tasks. That's why people can respond so differently to the same thing.
When you've figured out your learning style, you can find out what that means about the way you learn new things.
Visual |
Auditory |
Tactile/Kinesthetic |
|---|---|---|
When you study for a test, would you rather: |
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read notes, read headings in a book, and look at diagrams and illustrations. |
have someone ask you questions, or repeat facts silently to yourself. |
write things out on index cards and make models or diagrams. |
When you listen to music, you: |
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| daydream (see things that go with the music) | hum along | move with the music, tap your foot, etc. |
When you are happy, you are most likely to: |
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| grin | shout with joy | jump for joy |
When you tell a story, would you rather: |
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| write it | tell it out loud | act it out |
When you are trying to concentrate, you will be most distracted by: |
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| a messy room | noises | other sensations like, hunger, tight shoes, or worry |
When you are angry, you are most likely to: |
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| scowl | shout or "blow up" | stomp off and slam doors |
When you aren't sure how to spell a word, you will probably: |
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| write it out to see if it looks right | sound it out | write it out to see if it feels right |
When standing in a long line at the movies, you would: |
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| look at posters advertising other movies | talk to the person next to you | tap your foot or move around in some other way |
When you read, you: |
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| like descriptive scenes and pause to imagine the action | hear the characters talk in your head | prefer lots of action |
You like websites that have: |
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| audio channels for music, chat and discussion. | interesting design and visual effects. | things I can click on and do. |
You are going to make something special for your family. You would: |
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| look for ideas and plans in books and magazines. | talk it over with my friends | make something you have made before |
Remember when you learned how to play a new computer or board game. You learned best by: |
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| clues from the diagrams in the instruction | listening to somebody explaining it and asking questions | watching others do it first |
After reading a play you need to do a project. You would prefer to: |
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| draw or sketch something that happened in the play | read a speech from the play | act out a scene from the play |
You need to give directions to go to a house nearby. I would: |
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| draw a map on a piece of paper or get a map online | tell them the directions | walk with them |
A new movie has arrived in town. What would most influence your decision to go (or not go)? |
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| you see a preview of it | you hear friends talking about it | it is similar to others you have liked |
When choosing a book from the library, you would check out a book because: |
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| the cover looks interesting | a friend talks about it and recommends it | it has real-life stories, experiences and examples |