It’s not how smart you are that matters, what really counts is HOW YOU ARE SMART. – Howard Gardner

This assessment profiles the multiple intelligences that exist in an individual. When you hear the word intelligence, the concept of IQ testing may immediately come to mind. Intelligence is often defined as our intellectual potential; something we are born with, something that can be measured, and a capacity that is difficult to change. Not any longer!

In 1983, Dr. Howard Gardner of Harvard University, proposed the powerful theory of multiple intelligences which suggests that there are a number of distinct intelligences that each individual possesses in varying degrees; that is each individual has multiple intelligences. Some are dominant, some supportive and some dormant. But they all can be developed if the individual so desires. However, the dominant intelligences impact the way individuals learn and interact with the world around them.

The assessment generates a career interest indicator based on vocational personality types derived from responses in terms of like and dislikes to vocational interests. It is important to understand that there is no right or wrong career interest indicator.

These intelligences are:

  • Verbal-Linguistic intelligence (“word smart”) which refers to verbal skills in terms of the ability to learn a language, know meanings, use it fluently, build a command over it, etc.
  • Logical-mathematical intelligence (“number/reasoning smart”) is the ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and the capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns.
  • Visual-Spatial intelligence (“picture smart”) refers to the capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly.
  • Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence (“body smart”) the ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects skillfully.
  • Musical-Rhythmic intelligence (“music smart”) the ability to discern and produce rhythm, pitch and timbre in music.
  • Interpersonal intelligence (“people smart”) reflects an ability to recognize and understand other people's moods, desires, motivations, and intentions.
  • Intrapersonal intelligence (“self-smart”) refers to the capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes.
  • Naturalist intelligence (“nature smart”) is the ability to identify and distinguish among different types of plants, animals, and weather formations found in the natural world.

The profiling indicates the dominant intelligences for each student, the ones that are supportive and ones that are dormant. It is important to understand that there is no right or wrong intelligence and each of us have all the intelligences within us. Some of them are dominant, some supportive and the balance dormant. In another person some others may be dominant, supportive and dormant leading to differences between the two people.