Find your modality preferences—a self-check, not a label#

The learning styles hub introduces the seven styles and the real case for using them; this page is where you find out which ones you lean towards. The questionnaire below gives you seventy quick statements about how you interact with the world, a scoring sheet, and a graph of your preferences across seven styles.

One quick reminder on how to read it. The graph tells you which modes you prefer, which is real and worth knowing—but a preference isn’t a label that says “only learn this way.” (For why matching teaching to your preferred mode doesn’t hold up, see what the evidence really says .) So treat this as a self-check: a map of the modes you already reach for, and a nudge to practise the ones you don’t.

Example Memletic Styles graph: a seven-axis radar (Visual, Social, Physical, Aural, Verbal, Solitary, Logical) with an example profile plotted and shaded — high on Visual, Solitary and Logical, low on the others The outcome from the questionnaire is a personalized Memletic Styles graph similar to the one on the right.

You can write in the book (or take a photocopy if the book belongs to someone else) or use the spreadsheet from the website. The spreadsheet has the benefit that it calculates your scores and graphs them for you.

Blank Memletic Styles graph: a seven-axis radar (Visual, Social, Physical, Aural, Verbal, Solitary, Logical), each axis scored 0 to 20, ready to plot your estimate on You’ll find this exercise valuable for one main reason: it makes the per-style pages that follow concrete and personal. When you read the visual , aural or physical page, you’ll already know roughly where you sit—and, just as usefully, where you don’t.

Estimate your styles first#

Before you start the questionnaire, fill out the blank graph on the right. If you’d like a refresher on what each style covers first, skim the learning styles hub .

For each axis, estimate on a rating of zero to twenty how often you use that particular learning style. Score zero if hardly ever, twenty if you use that style often. Draw in the score on each style axis (the lines starting from the centre), then join the dots like in the example Memletic Styles graph above.

Answer the questions#

Answer each question by circling one of the numbers on the right. You could also write zero, one or two directly into the scoring sheet further below, or print out a sheet from the spreadsheet on the website. If you enter your scores into the score sheet while you answer the questions, hide the bottom of the score sheet so you don’t see the styles for each column.

The scale is as follows:

0. The description sounds nothing like you.

1. The description sounds partly like you.

2. The description sounds exactly like you.

Take as long as you like. Afterwards we rate your answers. Remember there are no right or wrong answers, and no “better” or “worse” profile. Usually the first response that comes into your mind when you read the question is a good answer.

Questions#

#	Statement	1	2
1	You have a personal or private interest or hobby that you like to do alone.	1	2
2	You put together itineraries and agendas for travel. You use detailed lists, such as to-do lists, and you number the items and set priorities.	1	2
3	Jingles, themes or parts of songs pop into your head at random.	1	2
4	You preferred math and science subjects at school.	1	2
5	You are happy in your own company. You like to do some activities alone and away from others.	1	2
6	You enjoy learning in classroom style surroundings with other people. You enjoy the contact and it helps your learning.	1	2
7	You read everything. Books, newspapers, magazines, menus, signs, etc.	1	2
8	You can easily visualize objects, buildings, scenarios etc. from descriptions or plans.	1	2
9	You are goal oriented and know the direction you are going in life or work.	1	2
10	You prefer team games and sports such as football/soccer, basketball, netball, volleyball, hockey, and baseball.	1	2
11	You navigate well and use maps with ease. You rarely get lost. You have a good sense of direction. You usually know which way North is.	1	2
12	You prefer to study or work alone.	1	2
13	You like being a mentor or guide for others.	1	2
14	You spend time alone to reflect and think about your life.	1	2
15	In regular conversation, you often use references to other topics or events you have heard about or read.	1	2
16	You enjoy finding associations, for example between numbers or objects. You like to classify or group things to help you understand the relationships between them.	1	2
17	You keep a journal or personal diary to record your thoughts.	1	2
18	You communicate well with others and often act as a mediator between them.	1	2
19	You love sport and exercise.	1	2
20	You like to listen. People like to talk to you because they feel you understand them.	1	2
21	You like listening to music - in the car, studying, at work (if possible!), or anywhere. You love live music.	1	2
22	You can balance a checkbook. You like to set budgets and other numerical goals.	1	2
23	You have some very close friends.	1	2
24	You use many hand gestures or other physical body language when communicating with others.	1	2
25	English, languages and literature were favorite subjects at school.	1	2
26	You like making models, or working out jigsaws.	1	2
27	You prefer to talk over problems, issues, or ideas with others, rather than working on them by yourself.	1	2
28	Music was your favorite subject at school.	1	2
29	In school, you preferred art, technical drawing, and geometry.	1	2
30	You love telling stories, or using metaphors or anecdotes.	1	2
31	You like identifying logic flaws in other people's words and actions.	1	2
32	You like using a camera or video camera to capture the world around you.	1	2
33	You use rhythm or rhyme to remember items, for example phone numbers, PIN numbers, and other items.	1	2
34	In school, you liked sports, wood or metalworking, craft, sculpture, pottery and other similar subjects.	1	2
35	You have a great vocabulary, and like using the right word at the right time.	1	2
36	You like the texture and feel of clothes, furniture and other objects.	1	2
37	You would prefer to holiday on a deserted island rather than a resort or cruise ship with many other people around.	1	2
38	You like books with many diagrams, illustrations, or pictures.	1	2
39	You easily express yourself, whether it’s verbally or in writing. You can clearly explain ideas and information to others.	1	2
40	You like playing games with others, such as card games and board games.	1	2
41	You use specific examples and references to support your points of view.	1	2
42	You pay attention to the sounds around you. You can tell the difference between instruments, or cars, or aircraft, based on their sound.	1	2
43	You have a good sense of color.	1	2
44	You like making puns, saying tongue twisters, making rhymes.	1	2
45	You like to think out ideas, problems, or issues while doing something physical.	1	2
46	You read self-help books, you’ve been to self-help workshops, or you’ve done similar work to learn more about yourself.	1	2
47	You can play a musical instrument or you can sing on (or close to) key.	1	2
48	You like crosswords, scrabble and other word games.	1	2
49	You like logic games and brainteasers. You like chess and other strategy games.	1	2
50	You like getting out of the house and being with others at parties and other social events.	1	2
51	You occasionally realize you are tapping in time to music, or you naturally start to hum or whistle a tune. Even after only hearing a tune a few times, you can remember it.	1	2
52	You solve problems by "thinking aloud." You talk through issues, questions and possible solutions.	1	2
53	You enjoy dancing.	1	2
54	You prefer to work for yourself, or you have thought a lot about it.	1	2
55	You don't like silence. You would prefer to have some background music or other noise to silence.	1	2
56	You love theme park rides that involve much physical action, or you dislike them because you are sensitive to the physical forces on your body.	1	2
57	You draw well. You find yourself drawing or doodling on a notepad when thinking.	1	2
58	You easily work with numbers, and can do decent calculations in your head.	1	2
59	You use diagrams and scribbles to communicate ideas and information. You love whiteboards (and color pens).	1	2
60	You hear small things that others don't.	1	2
61	You would prefer to touch or handle something to understand how it works.	1	2
62	You don’t mind taking the lead and showing others the way ahead.	1	2
63	You easily absorb information through reading, audiocassettes or lectures. The actual words and phrases come back to you.	1	2
64	You like to understand how and why things work. You keep up to date with science and technology.	1	2
65	You are a tinkerer. You like pulling things apart, and they usually go back together! You can easily follow instructions represented in diagrams.	1	2
66	Music evokes strong emotions and images as you listen to it. Music is prominent in your recall of memories.	1	2
67	You think independently. You know how you think and you make up your own mind. You understand your own strengths and weaknesses.	1	2
68	You like gardening or working with your hands in the shed.	1	2
69	You like visual arts, painting, and sculpture. You like jigsaws and mazes.	1	2
70	You use a specific step-by-step process to work out problems.	1	2

Score your responses#

Now that you have completed the questions, use the score sheet below to assign your answers to the correct styles. Each question belongs to one style, and that style’s cell is shaded in the question’s row. In the shaded cell, write your score for that question—zero, one or two.

Once every row is filled in, add up each column and write the block totals in the Total row. Then add each style’s two block totals together and write the result in the overall-totals row at the bottom.

Questions 1–35
#	VS	VB	AL	PS	LG	SC	SL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
Total

Questions 36–70
#	VS	VB	AL	PS	LG	SC	SL
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
Total

VS Visual · VB Verbal · AL Aural · PS Physical · LG Logical · SC Social · SL Solitary

Overall totals — add each style’s two block totals together
Visual	Verbal	Aural	Physical	Logical	Social	Solitary

Graph your preferences#

Lastly, graph your scores on the blank Memletic Styles graph on the right. As you may have done above before answering the questions, draw in the score on each axis, then join the dots.

The graph shows which styles you reach for more often, against those you use less often. You might also like to compare your graph back to your estimate. Look at the differences and try to understand them—people are often surprised to find a “low” mode they actually enjoy once they try it.

How to read your result (this is the important part)#

So you have a shape on a graph. What should you actually do with it? The short version: read it as “here’s where I’m comfortable, and here are the modes I should deliberately stretch into,” not “here’s the only way I can learn.” The graph is a map of your comfort, not a verdict on what you’re capable of—a low score is a mode you’ve practised less, not a wall you’ve hit. (The full case for why “learn only in my style” doesn’t hold up is set out in what the evidence really says —no need to re-run it here.)

With that framing, three things to take from your result:

Start where you’re comfortable. A high visual or aural score reflects what you enjoy and find easy, so it’s fine—even smart—to open a tough topic in your favourite mode. Comfort gets you in the door and keeps you going.

Then add modes, and use the proven methods. Combining modes—seeing a diagram and hearing the explanation and saying it back—tends to help most people on most material, because the content gets richer. So when something is hard, don’t retreat into one channel; add another. And spend your real effort on the methods that work for everyone: spacing your study over time, testing yourself instead of re-reading, and mixing up what you practise.

Match the mode to the material, not to your label. A map is visual because maps are spatial; a poem half lives in its sound; a tennis serve has to be felt. Often the subject tells you which mode to use—follow the material there, even when it’s not your favourite axis.

Next I cover each of the seven styles in turn, so you can see what reaching into each one actually looks like.

Download the PDF questionnaire#

Below is the Memletics Learning Styles questionnaire in Adobe Acrobat format. The questionnaire in this document will help you discover the learning modes you prefer.

Download PDF

The button downloads the file directly. You can then open and print it in Adobe Acrobat, Reader or other PDF reader applications. (To save without opening, right-click the button and choose “Save link as”.)

Notes#

This questionnaire is free for personal use only. If you wish to use this material as part of a school, class or for commercial purposes, please contact us for permission or a license.

Download the Excel / Sheets questionnaire#

If you’d rather work in a spreadsheet (handy for classrooms, offline use, or saving results), the workbook below is the original Memletics Learning Styles questionnaire.

Download Excel / Sheets

The button downloads the workbook. Open it in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, or any modern spreadsheet app. Full instructions are on the first tab of the workbook.

Notes#

The workbook is in the original .xls format and works in current Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers. In Google Sheets, use File → Import and pick “Replace spreadsheet”.
The questionnaire is free for personal use. For classroom or commercial use, please contact us for permission or a license.