The Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI) Preparation – 2024

What Is IPI?

The Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI) is very specialized. It was designed specifically for job-seekers going into the field of Law Enforcement and Public safety. It was originally designed by Dr. Robin Inwald in 1980 and was overhauled and updated in 2011 by the Institute for Personality Testing (IPAT) and republished as the IPI-2. Some of the items on the original IPI were discarded as being outdated, or biased, and many of the scales were reworked for the IPI-2.

What Is the Inwald Personality Inventory?

The IPI-2 is used to help filter out candidates who do not possess personality traits that will help them be successful in the field. It also filters out applicants who may possess personality traits that could be detrimental or could make them a danger to themselves or others.

The traits and behaviors that are measured on the IPI-2 are:

• Guardedness – How open and honest is the candidate likely to be.
• Substance use – Do they currently, or have they had problems with substance abuse.
• Rigidity – Does the applicant have problems adapting to change.
• Passivity – Do they yield easily to other people, are they easily intimidated.
• Admitted illegal behavior – Examines self-reported crimes.
• Criminal accusations – An examination of possible accusations that may have been made.
• Social difficulties – To what degree do they struggle to interact with others.
• Volatility – How likely are they to lose their tempers and get violent.
• Anxiety – To what degree does the individual suffer from anxious thoughts.
• Depression – Are they experiencing depressive thoughts, and to what degree.
• Elevated mood – Are there abnormal patterns of an elevated or “manic” mood.
• Non-conformity – Does the applicant display any anti-social proclivities.
• Unreliability – How well does the individual perform and meet expectations.
• Risk-taking tendencies – Does the individual display a dangerous tendency toward risky behaviors.
• Irritability – Does the individual become easily annoyed.
• Health concerns – How well has the individual looked after their health.

The scores are measured against the scores of other public safety professionals. These have been used to establish a baseline score. An elevated score, anything over 60, indicates an area of concern that will need to be evaluated further. These raw scores are then combined with the Field Training Officer Predictions, to give a complete overview.

What to Expect on the IPI-2

The IPI-2 is made up of 202 true or false questions. The test is untimed and will take around 35 minutes to complete. The questions are written at a 5th-grade reading level. The test can be taken by hand, or on a computer.

How to Prepare for the IPI-2 Personality Test?

With any personality test, you want to be truthful. This is particularly true of the IPI-2. It is designed to screen for traits, that could cause you to be a risk to yourself, or someone else. This does not mean you should not make yourself familiar with the content of the test, and the traits it is measuring for. Being aware of these things will make the testing process seem less stressful. The test is untimed, so do not feel pressured to complete it quickly. Work at your own pace and give yourself time to think through every question.

Conclusion

If you are taking the IPI-2, you have already reached the offer stage, and are simply proving that you are mentally fit for the job. Be open and truthful on the IPI-2 and you will simply be cementing the fact that you are the right person for the job.