8values
Seventy statements on four broad axes. For a short look at twelve topics, this site’s quick edition has 36 statements.
Test comparison · checked 3 October 2026
Political Tests Compared: 8values, 9Axes, 12Axes and More
Most popular open-source political tests share one family tree, starting with 8values in 2017. Here is what each one measures, how long it is and where to take it.
Eight tests side by side.
| Test | Axes | Statements | Result | Licence | Last code change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8values | 4 axes, 8 values | 70 | Four paired scores and the closest of 52 ideologies | MIT | 21 Aug 2021 |
| 9Axes | 9 | 45 or 216 | Nine paired scores and the closest of 52 ideologies | MIT text carried over from 8values | 9 Nov 2021 |
| 12Axes (classic) | 12 | 60 or 288 | Twelve paired scores and the closest of 38 ideologies | MIT | 27 Feb 2025 |
| SapplyValues | 3 (economic, authority, progressive) | 46 | A position on a political compass | MIT for the code; statements from the Sapply test | 14 Nov 2022 |
| LeftValues | 7, written for left-wing respondents | 74 | Seven scores and a closest match | MIT text carried over from 8values | 28 Jun 2026 |
| RightValues | 7, written for right-wing respondents | 69 | Seven scores | MIT | 22 Feb 2022 |
| DozenValues | 6 axes, 12 values | 132 | Six scores and the closest of 253 ideologies | GPL-3.0 | 8 Apr 2024 |
| Ideosorter | None: a branching flowchart | Varies with your path | One of 57 ideologies | MIT | 31 Aug 2025 |
This site uses the classic 12Axes statements in 36-, 60- and 288-statement editions. Instead of naming one ideology, its report compares your scores with sourced political traditions, historical figures and constitutions.
How the tests are related.
- 8values
The original four-axis test: economic, diplomatic, civil and societal.
- 9Axes
Built on 8values and expanded to nine axes, with a 45- and a 216-statement version.
- LeftValues
Based on 8values, with seven axes for comparing positions within the left.
- RightValues
Created as the right-wing counterpart to LeftValues.
- SapplyValues
Statements from the Sapply test presented in the 8values interface.
- Ideosorter
A different method: a flowchart of questions instead of scored axes.
- 12Axes
Built on 9Axes: reorganised, corrected and extended to twelve axes. This site uses its statements.
- DozenValues
A separate six-axis project with its own statements and ideology list.
Dates are when each project’s repository was created, or the creation date its author lists.
Choose by what you want to see.
12Axes or 9Axes
Separate scores for government, conflict, religion, trade, technology and more. 12Axes is the later, twelve-axis version of 9Axes.
LeftValues or RightValues
Each assumes you already lean one way and compares positions within that side.
8values and 12Axes.
30 of the 70 8values statements also appear in 12Axes, word for word. The table groups them by the 8values axis each statement affects most.
| 8values axis | Statements | In 12Axes, on | Carried over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic: Equality–Markets | 17 | Equality / Markets (2) Planned / Laissez-faire (1) | 3 |
| Civil: Liberty–Authority | 18 | Security / Freedom (4) Democratic / Autocratic (4) Secular / Religious (1) | 9 |
| Diplomatic: Nation–Globe | 20 | Internationalist / Nationalist (5) Militarist / Pacifist (3) Assimilationist / Multiculturalist (1) | 9 |
| Societal: Tradition–Progress | 15 | Progressive / Traditional (5) Accelerationist / Bioconservative (3) Assimilationist / Multiculturalist (1) | 9 |
| Total | 70 | 9 of 12 axes | 30 |
8values also scores each answer differently: it divides your total by the maximum possible, while 12Axes adds a fixed amount per answer. Percentages from the two tests are therefore not interchangeable, even on shared statements. Take 8values on this site to see your four scores.
How we checked.
- Axes, statement counts and ideology lists come from running each project’s published question and ideology files, downloaded on 3 October 2026.
- Licences are read from each repository’s licence file. 9Axes and LeftValues include the 8values MIT licence text; SapplyValues credits the Sapply test for its statements.
- Links go to each test’s official site. We are not affiliated with any of these projects.
Try twelve axes.
Start with 36, 60 or 288 statements and keep your report on this device.
Take the 12 axes political test ↗See how 12Axes grew out of 9Axes