The Holland Code (RIASEC) — complete reference
John Holland's six-type theory of career interests. The most widely used vocational assessment in the world.
Take the free Holland test →Origins
Developed by John L. Holland across four editions from 1959 through 1997. Grounded in the idea that job satisfaction depends on matching personality types to work environments that share those same types.
The six types
- Realistic (R) — hands-on, practical, mechanical
- Investigative (I) — analytical, scientific, curious
- Artistic (A) — creative, expressive, unstructured
- Social (S) — helping, teaching, cooperative
- Enterprising (E) — persuading, leading, competitive
- Conventional (C) — organizing, detail-focused, structured
Validity
Cronbach's α reliability sits in the 0.80–0.90 range across all six scales — solid psychometric properties. Meta-analytic career-satisfaction prediction is modest (r ≈ 0.10–0.15) but consistent across large samples.
Best use
As the interest-side of a career composite. Pair with Big-5 (personality), CHC (cognitive), and O*NET occupation matching for a complete picture. Holland alone is directional; combined it becomes precise.
Frequently asked questions
How many items are in the real Holland test?
Holland's original SDS is around 228 items. Modern shorter versions (like ours) use ~60 items, one of the standards in vocational psychology research.
What's the difference between RIASEC types and MBTI types?
RIASEC measures career interests; MBTI measures personality preferences. Different questions, different outputs. Take both for a richer read.
Which career database uses Holland codes?
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database. Every occupation has a three-letter Holland code (e.g. IRA for Chemists).