The Grit-S is an efficient 8-item measure assessing perseverance and passion for long-term goals through two dimensions: Perseverance of Effort and Consistency of Interest, taking only 3-5 minutes to complete.
Research demonstrates grit predicts achievement beyond IQ and talent across diverse domains including education, military training, athletics, and career success, with scores typically increasing from adolescence through adulthood.
The scale shows good reliability (α=0.73-0.83) and validity, though meta-analyses reveal modest effect sizes and substantial overlap with Conscientiousness, suggesting grit's predictive power varies by context and outcome.
Introduction
The Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) is an 8-item measure designed to assess trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Developed by Duckworth and Quinn (2009) as a brief version of the original 12-item Grit Scale, the Grit-S measures grit as a psychological trait that enables individuals to sustain effort and interest toward challenging long-term objectives. This measure has gained significant attention in education, organizational psychology, and performance domains as a predictor of achievement beyond talent and intelligence.
Grit: More Than Just Persistence
Duckworth’s research defines grit as the combination of sustained passion and perseverance toward long-term goals, even in the face of adversity, plateaus in progress, and failures. Unlike simple persistence (which can be short-term), grit involves maintaining both effort and interest over years or even decades. This dual-component structure distinguishes grit from related constructs like conscientiousness, self-control, or determination.
Two Essential Components of Grit
The Grit-S assesses two distinct but related dimensions:
Perseverance of Effort – the tendency to work strenuously toward challenges and maintain effort despite setbacks, failures, and lack of immediate progress
Consistency of Interest – the ability to maintain focus on the same higher-order goals over long periods, resisting the temptation to switch to new pursuits
The Power of Long-Term Focus
Grit research demonstrates that talent and intelligence, while important, are not sufficient for high achievement. What distinguishes high achievers across domains—from education to athletics to entrepreneurship—is often their capacity to maintain focus and effort on ambitious goals over extended periods. This “marathon mindset” rather than “sprint mentality” appears crucial for exceptional accomplishment.
Research and Applied Significance
The Grit Scale has been used to predict success in diverse contexts including educational achievement, military training completion, sales performance, spelling bee championships, and professional accomplishment. This broad applicability reflects grit’s fundamental role in goal pursuit and achievement across life domains.
🎯 Achievement Factor: Research shows grit predicts success beyond IQ, talent, and even conscientiousness in multiple achievement domains.
Key Features
Assessment Characteristics
8 items providing efficient two-factor assessment
3-5 minutes administration time
Ages 13+ through adult with validation across age groups
5-point Likert scale for nuanced response options
Two-factor structure measuring perseverance and consistency
Grit Dimensions Assessed
Perseverance of Effort – Sustained hard work despite obstacles
Consistency of Interest – Long-term focus on same goals
Evaluate your passion and perseverance for long-term goals across two key dimensions.
Scoring and Interpretation
Response Format
Participants rate how characteristic each statement is of them using a 5-point Likert scale:
1 = Not like me at all
2 = Not much like me
3 = Somewhat like me
4 = Mostly like me
5 = Very much like me
Complete Grit-S Items
Perseverance of Effort (4 items):
“I finish whatever I begin”
“Setbacks don’t discourage me. I don’t give up easily”
“I am a hard worker”
“I am diligent. I never give up”
Consistency of Interest (4 items): 5. “New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones” (R) 6. “I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest” (R) 7. “I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one” (R) 8. “I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to complete” (R)
Scoring Procedure
Reverse score items 5, 6, 7, 8 (subtract from 6)
Perseverance of Effort: Average items 1, 2, 3, 4 (range: 1-5)
Consistency of Interest: Average items 5, 6, 7, 8 reversed (range: 1-5)
Total Grit score: Average all 8 items (range: 1-5)
Higher scores indicate greater grit
Score Interpretation Guidelines
Total Grit Score Ranges:
Very High Grit (4.5-5.0): Exceptional perseverance and passion
High Grit (4.0-4.4): Above average sustained effort and focus
Moderate Grit (3.0-3.9): Average grit levels
Low Grit (2.0-2.9): Below average perseverance and consistency
Very Low Grit (1.0-1.9): Difficulty sustaining effort and interest
Subscale Interpretation:
High Perseverance (≥4.0): Works hard, doesn’t quit despite setbacks
High Consistency (≥4.0): Maintains focus on same goals over years
Balanced profile: Similar scores indicate integrated grit
Perseverance > Consistency: Hard worker who may switch goals frequently
Consistency > Perseverance: Focused but may not sustain maximum effort
Copyright and Usage Responsibility: Check that you have the proper rights and permissions to use this assessment tool in your research. This may include purchasing appropriate licenses, obtaining permissions from authors/copyright holders, or ensuring your usage falls within fair use guidelines.
The Grit Scale is copyrighted by Angela Duckworth and colleagues. However, Dr. Duckworth explicitly permits free use of the scale for non-commercial research, educational, and self-reflection purposes. Researchers and educators are welcome to use the Grit-S without obtaining permission or paying fees.
While the scale is freely available for research and education, it remains copyrighted. Commercial use, publication in books or media, systematic distribution, or use in high-stakes decision-making is prohibited without explicit permission.
Proper Attribution: When using or referencing this scale, cite the original development:
Duckworth, A. L., & Quinn, P. D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(2), 166-174. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223890802634290
For the original 12-item version:
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087
Duckworth, A. L., & Quinn, P. D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(2), 166-174.
Original Grit Scale:
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101.
Theoretical Foundation:
Duckworth, A. L., & Gross, J. J. (2014). Self-control and grit: Related but separable determinants of success. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(5), 319-325.
Meta-Analytic Review:
Credé, M., Tynan, M. C., & Harms, P. D. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 492-511.
Popular Book:
Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. Scribner.
A tenacious honey badger relentlessly scaling the heights to claim victory — the perfect emblem of passion and perseverance measured by the GRIT-S (Short Grit Scale)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Grit-S measure?
The Grit-S measures trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals through two dimensions: Perseverance of Effort (sustained hard work despite obstacles) and Consistency of Interest (maintaining focus on the same goals over years). It assesses an individual's capacity to sustain effort and interest toward challenging objectives over extended periods.
How long does the Grit-S take to complete?
The Grit-S takes approximately 3-5 minutes to complete. It consists of only 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, making it an efficient assessment tool for measuring grit in research and applied settings.
Is the Grit-S free to use?
Yes, the Grit-S is freely available for research and educational purposes. The scale was published in peer-reviewed journals and can be accessed through academic publications. Researchers can use it without licensing fees for non-commercial applications.
How is the Grit-S scored?
Items 5-8 are reverse-scored (subtract from 6). Perseverance of Effort is the average of items 1-4. Consistency of Interest is the average of reversed items 5-8. Total Grit is the average of all 8 items. Scores range from 1-5, with higher scores indicating greater grit.
What's the difference between Grit-S and Conscientiousness?
While Grit-S correlates moderately with Conscientiousness (r=0.60-0.77), grit specifically measures passion and perseverance toward long-term goals over years. Conscientiousness is broader, encompassing organization, responsibility, and dependability. Research shows grit predicts achievement outcomes beyond Conscientiousness, particularly for goals requiring sustained effort over extended periods.
How reliable is the Grit-S?
The Grit-S demonstrates good reliability with internal consistency (α=0.73-0.83 for total score, α=0.78-0.84 for Perseverance, α=0.73-0.79 for Consistency). Test-retest reliability over one year is r=0.68. The two-factor structure has been validated across multiple cultures and age groups, showing consistent psychometric properties.
