Frequently Asked Questions

No. The StrengthsFinder assessment is a tool that can help individuals in their own self-discovery. The Top 5 Talents Themes that are provided after completing the assessment are intended to help raise an individual's awareness about where they naturally excel or have the potential to excel. The intent behind the strengths-based approach is to help individuals learn and understand how to apply their own specific talents to the choices they make in their academic, career and personal lives.

The CliftonStrengths experience starts with the StrengthsFinder, a web-based assessment that provides you with your Top 5 Talent Themes as a starting point for self-discovery and a strategy for success at West Texas A&M University. CliftonStrengths is used by over 600 colleges across the U.S. and in companies across the world. For more information, visit the StrengthQuest's website.

According to Gallup, "A talent is a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively applied."  

According to Gallup, "A strength is the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific activity. The key to building a strength is to identify your dominant talents, then complement them by acquiring knowledge and skills pertinent to the activity."  

For information about the difference between talents and strengths, visit the StrengthsQuests' website.

The chances of having the exact same Top 5 Talent Themes in the exact order as someone else is 1 in 33.39 million. The chances of having the same Top 5 Talent Themes as someone else (but in a different order) is approximately 1 in 340,000.

It depends on how you received a code to take the assessment. If you used the code from the back of a book published by Gallup, you are the only one who has access to your results. If you received a code through an account held by West Texas A&M University, only those individuals who have administrative access to the account where the code originated have access to your results; your individual results will not be shared without your permission.

The Office of Student Engagement and Leadership has talent themes for students who obtained their codes from West Texas A&M University. If you provided codes to students through an account that you set up with Gallup, it is possible for you to access results for these individuals by setting up "administrative access" on that account. For information about receiving information on students who took the assessment through WTAMU, please contact Kimberly Cornelsen, tmiller@wtamu.edu, 806-651-2313.

Top 5 Talent Themes won't dictate specific majors or careers that an individual should pursue. For example, having the talent theme of "Analytical" does not mean that a person should pursue a major in math or computer science. Instead, consider how the person can apply his/her talents to the majors and/or careers that are of the greatest interest to her/him or how the skills and knowledge gained through a specific major and/or career will provide opportunities to transform a person's talents into strengths.

The strengths-based approach is not about ignoring weaknesses. It is important to be aware of areas that are not strengths; however, instead of spending a lot of time and energy trying to turn those weaknesses into strengths, figure out ways to manage those weaknesses so that they don't prevent you from being successful.

The StrengthsQuest website has many useful tools to help you learn more about the strengths approach. You are able to read the StrengthsQuest book for free online once you have set up an account on the StrengthsQuest website (https://www.strengthsquest.com/signin/default.aspx) and taken the StrengthsFinder assessment. Sign in to your account and look for the "Online Book" tab.

You are able to read the StrengthsQuest book for free online once you have set up an account on the StrengthsQuest website and taken the StrengthsFinder assessment. Sign in to your account and look for the "Online Book" tab.

To learn about workshops, trainings, classes and other opportunities to advance your knowledge of Strengths, please refer to the "Courses" section of The StrengthsQuest website for sessions offered directly through the Gallup organization.

For more information regarding the research supporting StrengthQuest, please refer to the Clifton StrengthsFinder Technical Report. The report can be found by clicking here and then clicking on the "Research" button.

Please visit the Taking Strengths area of this website to learn more about obtaining codes to take the StrengthsFinder assessment.

Please see the Taking Strengths section of this website.

Yes, you will need to be able to access your existing results through the original account you set up with Gallup when you first took the assessment.

On the StrengthsQuest webpage, click on the "Register" button in the upper right-hand corner and follow the steps. For more assistance, please go to StrengthQuest's access help page.

Please visit www.strengthsquest.com for assistance.

You'll have to retake StrengthsFinder. Your account should be automatically reset so that you can take the assessment again. Log back in using the username and password (not the access code) that you used to create your account and you should be directed to retake StrengthsFinder.

Visit the StrengthsQuest site and click the sign-in box on the upper right corner. You will need the email address and password you used to create the account. Once you are logged into your account, your talent themes and helpful resources will appear on the first page. Note: If you took the assessment using a code from the back of a Gallup book, you will need to go to the website associated with that book.

Start with your Signature Theme Report. This report will provide you with general overall descriptions of each of your talent themes. For example, if you have Communication as one of your talent themes and your roommate or colleague also has Communication as a talent theme, the definition of that theme would appear the same in each of your Signature Theme Reports. After you are more familiar with these general descriptions and how your themes apply in your life, move on to the Strengths Insight and Action Planning Guide. This report provides descriptions of your themes in a way that also takes the unique combination of your Top 5 Talent Themes into account. So, using the same example above, the definition of Communication that appears in the Strengths Insight and Action Planning Guide for you and your roommate or colleague would be different because this definition is now taking into account the remaining four talents themes for each of you.  This report also provides some specific ideas for how you can take action steps that are based on your talents.

Start with the Signature Theme Report. This report will provide you and the student with general overall descriptions of their talent themes. After the student has become more familiar with these themes in his/her life, move on to the Strengths Insight and Action Planning Guide. This report provides descriptions of talent themes in a way that describes how the themes weave together/interact with each other while also providing some specific ideas for how the student can take action steps that are based on their talents.

Click here to use the account assistance page at the StrengthsQuest website.

Yes. There is a 20-second timer for each statement on the assessment. However, it can be turned off if you have a disability that requires you to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment without a time limit. If this is the case, please use your access code to set up a username and password for an account, then contact StrengthsQuestHelp@gallup.com.

The StrengthsFinder assessment is offered in 20+ languages. When you create your account, there will be an option to choose a language for the assessment.

It is possible to print the Signature Themes Report in 20+ different languages. Currently, the Strengths Insight and Action-Planning Guide and the Strengths Insight Report are available in English only.

You can pick up where you left off simply by logging in again. Since you have already entered your access code to get started, it won't work again. For more information, click here.

Click here to use the account assistance page at the StrengthsQuest website.

You are able to receive your full list of 34 themes in order after participating in Gallup trainings. You can also, for a fee, obtain your full 34 through the Gallup Strengthscenter website.

You are able to read the StrengthsQuest book for free online once you have set up an account on the StrengthsQuest website and taken the StrengthsFinder assessment. Sign in to your account and look for the "Online Book" tab.

Follow the steps outlined on this StrengthsQuest page.

Please visit the Taking Strengths area of this website to learn more about obtaining codes to take the StrengthsFinder assessment.

Please see the Taking Strengths section of this website.

Please see the Taking Strengths section of this website.

BUID stands for Business Unit ID. The BUID name and number enables Gallup to identify your organization or group. It is particularly useful if multiple groups are placing orders from a single institution. You will be asked to establish a BUID on the order form when ordering codes for the first time. If you are reordering codes, you should provide the BUID from your previous purchase.

When you purchase a group of codes directly from Gallup you are provided the opportunity to obtain the top five talent themes of and generate reports for all individuals who use codes within the BUID you established. When you first set up an account you will receive information about how to set up administrative access.

There can be one main administrator who has all rights and up to two or three who have viewing rights.

On the StrengthsQuest webpage, click on the "Register" button in the upper right-hand corner and follow the steps. For more info, visit the help area on StrengthsQuest's web site on this topic.

You'll have to retake StrengthsFinder. Your account should be automatically reset so that you can take the assessment again. Log back in using the username and password (not the access code) that you used to create your account and you should be directed to retake StrengthsFinder.

Visit the StrengthsQuest site and click the sign-in box on the upper right corner. You will need the email address and password you used to create the account. Once you are logged into your account, your talent themes and helpful resources will appear on the first page. Note: If you took the assessment using a code from the back of a Gallup book, you will need to go to the website associated with that book.

Click here to use the account assistance page at the StrengthsQuest website.

Log back in and continue taking the assessment where you left off. Your progress should have been saved. If you need assistance contact the StrengthsQuest Support Team by e-mail at StrengthsQuestHelp@gallup.com or by phone at 888-211-4049. It is a free call.

Yes. StrengthsQuest has a Common Technical Issues page that has more details about how to work around other issues you might face in using the system.

Please see the Taking Strengths section of this website.

Groups can benefit from using strengths in many ways. On an individual basis, group members can learn more about themselves and the talents they can contribute to the group. By learning about and developing an appreciation for the talents of your fellow group members, you can strive to function more successfully as a team in terms of communication, roles and responsibilities, leadership, working together to develop and achieve goals, etc. For information about taking StrengthsFinder, visit the Taking Strengths section of this website.

Contact the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership at 806-651-2313 to learn more about the assistance available for your needs.

A team talent map is a visual representation or overview of the Top 5 Talent Themes for each individual within a group. A team talent map can simply list out each individual's Top 5 Talent Themes or organize them by Gallup's Four Domains of Leadership Strength (Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, Strategic). You can create team talent maps on the StrengthsQuest website by logging into your account and clicking on the "Team Talent Map" button. You can also access templates of team talent maps in the Activities and Exercises section of this website.

Yes, you will need to log into the StrengthsQuest website using your username and password and you will need to know the talent themes for each of the individuals you want to include in the Team Talent Map. Click on the "Team Talent Map" button. Once you create the team talent map on the StrengthsQuest website you are able to save it and/or download it. You can also access templates of team talent maps in the Activities and Exercises section of this website.

Contact the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership at 806-651-2313 to learn more about the assistance available for your needs.

To learn about workshops, trainings, classes and other opportunities to advance your knowledge of Strengths, please refer to the "Courses" section of the StrengthsQuest website for sessions offered directly through the Gallup organization.