Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS)
See what each dimension means, how it is scored, and how your result is read against the population that actually fits you.
The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) is a well-validated measure that treats perfectionism not as one trait but as several. Its central insight is that holding high personal standards is very different from being preoccupied with mistakes, and the two pull in opposite directions for wellbeing.
The model
What it measures
Select a dimension to see what it captures. Each subscale is the sum of several short statements rated on a 5-point agree-disagree scale; there is no single overall pass mark.
The FMPS distinguishes adaptive perfectionism - high personal standards and a liking for order - from maladaptive perfectionism - fear of mistakes, doubts about actions, and the sense that approval depended on being perfect. The maladaptive dimensions are the ones most consistently linked to anxiety, low mood and self-criticism; high standards on their own are not.
Treating mistakes as failures and fearing the loss of others' respect for them.
- CMConcern over Mistakes
Treating mistakes as failures and fearing the loss of others' respect for them.
Facets: Fear of error, Over-reaction to mistakes, Loss-of-respect fear.
- PSPersonal Standards
Setting very high standards and weighting self-evaluation on meeting them.
Facets: High goals, Self-imposed standards, Achievement focus.
- DADoubts about Actions
Lingering uncertainty about whether tasks were done correctly or completely.
Facets: Task doubt, Sense of incompleteness, Need to re-check.
- PEParental Expectations / Criticism
A remembered sense that parents set very high standards and were critical.
Facets: Parental standards, Parental criticism, Approval-conditional history.
- OROrganization
A preference for neatness, order and tidiness - the most adaptive facet.
Facets: Orderliness, Neatness, Preference for structure.
The evidence
Science and validity
The FMPS subscales show solid internal consistency across student and community samples, and the multidimensional structure has been broadly replicated. Concern over Mistakes and Doubts about Actions correlate with anxiety, depression and self-criticism, while Personal Standards and Organization correlate far more weakly with distress - which is why the scale is read as a profile, not a single perfectionism total.
You rate each statement from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Each subscale is the sum of its items; higher means more of that aspect. The Organization subscale is often reported separately because it sits apart from the rest. There are no pass/fail cut-offs; the result is norm-referenced against a comparison group.
Where you stand
How a score becomes a percentile
A raw score only means something against a comparison group. For example, a Concern over Mistakes score of 27 sits a little above the average for English-speaking adult data (where the mean is near 22), placing it around the 70th percentile - more concern over mistakes than roughly seven in ten adults. Drag the slider to see how a score on each dimension maps to a percentile; your real result is matched to the population that fits you when you take the test.
Your result, visualised across every dimension
Take the test once and see a full profile like this example, each dimension placed against the population most relevant to you, with plain-language interpretation.
See my full profile →Example profile shown for illustration.
The reference data
Benchmarked against the population that fits you
We benchmark your result against the population that actually resembles you, across 10 reference groups.
Each reference group is used as its own benchmark, not to rank one country against another.
How it works
What the questions feel like
Illustrative statements showing the style of the items. These are examples, not the official scored items.
If I make a small mistake, I worry that people will think less of me.
Illustrative example in the style of the scale, not an official scored item.
I set goals for myself that are higher than most people would.
Illustrative example, not an official scored item.
Even after finishing a task, I am often unsure whether I did it well enough.
Illustrative example, not an official scored item.
I like to keep my things neat and in their proper place.
Illustrative example, not an official scored item.
Honest strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Separates healthy striving from self-critical perfectionism - the distinction that matters most for wellbeing.
- Well-validated and widely translated, with decades of research behind the subscale structure.
- Short (about 8 minutes) and open for research and educational use with attribution.
Limitations
- It is not one score: a high Personal Standards or Organization result is very different from a high Concern over Mistakes result, and reading them together is what makes the profile meaningful.
- The Parental Expectations / Criticism subscales ask about remembered upbringing, so they reflect recollection rather than an objective record.
- Like all self-reports it can be shaped by mood and self-presentation; it describes tendencies, not a fixed trait, and cross-country mean comparisons are confounded by measurement differences.
See your full profile
A complete report, matched to the population that fits you, with plain-language interpretation of every trait.
Frequently asked questions
What does the perfectionism test measure?
The FMPS measures perfectionism as a profile across several dimensions - Concern over Mistakes, Personal Standards, Doubts about Actions, Parental Expectations and Criticism, and Organization - rather than as a single trait.
Is perfectionism a bad thing?
Not necessarily. High personal standards and a liking for order (the adaptive side) are not the same as fear of mistakes and self-doubt (the maladaptive side). The maladaptive dimensions are the ones most linked to anxiety and low mood; high standards on their own are not.
How is the FMPS scored?
Each statement is rated on a 5-point agree-disagree scale, and each subscale is the sum of its items - higher means more of that aspect. There are no pass/fail cut-offs; scores are read against a comparison group.
How long does it take?
About 8 minutes - a set of short statements on a 5-point scale.
Related tests
- Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14(5), 449-468.
- Stoeber, J., & Otto, K. (2006). Positive conceptions of perfectionism: Approaches, evidence, challenges. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10(4), 295-319.
The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale is the work of Randy O. Frost and colleagues (1990); this independent informational page describes the instrument.