Many clinics may require their donors to undergo the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). From Wikipedia... "The MMPI is one of the most frequently used personality tests in mental health. The test is used by trained professionals to assist in identifying personality structure and psychopathology." It's testing to see whether you have any mental issues with phobias, getting along in society, depression, pessimism about the world, or if you have an unrealistic view of the world - you can be too optimistic according to the test too. :)

There are a few versions of the MMPI, but the most commonly used has 600 questions with true/false answers.

The following are some simple guidelines you should remember when you're taking this test. Some clinics have a pass/fail system, and they will not follow up with you for an explanation if you fail. A simple misunderstanding about how to take this test could cause you to fail pretty easily, so follow along...

• Be honest, open, and upfront about everything. Don't think too long about how to answer a question. You should answer with your gut. The test has a way to tell if you are lying with inconsistencies in your answers.


• If you aren't sure what a word means in the question, don't guess. This is not a test you want to take chances on. A misunderstanding of what the question means is not good. Ask for a dictionary or help from the examiner. This is not the SAT or an IQ test, so don't think of it as cheating. You want to be accurate in your answers. This especially goes to our Asian donors where English is not your native language.


• Understand the question. Make sure you read carefully and understand the meaning before you answer it. Some questions use double negatives, so get a clear idea of what they are really asking.


• Go into the test with a positive attitude. Don't fail the test before you've already even begun. :)


• Do not leave more than 10 questions blank. If you can't understand a question, then note the number somewhere lightly (so you can erase it when finished), and return to it at the end of your test. If you leave 10 questions or more unanswered, it's an automatic fail. Try to go back and provide an answer for all of them - you might later understand what they are asking. But if you still can't understand it, then best to leave it blank.


• This tip goes straight to my Asian donors at AED. Because of our culture, or in other cases religion, we may feel we need to maintain honor and dignity, and may not want to admit certain flaws that are considered bad in our culture - but the test can tell if you are doing this. Remember to stay completely honest on this test. The test will score to see if you may be lying to try to make yourself look favorable. Just remember, the Intended Parents are not going to receive your answer score to see exactly how you answered every question, only the psychologist will be grading your answers. So don't feel you need to hide anything because you want the couple to think of you a certain way - it doesn't work like that.

The easiest way to take this test is to take it FAST and DON'T THINK about your answers for more than 2 seconds. You can't keep track of all the questions you may be lying on, so you will fail by trying.

There is also another test similar to the MMPI called the PAI (Personality Assessment Inventory). It's a little newer, so it's not as well-known among the clinics and may prefer the MMPI. However, if you do take this test, follow the same rules above. The main differences with this test is that it is shorter (350 questions) and you have 4 answers to choose from on a 4-point (false, somewhat true, mainly true, very true) scale.

I think after taking this test, I felt I learned more about myself. As long as you stay honest and open, don't just put any answer down, and don't be defensive, you should have no problem passing this test, and you should feel good when leaving.