How the test is done
Drawings are made with a pencil, with no time limit and in any order. Afterwards the person writes what each drawing shows and marks which one they like most and least.
The psychologist looks not only at the subject but also at the order in which squares were filled, whether the starter mark was used or ignored, pressure and detail.
What the squares are usually linked to
Each mark is seen as an “invitation” to a theme: the central dot to the sense of self, the wavy line to movement and feelings, the three rising strokes to ambition and goals, the black square to heaviness and problems, the crossing lines to tension and energy, two separate lines to bringing things together, the dotted arc to sensitivity, and the large arc to security.
These are working hypotheses, not a dictionary of meanings: the same drawing means different things for different people.
Why we don’t offer an online version with a result
The Wartegg test is a projective method. Its value lies in talking the drawings through with a psychologist, not in counting points. An automatic “reading” of a picture would give confident but random conclusions.
If you want to try it: draw eight squares with the marks on paper, complete them and then discuss the drawings with a specialist. For self-exploration on your own, questionnaires work better, such as our tests below.
