Top 39 coaching assessment tools for businesses

Want to figure out what’s holding your clients back? Want to discover their untapped strengths? Coaching assessment tools are a practical way to help you do just that. These tools help you pinpoint how your clients think and what they value so you can offer a more meaningful, tailored approach. They also help identify client strengths and provide new insights into their unique talents.

Coaching is a competitive industry, and it’s expected to grow even more—14%—over the next decade [1]. Using assessment tools can help you stand out by giving you the information you need to deliver a more personalized, helpful coaching practice to your clients.

I’ve reviewed 39 of the best coaching assessment tools and outlined what to consider when using one for your business. Check out the table for a quick comparison.

💡Keep learning: 9 top AI coaching platforms to choose for your business

What are coaching assessments?

Coaching assessments are structured tools used to gather information about someone. You might use them to discover a client’s:

• Skills
• Values
• Traits
• Goals
• Behaviors

These assessments can also increase a client’s awareness of their own needs, goals, and areas for improvement, helping them clarify what they truly seek from coaching.

They can be questionnaires, personality tests, or activity-based formats, and many are backed by research in psychology or workplace performance. They give both coaches and clients a snapshot of where someone is now, so you can plan what to work on next.

Why use assessments as part of your coaching resources?

Assessments add structure and consistency to your coaching practice. They help you avoid guesswork, track progress over time, and tailor sessions to each person. Assessments also support a strong coaching relationship and contribute to coaching success and positive coaching outcomes for both coach and client. For clients, they often create those “aha” moments that spark change.

When used well, these tools can help build trust and give your clients more control over their growth. They can also save time, especially in the early stages of coaching.

💡Read also: How to make a coaching website for your business

Types of coaching assessment questionnaires

Depending on your coaching process, some types of assessment questionnaires may be a better fit than others. After all, different goals call for different tools.

Below are the main types you’ll come across.

Coaching self-assessment tools for personal growth

Coaching self-assessment tools help people understand their strengths and thought patterns. Often used in life coaching or general personal development, they support reflection and build self-awareness. These could come in the form of values surveys, journaling prompts, and strengths finders.

Career coaching assessment tools for professional direction

Career coaching assessment tools guide people through questions about interests and career paths. They’re often used to figure out next steps, whether that’s a job switch or filling a skill gap. Common formats include aptitude tests and motivation assessments.

Coaching skills self-assessment tool formats for skill development

These tools are for coaches like you, as they are used to evaluate coaching skills themselves and can be useful for internal coach training or professional development. They focus on coaching basics like listening, feedback, and presence. Coaching skills self-assessment tools are often incorporated into coaching programs to support ongoing skill development.

Health coaching assessment tools for wellness evaluation

These tools look at lifestyle habits and factors like stress levels, nutrition, and physical activity. They’re often used in the first session to help set realistic wellness goals. The primary benefits of using health coaching assessment tools include improved overall wellness and clearer goal setting, which support more effective coaching outcomes.

Life coaching assessment tools for personal goal-setting

Goal-setting tools help people get clear about what they want, why they want it, and what’s getting in the way. These might take the form of values lists or life coaching exercises. They help clarify the goals set by clients and support goal attainment by providing structure and focus.

Assessment tools for life coaching focused on values and motivation

Assessment tools for life coaching are meant to focus more deeply on what drives someone. They’re useful when a client’s motivation seems unclear or they are feeling truly stuck. These tools can help identify and leverage client strengths, allowing clients to use their unique talents and positive attributes to overcome obstacles.

Leadership coaching assessment tools for team and individual growth

Leadership coaching assessment tools look at how someone leads and works with others. Some focus on emotional intelligence or conflict style, while others compare self-perception with peer or team feedback. These are especially useful if you’re an executive coach.

How to choose the right assessment for your coaching evaluation

First things first: what are the client’s goals? With every step of your coaching process, it’s important to stick to the client’s desires for growth. Yes, there’s a catch—sometimes the right tool can help uncover those goals in the first place. But when you’ve got those down, think about what kind of insight would actually help move them forward.

Not every session needs an assessment, and you may want to use different types of tools for different stages of the coaching process. Also, consider how easy the tool is to use and understand for both you and your clients.

💡Keep learning: How to build a coaching program

39 coaching assessment tools for businesses

There are many coaching assessment tools out there. These 39 made my list because they are backed by research, beloved by coaching professionals, used in a variety of coaching practices, or all of the above.

1. Leadership Circle Profile™ 360 Assessment
   This tool blends self-assessment with feedback from colleagues to give clients a clear understanding of their leadership behaviors and core beliefs. You may find it useful for linking a client’s internal mindset with their outward effectiveness.
2. Collective Leadership Assessment™
   Designed for teams and organizations, this tool measures how an organization experiences leadership collectively. Coaches use it to identify gaps in culture and figure out how to fill them.
3. Hogan Personality Inventory
   This tool is another one fit for the workplace. It measures normal personality traits that can affect a person’s job performance and is often used by coaches for leadership development and identifying career risks.
4. DISC Assessment
   Another great tool for the workplace, and one of the best-known, the DISC Assessment looks at communication and work styles and breaks them into four main personality profiles Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. You might use it to improve collaboration and reduce conflict in the teams you’re coaching.
5. Enneagram Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ)
   This tool uses the famous Enneagram technique of 9 different personality types and applies it directly to workplace settings. It can help you walk your clients through deep self-reflection and understanding their core motivation.
6. BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i)
   This is a self-report tool that measures the user’s emotional intelligence. It focuses on aspects like self-awareness and interpersonal skills and is commonly used by coaches in personal development.
7. Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)
   Unlike some other self-report tools, MSCEIT looks at emotional intelligence as a tangible set of tools. You can use it to check your client’s ability to read and manage emotions and manage relationships.
8. Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ)
   PVQ looks at a client’s basic personal values, like tradition and achievement. You can use it to explore their motivation and decision-making skills.
9. Barrett Personal Values Assessment
   This is a free tool that you can use to check a client’s personal and organizational values. Coaches commonly use it for alignment and motivation.
10. The Predictive Index Behavior Assessment
    For a quick to complete tool, the Predictive Index Behavior Assessment can be used to evaluate your client’s personal drives and how they influence their behavior in the workplace.
11. Gallup CliftonStrengths
    With 34 themes, you can use this tool to figure out your clients. You might use it if you’d rather help clients identify and use their natural talents rather than focus on their weaknesses and shortcomings.
12. Korn Ferry Leadership Architect™
    This tool considers a wide set of leadership qualities to help build leadership pipelines and development plans for organizations. It’s often used in an enterprise-level context by executive coaches.
13. Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI)
    Understanding a team’s conflict style can be useful when it comes to fixing conflicts, and the TKI is designed to help coaches with just that. You might use it to improve communication and resolve tension on teams.
14. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
    One of the most famous on my list, the MBTI breaks people into 16 personality types based on four preference pairs. You can use it across all sorts of coaching strategies to help your clients get a better sense of who they are and what they value.
15. VIA Character Strengths Survey
    This is another free tool that looks at an individual’s top character strengths. You can use it to help your clients build confidence, resilience, and positivity.
16. Work Personality Index (WPI)
    WPI measures the personality traits that directly affect your client’s workplace behavior. You can use it to help your clients with career development and job fit.
17. 16Personalities (based on MBTI)
    Using Myers-Briggs as the backbone, this assessment tool takes a modern approach to present personality insights in an easy-to-read format. It can be a great introduction tool for your clients to get to know themselves on a deeper level.
18. Strengths Deployment Inventory (SDI)
    Think of SDI as a way to map motivation styles and how they shift during conflict. Executive and workplace coaches can use this tool to improve team relationships and resolve issues with communication.
19. Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI)
    LPI looks at observable behaviors linked to effective leadership. This tool is based on the Five Practices model, and you may use it for leadership training or corporate feedback.
20. FIRO-B (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation–Behavior)
    This tool assesses interpersonal needs like inclusion and affection. If your client wants to focus on relationship building and communication, this tool might give you some useful insights.
21. DiSC Work of Leaders®
    This is a version of DiSC specific for leaders, and it focuses on vision, alignment, and execution. If you coach managers, you might use it to help them develop practical leadership habits.
22. EQ-i 2.0 Leadership Report
    Another tool geared towards leaders, the EQ-i 2.0 helps coaches assess their clients’ general EQ score and offers detailed breakdowns. It also offers specific suggestions based on score, so you can easily map out your coaching strategies.
23. Thomas International Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire
    Unlike many EQ tools, this one blends emotional awareness with behavioral tendencies in work settings. It stands out for its focus on how emotional intelligence shows up in day-to-day performance, especially in roles that involve managing others.
24. CALIPER Profile
    CALIPER is distinct in combining personality traits with cognitive reasoning to predict job fit. If you’re an executive coach, you might use it for its depth in matching candidates to roles.
25. Birkman Method
    Birkman measures usual behavior and stress responses and takes into account the underlying needs of the person assessed. It’s helpful if you want to check how someone responds under pressure and coach them through it.
26. Team Management Systems (TMS) Profile
    Unlike broader personality tools, TMS is tailored for project-based work and improving task distribution in groups. TMS profile can be a helpful assessment tool if you want to focus on how people contribute to team energy.
27. Harrison Assessments Talent Solutions
    This tool focuses on job-specific success traits. You can use it to measure suitability and engagement in your clients and help organizations and teams reduce employee turnover risk.
28. High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI)
    HPTI assesses personality traits linked to leadership potential, like adjustment, curiosity, and ambition. While it’s often used in leadership development, it can also be helpful for clients planning long-term goals or considering high-stakes career shifts.
29. Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (MAPP)
    MAPP focuses on motivation and job preferences, making it especially useful for career changers or students choosing a path. Many coaches use it in private practice for clients exploring purpose and direction.
30. CPI 260® (California Psychological Inventory)
    CPI 260 is one of many life coaching assessment tools that explore interpersonal style and decision-making. You might find it valuable in life coaching or leadership work outside of traditional organizations, especially for clients interested in self-awareness and personal growth.
31. Belbin Team Roles
    Belbin identifies how individuals contribute in group settings by looking at their behavior. It’s used in teams, but also works well for group coaching or family dynamics contexts.
32. NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R)
    NEO PI-R is one of the most research-backed assessments of personality and is based on the Big Five traits. It is a well-researched tool for personality assessment, providing reliable and validated insights into personality structure. It’s used in both clinical and coaching settings.
33. TalentSmart Emotional Intelligence Appraisal
    This tool measures four core areas of emotional intelligence in a quick, accessible format. It’s often used in corporate training, but you can still use it with one-on-one clients focused on relationships or communication habits.
34. Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment (SEI)
    SEI links emotional intelligence to real-life action, which makes it flexible across contexts. Coaches use it in education, parenting, and wellness work to help clients apply emotional insight in practical ways.
35. Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (LEA)
    LEA looks at 22 leadership behaviors across multiple domains. While it’s one of many executive coaching assessment tools, you can use it to support clients in nonprofit or small business settings who are stepping into leadership roles.
36. Coach’s Toolkit Assessment Series
    This collection includes a wide variety of ready-to-use forms and exercises for different coaching goals. Because it’s so versatile, it’s easy to adapt it to your specific coaching clients and niche.
37. OPQ32 Occupational Personality Questionnaire
    OPQ32 assesses 32 traits tied to workplace behavior. While mainly used in HR and talent development, some coaches use it in career guidance or with entrepreneurs to understand how personality affects work choices and habits.
38. Situational Leadership® Assessment
    You can use this tool to help clients adapt their leadership style based on the skills and confidence of others. It’s great for corporate teams, but also relevant in education or nonprofits.
39. Workplace Big Five Profile™
    A simplified version of the Big Five, this profile connects personality to common work behaviors. It’s useful in coaching related to careers, self-management, or team communication, especially when clients want clear and relatable feedback.

Best practices for creating your coaching toolkit

A great assessment tool in your coaching toolkit can give structure to your sessions and even help you scale. But a poorly chosen one can confuse clients or shift focus away from what matters.

To make sure they complement rather than take over your other coaching resources, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Recognize the limits of coaching assessment questionnaires

Assessments can be helpful, but they can’t capture context or personal nuance. One common pitfall is relying too heavily on the results of your assessments, especially early on in the coaching process. Your clients might see a label and assume it’s fixed, or you might follow a framework so closely that you miss what’s really happening.

These tools are made to support your process. So, pull out one or two insights to explore in conversation, ask your client how they feel about the results, and stay focused on their goals.

Evaluate assessment reliability

Before adding a tool to your practice, take time to understand how it was developed and whether it’s been validated beyond its own marketing. Was it peer-reviewed or validated with real-world use? Is there research behind it, or just branding? Look for clear documentation and transparent scoring.

Also, think about whether the tool fits your client base—a high-level executive report may not be right for someone navigating a career change or personal transition.

Implement assessment feedback

The value of an assessment often comes from what you do after it’s completed. A clear report is helpful, but it doesn’t do much without a thoughtful follow-up conversation. Your clients may not know what to make of charts or categories.

Keep it connected to their goals and invite your client to interpret the feedback with you. Ask what surprised them, what felt true, and how they’d like to apply what they’ve learned.

What to include when building assessments for coaching evaluation

Maybe the tools on my list were great, but you’d rather use your own. Maybe you’d rather use a mix of premade assessment tools and ones you create for your individual business.

Either way, below are features worth considering when building or choosing assessments. You don’t need all of them, but the right mix can help you stay organized and keep your clients engaged between coaching sessions.

Custom quiz and survey builders

Use survey builders to create personalized assessments that reflect your coaching strategies. They’re useful for new client intakes or even session prep. Look for platforms that let you choose question types, scoring logic, and branding to match your process.

Digital feedback forms

Simple feedback forms can give you real-time insight into what’s working. Try using them after coaching sessions to gather impressions or before coaching sessions to focus your time together.

Video conferencing

Live video calls let you walk through results with your clients if they are difficult to meet in person. Look for conferencing tools that offer screen sharing so you can both view the results at the same time.

Collaborative journaling

Shared journals let clients reflect on assessment results in their own words. You can respond or ask for follow-ups to link the reflections back to future goals. This is especially useful for life coaching or personal and professional development work.

Accountability tracking

Some assessments lead directly into habit-building or change. If that’s the case, it helps to include a simple way for clients to log actions or progress. Tie this back to earlier assessment data so they can see how their efforts are connected to growth and make use of analytics and reports to help your clients visualize that progress.

Embedded self-assessment modules

If you run an online program or course, embedding short self-assessments along the way keeps the content interactive and personal. These can be simple check-ins or more structured reflections tied to learning milestones.

Progress tracking dashboards

Dashboards let you and your client see trends over time. They can help visual learners or anyone who needs a clear sense of progress. You don’t need to track everything. Instead, focus on a few markers that show what matters most for your niche and client.

Goal-setting templates and forms

Goal-setting tools connect insight and action. Use templates that encourage clarity and focus, not just long wish lists. When tied to earlier assessment results, these can show a clear path forward.

Interactive whiteboards

Online whiteboards are great for mapping ideas or making sense of complex results. Use them live or asynchronously to co-create outcomes with your client. This can encourage more active participation from your clients who like to feel involved in their progress and timelines.

Flexible file upload or journaling assignments

Let clients upload reflections, worksheets, or voice memos in whatever format works for them. Giving flexibility here can increase coaching engagement, especially for clients who don’t always respond well to traditional forms.

Pre- and post-session forms

This is a basic, but powerful one. A quick pre-session form can focus the conversation, while a post-session check-in reinforces takeaways and next steps. To keep things from getting redundant, I would use these once a month or for milestone coaching sessions.

💡Keep learning: 12 best online coaching platforms for 2025

How to choose between online tools for creating assessments

If you’ve ever had clients confused by clunky forms or struggled to reuse materials across clients, the issue might be the tool. A good system for creating assessments should make it easy to track progress and involve your clients.

Look for tools that:

• Support a mix of input types like open text, scales, and multiple choice
• Work smoothly on both desktop and mobile
• Allow you and your clients to revisit responses anytime
• Connect with tools you already use, like scheduling or content platforms
• Make it easy to reuse or adjust assessments across different clients
• Keep everything organized in one place for quick access and follow-up

A tool that matches the way you coach will always serve you better than one with features you don’t need. Keep it simple, clear, and aligned with how you already work.

Create executive coaching assessment tools with LearnWorlds

LearnWorlds gives you the structure to build and deliver coaching assessments that support your clients’ growth. You can design quizzes that test leadership skills and track progress across a full coaching program.

Everything stays in one place, making it easier to keep things organized when working with multiple clients or executive teams.

Features that support coaching include:

• Assessment builder with 20+ question types
• Custom forms and surveys for intake, check-ins, or feedback
• Built-in analytics and reports for tracking growth
• Learning paths to guide clients through tailored content

If you’re running executive coaching or leadership development programs, it’s a practical platform to build from. Start a free trial today and see how it fits your work.

[1] Online Coaching Market Expected to Reach $11.7 billion, Globally, by 2032 at 14% CAGR-Allied Market Research

Ciera Lamb

Ciera is a freelance content writer and editor connecting companies with their ideal audiences through blog articles and other online content. She approaches her writing with curiosity and research and enjoys the ever-present learning that comes with being a content writer. She is also an avid scuba diver, an aspiring Dutch speaker, and lover of all things nature.