Self-Efficacy Questionnaires: 15 Surveys to Measure Confidence

The beliefs a person holds about their ability to handle situations, complete tasks, and reach goals play a major role in determining whether they succeed. Low self-efficacy can block potential, but self-efficacy is also a capability that can be strengthened with practice and the right supports.

This article reviews reliable measures, practical exercises, and evidence-based strategies to assess and boost self-efficacy for individuals, students, and teams.

Before you continue: you can find a short pack of positive psychology tools offered in the original resource referenced in this article (promotional links removed).

Measuring and Assessing: The Self-Efficacy Scale

The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), developed by Schwarzer and Jerusalem (1995), is a widely used 10-item self-report measure that captures an individual’s optimistic belief in their ability to influence outcomes. Written at about a 7th–8th-grade reading level, it is appropriate for adolescents and adults. Internal consistency typically ranges from .76 to .90, with most studies reporting values in the high .80s. Scores span from 10 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater general self-efficacy. The scale is free to administer.

A shorter eight-item New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE), developed by Chen, Gully, and Eden (2001), is also commonly used. It is tailored for adults, written at a 6th–8th-grade reading level, takes roughly three minutes to complete, and is considered reliable and valid. Both scales are among the most widely adopted measures of general self-efficacy in research and practice.

15 Questionnaires and Surveys

A variety of questionnaires and surveys exist to assess self-efficacy in different contexts. For classroom use, the Self-Efficacy Formative Questionnaire (Gaumer Erickson & Noonan, 2018) helps teachers assess students’ beliefs about their abilities and whether they view ability as something that grows with effort. Students complete a 13-item Likert questionnaire (1 = not very like me to 5 = very like me) and receive immediate graphical feedback, with scores presented on a 100-point style scale for easy interpretation. It targets grades 6–12 and reports strong reliability (α ≈ .894).

Other tools measure self-efficacy across domains such as intellectual functioning, family life, education, professional roles, social relationships, religion, sexuality, morality, living standards, and health. Some broader surveys originally contained many items (e.g., 130) and were refined to more concise formats (e.g., 104 items) while maintaining acceptable internal consistency (.75–.84).

Albert Bandura’s guidance on scale construction (featured in Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Adolescents) includes sample instruments and scale-building considerations. Bandura’s appendix provides multiple domain-specific scales—examples include self-efficacy to regulate exercise, eating habits, driving, problem-solving, pain management, children’s self-efficacy scales, teacher and parental self-efficacy measures, and collective-efficacy tools for schools. These instruments are useful for teachers, clinicians, coaches, and researchers seeking to understand and target self-efficacy in specific populations.

The main benefit of these tools is that they give clear, actionable insight into an individual’s or group’s beliefs about their capabilities. Once you know the results, you can design targeted interventions—mastery experiences, modeling, feedback, and stress-reduction strategies—to improve self-efficacy in the relevant domain.

How to Develop and Improve Self-Efficacy

One common theme across self-improvement advice is to spend time with people who embody the qualities you want to develop or who share your goals. Self-efficacy is shaped by both physical and psychological environments, and changing either often requires deliberate action.

Books and theory alone are insufficient; applying what you learn through consistent practice is essential. Breaking larger objectives into tiny, consistent behaviors—called nano- or tiny-habits—makes action less intimidating and creates frequent mastery experiences. Each successful repetition strengthens belief in your capacity and gradually shifts identity and language: you move from “I’m not a ___” to “I’m learning to ___” and eventually to “I am a ___.”

For example, an adult who starts to learn chess may begin feeling incapable, but small, regular practices—playing casual games, reviewing positions, and playing with others—generate incremental wins and increase confidence. Social supports, mentors, or a community of players make taking those early steps easier.

Managing negative self-talk is crucial. The classic children’s story The Little Engine That Could illustrates perseverance: repeated self-encouragement (“I think I can. I think I can.”) is a simple but powerful strategy. Celebrating small wins—mentally or with a modest reward—reinforces behavior through dopamine-driven reward pathways. Research on tiny habits shows the importance of pairing small actions with immediate rewards to create sustainable routines.

Promoting Self-Efficacy With Students and in the Classroom

Teachers aim to cultivate students who can self-regulate, engage deeply, and tackle increasingly complex tasks. Many students bring challenges into the classroom—undetected learning difficulties, economic hardship, trauma, homelessness, or bullying—that affect behavior and learning.

Bandura identified four primary sources of self-efficacy: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences (observing similar peers succeed), verbal persuasion (specific, timely feedback), and physiological states (stress and anxiety). Teachers can apply each source to support students:

• Scaffold learning so students accumulate mastery experiences and build competence gradually.
• Use peer modeling so students observe comparable classmates succeeding at tasks.
• Offer specific, timely encouragement and feedback that focuses on effort and strategy rather than comparison.
• Reduce anxiety around assessments through preparation activities and stress-reduction supports.

Practical classroom strategies to lower test anxiety and support self-efficacy include using review games, allowing sensory aids (e.g., gum for stress reduction), providing mindfulness resources, offering fidget tools or flexible seating, giving students choices in how they present work, and supplying clear rubrics and cooperative learning structures. Inquiry-based and problem-based approaches also foster deeper engagement and build students’ belief in their own abilities.

Fostering Self-Efficacy in the Workplace

Workplaces function as important social environments where employees spend substantial time and form strong interpersonal bonds. Employers can enhance employees’ self-efficacy by offering clarity, support, and opportunities for growth.

Role ambiguity and sudden changes in job responsibilities can lower employee self-efficacy. Managers who provide clear expectations, transparent communication, and supportive coaching help restore confidence. Vicarious modeling (seeing peers succeed) and verbal persuasion (constructive encouragement) also assist employees in adapting to change.

Research indicates links between self-efficacy, hope, positive affect, and creativity—employees who feel capable and hopeful tend to be more creative. Contingent rewards and recognition can strengthen self-efficacy, and providing opportunities for voluntary extra-role responsibilities (tasks not formally required or compensated) can create a positive spiral: employees gain experience and confidence, which leads to more engagement and competence.

Career planning and training are additional levers. Well-designed adult learning—case-based and problem-based approaches that draw on employees’ prior knowledge and involve experiential scenarios—promotes skill-building and decision-making confidence.

Three Recommended Books on Self-Efficacy

Below are three influential books for deeper reading and practical guidance on self-efficacy and related educational and organizational practices. (Promotional links removed.)

1. Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control — Albert Bandura

Bandura’s foundational text explains the origins of self-efficacy theory, empirical tests, and implications for behavior change. It is a core academic reference for anyone studying or applying self-efficacy concepts.

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2. Loving What They Learn: Research-Based Strategies to Increase Student Engagement — Alexander McNeece, PhD

A practical resource for educators, this book links self-determination theory, self-concept, and self-efficacy and offers classroom strategies to boost engagement across learners.

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3. Collective Efficacy: How Educators’ Beliefs Impact Student Learning — Jenni Donohoo

This book examines how a group’s shared belief in its ability to affect outcomes—collective efficacy—shapes student achievement and details leadership practices and conditions that support collaborative, high-impact professional learning.

A Take-Home Message

Self-efficacy can be assessed and strengthened using established scales, targeted questionnaires, and evidence-based interventions. Improvements emerge through repeated mastery experiences, observing others, specific and supportive feedback, and managing physiological stress. Whether in classrooms or workplaces, applying these strategies patiently and consistently will help people build stronger beliefs in their abilities and translate those beliefs into meaningful achievement.

How have you supported others in developing self-efficacy? Consider measuring current beliefs, designing small, repeatable mastery experiences, and creating environments that model success and reduce unnecessary anxiety.

References

• Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Worth Publishers.
• Bandura, A. (2006). Guide for creating self-efficacy scales. In F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 307–337). Information Age Publishing.
• Cassady, J. (Ed.). (2010). Anxiety in schools: The causes, consequences, and solutions for academic anxieties. Peter Lang.
• Cassady, J., & Johnson, R. (2002). Cognitive test anxiety and academic performance. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 27, 270–295.
• Chen, G., Gully, S. M., & Eden, D. (2001). Validation of a New General Self-Efficacy Scale. Organizational Research Methods, 4(1), 62–83.
• Gaumer Erickson, A. S., & Noonan, P. M. (2018). Self-efficacy formative questionnaire. In The Skills That Matter: Teaching Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Competencies in Any Classroom (pp. 175–176). Corwin.
• Donohoo, J. (2017). Collective efficacy: How educators’ beliefs impact student learning. Corwin.
• Fogg, B. J. (2020). Tiny Habits: The Small Habits That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Jacobsen, C. B., & Andersen, L. B. (2016). Leading public service organizations: How to obtain high employee self-efficacy and organizational performance. Public Management Review, 19(2), 253–273.
• Janjhua, Y., Chaudhary, R., & Chauhan, M. (2014). Relationship between employees’ self-efficacy belief and role stress: A study. Journal of Psychology, 5(2), 169–173.
• Lyons, P. (2008). Case-based modeling for learning management and interpersonal skills. Journal of Management Education, 32(4), 420–443.
• Lyons, P., & Bandura, R. (2019). Case-based modeling: Fostering expertise development and small group learning. European Journal of Training and Development, 43(7/8), 767–782.
• McNeece, A. (2019). Loving What They Learn: Research-Based Strategies to Increase Student Engagement. Solution Tree Press.
• Mañas Rodríguez, M., Estreder, Y., Martinez-Tur, V., Díaz-Fúnez, P., & Pecino-Medina, V. (2020). A positive spiral of self-efficacy among public employees. Personnel Review.
• Rego, A., Sousa, F., Marques, C., & Cunha, M. P. E. (2012). Retail employees’ self-efficacy and hope predicting their positive affect and creativity. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 21(6), 923–945.
• Sasaki-Otomaru, A., et al. (2011). Effect of regular gum chewing on levels of anxiety, mood, and fatigue in healthy young adults. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 7, 133–139.
• Schunk, D. (2016). Learning theories: An educational perspective. Pearson.
• Schwarzer, R., & Jerusalem, M. (1995). Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale. In J. Weinman, S. Wright, & M. Johnston (Eds.), Measures in Health Psychology: A User’s Portfolio. NFER-NELSON.
• Stanford SparqTools. New General Self-Efficacy Scale and measurement guidance (various resources and FAQs).
• Wulantika, L., & Ayuningtias, N. (2020). Effect of career planning and self-efficacy on employee performance. Conference Proceedings.