Many people choose to improve their sex lives by dipping their toe into the world of kink – and that can look like anything from bringing a new sex toy into the bedroom to experimenting with a praise kink. Recently, though, a “kink test” has been floating around TikTok, with many content creators touting their “non-vanilla” results.
Also called a BDSM test, BDSM quiz, or a kink quiz, the big kink survey asks you to answer a questionnaire to help you determine your “kinkiness.” But what, exactly, is kink? Merriam-Webster defines the term as an “unconventional sexual taste or behavior,” but sexologist Carol Queen adds that kink generally references any sexual interest that is “at some distance from normative ideas about what sex is or should be.”
Of course, this is going to look different depending on the person you ask. For one person, having doggy-style sex in broad daylight might be considered kinky. For others, being tied up in a BDSM fantasy might be kinky. For this reason, kink exists on a spectrum – and what that spectrum looks like is entirely up to you and your individual preferences.
The BDSM test circulating TikTok was created in 2014 to determine “what level of kinkster you are,” the website bdsmtest.org states. It was founded with a mission of “helping beginning kinksters determine which labels are or aren’t suitable for them, and to be a fun experience for everyone taking it.”
Whether you’re curious how you’d score on a kink test and what each result means, or you just want to take a fun little personality quiz, we have some answers. But first, let’s discuss why it could be beneficial for you to know this information in the first place.
Experts Featured in This Article
Carol Queen, PhD, is a sexologist for sex-toy retailer Good Vibrations.
How to Take the Kink Test
If you’re interested in taking the kink test that’s going viral on TikTok, you can access it at bdsm.org.
To begin, it will give you the option to make an account or take the test anonymously. Then, it will take you to a page where you can fill out basic info like your age, gender, and sexual orientation. Once you complete the demographics part, you have the option to take the shorter test, which offers “reasonable accuracy” and is advised for those “only mildly interested.” Or, you can take the longer test for “maximum accuracy” advised for those who are “strongly into BDSM.”
Here’s how it works: the website will prompt you with statements like, “physically restricting my partner during sex/BDSM (with clothes, attributes, rope, chains, etc.) is arousing” and “there is no reason why sex would have to happen in private spaces, isolated from the outside world.” Then, it’s up to you to rank the prompt on a scale of “absolutely disagree” to “absolutely agree.”
Image Source: BDSMTest.org
Once you’ve answered all the questions in the kink test, it will take you to a results page where it will reveal which kink labels you relate to most. The specific labels include owner, switch, daddy/mommy, degrader, boy/girl, primal (hunter), brat, sadist, voyeur, ageplayer, master/mistress, dominant, brat tamer, slave, submissive, nonmonogamist, rope bunny, degradee, pet, experimentalist, rigger, masochist, primal (prey), exhibitionist, and vanilla. Basically, these labels provide you with a word that conveys your BDSM preferences and can be used to help describe what your personality is like in a sexual environment. (Of course, you can take it or leave it, depending on whether or not it actually resonates with you.)
FYI, many other kink and BDSM tests exist on the Internet, so if you’d like to cross-compare your results, you can check out other options like this one on kinktest.org.
What Do Your Kink Test Results Mean?
According to bdsm.org, here are what the 25 labels mean:
Owner: This person takes (and wants) responsibility over someone else on a 24/7 basis, and sex is not necessarily always involved. Think about it in terms of a typical owner and pet relationship.
Switch: Switches enjoy being dominant *and* submissive. “They do not fit on one end point of the spectrum.”
Daddies/Mommies: This is most often a caretaker role, where this person “nurtures their littles into obedience.” Similar to an “owner,” this label does not have to be sexual.
Degraders: This person enjoys consensually degrading and humiliating their partner.
Boy/Girl: This person most often seeks a partner who identifies as a daddy/mommy. “They long for a nurturing loving dominant who plays a guiding, parental role in their lives.”
Primal (Hunter): Have you ever felt the desire to be extremely animalistic during sex? This label may resonate. “The key part for primals is that they show their raw, emotional sexual feelings during play.” (Yes, this can include snarling, growling, and clawing.)
Brat: Labeled as “naughty submissives,” brats seek dominance with an edge of playfulness and fun. You may find them often saying “no” to their partners’ orders so their partner will teach them a lesson.
Image Source: BDSMTest.org
Sadist: A sadist enjoys inflicting consensual pain on their partner. (Remember that scene in “Fifty Shades of Grey” when Ana calls Christina a sadist?)
Voyeur: In a sexual context, these people enjoy consensually watching other people be naked or engage in sexual activity. Most voyeurs love a mutual masturbation session for that very reason.
Ageplayers: This person typically takes on a much younger or older age than they actually are.
Master/Mistress: This person most often pairs with a “slave” and wants “complete control over the life of their slave and all the responsibilities that come with it. The power exchange is present 24/7 compared to a dominant, who likely only holds power in the bedroom,” according to the BDSMTest site.
Dominant: A dominant wants to be in control and in charge.
Brat tamer: Remember when we talked about brats? Yup, this is their counterpart. Brat tamers are dominants that “enjoy handling bratty submissives,” according to the site.
Slave: “Slaves completely hand over the control and responsibilities over their life to their master/mistress,” the site reads.
Submissive: Opposite of dominant, a submissive likes to follow. Some like to give control away to their partner, some like to have it consensually taken from them.
Non-monogamist: They don’t believe in monogamy, the idea that one person can completely fulfill all their sexual and romantic desires. This could mean that they will have several relationships or see people outside of their relationship.
Rope bunny: A rope bunny is exactly what it sounds like: This person likes to be tied up or restrained with works (or other mechanicals like chains, cuffs, etc.)
Degradee: Yup, this is who would most often pair with a “degrader.” “Degradees like to be degraded and humiliated by their partner(s),” the site says.
Pet: Typically paired with “owners,” pets like to be considered property by their owner in daily life.
Experimentalist: These people want to “try it all.” They have an open mind and are likely the people to try anything at least once.
Rigger: This person enjoys tying up and restraining their partner using rope or other attributes.
Masochist: Most often couples up with sadist, a masochist enjoys receiving consensual pain from their partner in a sexual setting.
Primal (prey): “Primals are mainly focused on their natural instincts and enjoy letting their inner animal out during sex,” according to the site. As for how it’s different from a primal hunter, the prey will do anything to get away from its predator.
Exhibitionist: This person pairs well with a voyeur, as exhibitionists enjoy “showing their naked body or a sexual act to other people,” BDSMTest.org says.
Vanilla: “Vanilla people enjoy regular, standard sex and relationship models,” the site says. (Which, like, no shade at all – there’s nothing wrong if you score this way.)
Why Is It Important to Know Your Kink Level?
To put it simply, knowing your kink level will help you know more about yourself and your desires, says Queen. “It helps you find compatible partners and community, gives you desires to negotiate for, and gives you erotic options – including sexy things when you don’t have a partner at all,” she adds.
But don’t feel like you have to be defined by any sort of label around your kink level. No matter how you score, Queen reminds you, “this doesn’t mean you must, want to, or will walk through all [the] doors” of this label – and that’s absolutely OK.
That said, even if you decide you’d prefer not to venture into this world of kink, it’s still a good idea to learn about it, says Queen.
What to Do With Your Kink Test Results
Explore, explore, explore – if you feel so compelled. Queen advises you dive deeper into your results, learn about them more, and maybe even try them if you find it interests you. But again, no pressure to label yourself a certain way or even engage in any of the above sexual acts. While a random online quiz can help guide your sexual exploration, know that it’s still just that: an online quiz.
It doesn’t have to mean anything concrete about what you like or could potentially be into. The bottom line here is that sex is all about exploring what feels good to you – no matter what that looks like or what your results convey.
– Additional Reporting by Haley Lyndes
Haley Lyndes was an assistant editor for PS Shopping where she found and tested the best home, beauty, and fashion products. She is a graduate of Northern Vermont University and has nearly five years of experience in both written and broadcast journalism.
Taylor Andrews is a PS Balance editor who specializes in topics relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, mental health, and more.
