I Heart Online Dating

Getting Started With The Test

So- remember the SAT? Well, there’s another test you can take that’s even more important to your future- and it doesn’t require you find the hypotenuse of a triangle. It’s the Online Dating Questionnaire. Every service has them- from comprehensive surveys at eHarmony, to scientific tests at Match, to flirty quizzes at OKCupid, to short shots at Singlesnet, online dating questionnaires are frequently requirements for admission. But just like the SAT, there are a few tricks to succeeding in the online world. So get out your number 2 pencil and start learning.

Take Your Time

Remember how bad it is to rush through the SAT? Well, it’s the same with online dating questionnaires. If you go through too quickly, you might answer poorly. Most questionnaires allow you to “save your progress”. Make sure to do this and take a walk, have a snack, or even finish the next day. That’s one advantage to these questionnaires- unlike the SAT, you’ve got all the time in the world to finish.

Answer For Who You Are, Not Who You Want To Be

Cheating. It’s tempting everywhere, and on online dating questionnaires it’s especially easy. If you see a question about your social behavior, body type, or even just your favorite movies, you’ll be tempted to put down a white lie (of course, you may actually be outgoing, incredibly athletic, and love only French films. In that case, give us your phone number.).

White lies may be tempting, but it’s important to remember that honesty is the best policy. Many of the questionnaires are carefully calibrated to learn about who you are (eHarmony even has a laboratory!). Answering dishonestly may be tempting, but in the end, you won’t be lying to a website. You will have misled your date. The best way for a new person to discover why you’re great is to admit it to yourself, and show it by telling the truth.

It’s About You, Not Them

A similar temptation is to answer the questionnaire to try to snag the type of person you want. If it were the SAT, you’d be peeking at the answers of your neighbor, trying to figure out what they put down. Of course, on the SAT that doesn’t work- questions and answers have different orders for different people. Online dating questionnaires are just as complex.

Let’s say you put that you are an “outgoing go-getter” because you want to date someone who is. Well, dating services know enough about personalities that you’ll probably be matched with a recessive personality instead of an alpha male or female. By faking the answer, you’ll get the opposite of what you want! Dating companies spend millions of dollars researching personalities and love (True even has a Psychology Today endorsement). That investment is the reason you’re going to them in the first place- so trust them to get it right.

Before You Turn in Your Answers…

Remember to have fun! That’s another difference between online dating questionnaires and the SATs. Questionnaires help you to learn more about your personality, your quirks, and all the things that make you an amazing person. The SATs may help you get into a good college. But if you answer carefully, honestly, and clearly, a dating questionnaire can help you get into a good relationship- and that’s not a bad result for a single test.

Tags: eharmony, match, okcupid, online dating tips, questionnaires, singlesnet, true