Thanks for the fair comment. Would you mind elaborating on “control the context to eliminate bias and gaming” under this situation?
To your second point, yeah I could’ve made that more clear. At that point in my comment I was still unpacking what veracity and validity could mean in the context of a personality test. For example, it’s hard to discuss repeatability in the context of personality that can change under life circumstances. If you take the most reputable personality tests out there (and they’re all with a grain of salt), they will of course be impacted if you take it, for example, the day after your mother dies. Or you are exhausted from an 18 hour shift. Or you just had a newborn child, etc. These are more extreme examples just to convey the idea. Naturally one can say, “well of course if you choose the same answers and your personality is consistent, then yes the test itself will be repeatable.”
For the same reason people will say, “But (scientific) polls of elections aren’t accurate!” it’s because they view them as predictive and immutable when they, like personality tests, are explicit snapshots in time.
The more substantive question to me is: do the questions asked by this test sufficiently cover most aspects of one’s personality? That’s hard to say. Obviously the more questions asked, the more granular the results can become, so I’ll grant that.
This relates to your final point: What would I consider to be the test’s objectives? For me, it’s an exercise in gleaning insight into one’s own personality; to help with reflection and introspection. To identify your strengths and weaknesses. In some sense, to provide some identity. I can’t tell you how I felt understood. I actually teared up while reading the analysis for the first time. As something of an outsider for much of my life it was like it filled in the missing pieces I long suspected and yet always doubted. Like I said I can’t speak for what others got out of the test, but it was the best therapy I ever received. (And for context, I read every other generalized group to make sure it wasn’t generalized astrological bullshit where every description could match every person, for which nothing came close).
For those who wish to try to get something out of these tests, I advise:
Take the test multiple times over weeks, months, years; see if you find a pattern or what comes up at your most neutral, baseline, normal, average state of mind on an average day in your life.
Ask yourself if it feels like this test is you, but also:
Ask close friends, loved-ones if they believe this is you (better yet, give them a control, then give them the actual results for you). Alternatively do it alongside your partner so you get external feedback.