Drive student success with the power of motivation
Motivation Code partners with colleges and universities to help students discover who they are at their best, how they’re wired for success, and what motivates them to engage, persist, and thrive.
The most accurate, relevant assessment for college students
While personality and strengths assessments describe traits and what students are good at, the MCode assessment explains why:
- Why some activities fuel students, and other activities leave them depleted.
- Why students naturally excel in certain areas, yet struggle to perform in others.
- Why they work so well with some people, but have difficulty working with others.
MCode reveals how students are wired — the intrinsic motivations that inspire them to engage fully, stick with it when things get tough, and do their best work. When students know what drives them, they show up with purpose, plug into campus life, and make better academic, career, and social decisions.
The science behind the Motivation Code assessment
The MCode assessment is backed by more than 60 years of scientific and empirical research using SIMA® (System for Identifying Motivated Abilities), insights from decades of research and coaching on motivation and high performance, and the continued evaluation of motivation in today’s world.
- Rooted in research: More than one million achievement stories from people of all walks of life and career paths have been analyzed to identify 32 Motivations and 8 Dimensions that shape human behavior.
- Proprietary pattern recognition: Our data-driven methodology identifies motivational patterns and abilities with unmatched accuracy, helping students understand why they do what they do and why it matters.
- Actual, not hypothetical: Other assessments force students to choose the “least bad” answers to abstract questions. MCode asks about their real-life experiences and what they found satisfying about them.
Every student is made up of 32 Motivations Mapped Across 8 Dimensions
A student’s strongest Motivational Dimensions describe who they are at their best, when doing their best work, performing at their highest level, and feeling happiest. Dimensions reveal the exceptional ways they bring value and impact to the world around them.
Achievers have a relentless drive to set and accomplish goals. They are results-oriented and focused on success, excelling in their pursuits, and being recognized. Achievers are motivated by personal and professional achievements and find satisfaction in surpassing previous limits and reaching new heights.
Drivers take a proactive approach to solving problems, pushing through obstacles, managing difficult situations, and ensuring results are achieved efficiently and effectively. They thrive on action and making significant impacts, especially in scenarios that require clear resolution, resilience, and tenacity.
Influencers shape opinions and motivate others. They are natural connectors who inspire action, which makes them highly effective in roles that require public speaking, team leadership, or sales. Influencers are persuasive and skilled at navigating complex social dynamics to align others with a shared vision or collective goal.
Learners have a strong desire for continuous intellectual growth and understanding. Naturally curious, they engage deeply in learning new concepts and skills. While they value expertise and are motivated by the process of discovery, Learners find satisfaction in the sharing and application of their knowledge.
Optimizers seek out inefficiencies and devise better, more efficient, effective ways of getting things done. They are often involved in projects that require critical thinking and problem-solving to enhance systems and streamline processes. Optimizers increase productivity and improve outcomes.
Orchestrators bring order to chaos, ensuring deadlines are met and every part of a project aligns with the end goal. They excel in roles that require meticulous planning, organization, and strategic oversight. Orchestrators lead through execution and coordinate tasks, people, and resources to meet deadlines and objectives.
Relators build and nurture relationships. They thrive on personal interaction and prioritize maintaining strong, supportive relationships and emotional bonds. Relators are often the glue that holds teams and social networks together. They provide teams emotional support and foster a collaborative environment.
Visionaries are defined by their forward-thinking nature and ability to conceptualize ideas that pave the way for innovation. They are creative thinkers who enjoy exploring possibilities and imagining what could be, rather than what is. Visionaries challenge the status quo and inspire others with bold, strategic visions.
Students shine bright when aligned with their MCode
Rather than giving students another assessment that tells them what they’re good or bad at (something they likely already know), the MCode assessment reveals how they are uniquely motivated — what gives them energy and makes them happy, and what drains their energy and makes them frustrated.
- A student’s most prominent Motivational Dimensions reflect the work that lights them up, gets them excited, and drives them to do their best.
- A student’s least prominent Motivational Dimensions reflect the work they can do and may even be good at, but don’t get excited by — work they feel just “meh” about.
When students learn the language of motivation, they learn the why behind their lived experiences: Why they made the decisions they made. Why they acted the way they acted. Why things turned out the way they did.
With that clarity, they can align their decisions and actions — everything from choosing a major and career path to picking roommates and navigating relationships to finding their place on campus — with what they find most interesting, satisfying, and fulfilling.
A simple Three-Step assessment
The MCode assessment uses students’ real-life experiences, not hypothetical scenarios. The process takes as little as 10 minutes, yet delivers “scary accurate” insights and this-makes-so-much-sense clarity.
Let’s say you’re a student — here’s how the MCode assessment works:
Step One
Share your stories
Your most meaningful stories hold the key to understanding what truly drives you. MCode prompts you to recall and share a few of your most fulfilling and satisfying achievements — moments when you felt engaged, alive, proud, and at your best.
Step Two
Rate what mattered
Once you’ve shared your stories, you’ll answer questions using a simple satisfaction scale. Questions will ask you to rate how you felt about what you did, why you got involved, what made it meaningful, and why it matters to you on a scale of 1-10.
Step Three
Get your MCode
A personalized report reveals your MCode: A ranking of all 32 Motivations, a deep dive into your Top 5 Motivations, your unique spectrum of 8 Motivational Dimensions, and insights on choosing a major, picking roommates, and finding your place on campus.
MCode helps students activate their natural advantages.
From college to career, MCode helps students find fulfillment
Join colleges, universities, trade schools, and corporations in using MCode to equip students with motivation-driven insight that improves student outcomes, increases engagement, and guides purposeful futures.
Start with MCode For Students
Created as a campus resource for students beginning their higher education journey, the MCode For Students report combines MCode insights with student-specific applications. When students discover their MCode they get:
- A ranking of 32 Motivations with details for their Top 5 Motivations: Students discover what moves them and what barely gets them off the couch, their natural competitive advantages, and the environments where they’ll struggle and succeed.
- Their unique Dimensional spectrum: Students see how their ranking maps to 8 MCode Dimensions to reveal what does and doesn’t drive satisfaction and fulfillment, where they may have blind spots, and how they approach tasks, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication.
- Insight on choosing a major or career focus: Students gain clarity on the types of work and work environments that fit them best, and which majors and major focuses align with how they’re naturally wired.
- Insight on picking a roommate: Students learn the types of people they are best suited to live with and how to find roommates that align with who they are, what they need to succeed, and how they prefer to live.
- Insight for finding their place on campus: Students learn how to identify opportunities on campus to get involved, make connections, contribute value, and shine bright simply by being who they are.
“For so long, I wondered why I need to be more involved than other people in the room. When I understood that I am motivated to Be Key, I knew it wasn’t a thing to be ashamed of, but actually something that empowers me! It’s a strength, not a weakness.”
Ashley,
Grand Canyon University
“I used my MCode during internship interviews and impressed the interviewers so much, I received multiple offers and the internship I really wanted. I then used it again to land my dream post-grad job before even starting my senior year!”
Natalie
CSU, Chico
Upgrade to MCode Premium
As junior and senior students seek internships, enter early-career development programs, and prepare to enter the workforce, they can upgrade to an MCode Premium report. It includes their core MCode results AND new insights for dialing in their LinkedIn profile, preparing for job interviews, and thriving in future roles — without taking the assessment again!
With MCode Premium, students get:
- Interactive tools that highlight how they show up at work and interact with people who are motivated differently.
- Personalized affirmations and declarations to nurture self-confidence and foster a positive, growth mindset.
- A custom word bank of aligned action verbs and power descriptors to help them communicate who they are and what they do best.
- LinkedIn enhancers for communicating how they add value and why employers should choose them — great for enhancing job descriptions.
- Professional bio suggestions and sentence starters to highlight their unique strengths, Motivations, and impact — also great for cover letters, resumes, and LinkedIn summaries!
- Motivated pitching and negotiation examples to help them pitch themselves and stand out during the interview process.
Discover MCode for Students
The MCode assessment uses a student’s stories of achievement and fulfillment to uncover the unique blend of Motivations that shape who they are at their best.
No arbitrary personality typing.
No predefined boxes.
No subjective questions.
No sort-of-accurate results.
Just deeply personal insights that lead to students discovering who they are at their best, and what they need to experience college at its best.