Frequently Asked Questions

Zelfium uses the SymbolMAG methodology — a proprietary personality assessment consisting of 77 Likert-scale questions. It generates a comprehensive personality profile with 8 main scales, 16 subscales, and 41 components. Unlike many personality tests that rely solely on self-reported answers, SymbolMAG also measures your response times to provide deeper insight into your natural tendencies and preferences.

SymbolMAG combines two layers of data: your explicit answers to 77 carefully designed questions and the implicit behavioral data captured through response timing. This dual approach allows the system to distinguish between deliberate, considered responses and more instinctive reactions, resulting in a richer and more nuanced personality profile than traditional self-report questionnaires alone.

Most users complete the assessment in 10 to 15 minutes. There is no time limit, so you can take as long as you need. However, we recommend answering at a natural pace without overthinking — your initial instinct often provides the most authentic data.

Yes, you can retake the assessment at any time. Your new results will replace your previous profile. Keep in mind that personality profiles reflect your state and mindset at the time of taking the assessment, so slight variations between attempts are normal and expected.

The 8 main scales capture broad dimensions of personality, such as how you process information, make decisions, interact with others, and manage energy and emotions. Each main scale is further divided into 2 subscales that provide more granular insight. Together with 41 individual components, this structure gives you a detailed, multi-layered view of your personality — far beyond a simple "type" label.

SymbolMAG is designed to produce meaningful, consistent results that most users find resonant and useful for self-reflection. However, it is important to understand that no personality assessment — including SymbolMAG — can capture the full complexity of a human being. Results represent probabilistic tendencies and preferences, not fixed or absolute categories. For more details, please see our AI & Assessment Disclaimer.

No. The SymbolMAG assessment is designed for personal insight and self-exploration. It is not a clinical or diagnostic instrument and should not be used as a substitute for professional psychological evaluation, therapy, or counseling. If you have concerns about your mental health, please consult a qualified professional. See our AI & Assessment Disclaimer for full details.

Response time measurement adds a behavioral layer to self-reporting. When you answer quickly, it often indicates a more instinctive, automatic response. When you take longer, it may suggest deliberation or internal conflict. By analyzing these patterns alongside your explicit answers, SymbolMAG can build a more nuanced understanding of your personality that goes beyond what you consciously choose to report.

Yes. Personality is not entirely fixed — it can evolve in response to life experiences, personal growth, changing circumstances, and even your mood on the day you take the assessment. While core tendencies tend to be relatively stable, shifts in subscale and component scores over time are natural and can be informative.

While assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five model are well-known, SymbolMAG takes a different approach. Rather than sorting you into a fixed type (like MBTI) or measuring five broad traits (like Big Five), SymbolMAG provides a multi-layered profile across 8 scales, 16 subscales, and 41 components — combined with behavioral response-time data. This structure offers a more granular and dynamic picture of your personality.

During the assessment, we collect your answers to the 77 questions, the time you spend on each question, and basic session metadata (such as timestamps). We also collect account information you provide during registration (email, name). We do not collect unnecessary data, and we do not use tracking cookies. For full details, please see our Privacy Policy.

Your personality data is encrypted both in transit (TLS) and at rest. Access is strictly controlled through authentication and authorization mechanisms. We use Supabase for secure data storage and implement industry-standard security practices. Personality assessment data is treated as special category data under GDPR Article 9, meaning it receives the highest level of protection. See our Privacy Policy and Data Processing Agreement for details.

Yes. Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), personality assessment results may constitute special category data under Article 9, as they can reveal psychological characteristics. We treat all personality profile data with the elevated safeguards required for this classification, including explicit consent and purpose limitation.

Yes. You have the right to request deletion of your personal data at any time. You can do this through your account settings or by contacting us at contact@zelfium.com. We will process your request in accordance with applicable data protection laws (typically within 30 days). Please note that some data may be retained where required by law. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

We only share data with third-party processors that are strictly necessary to operate the service: Supabase (authentication and database), Stripe (payment processing), OpenAI (AI-powered features, via zero-retention API), and Vercel (hosting). We never sell your data, and we do not share personality profiles with advertisers or data brokers. For full details, see our Privacy Policy and Data Processing Agreement.

No. Zelfium does not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies that identify you personally. We use only strictly necessary cookies required for the service to function (such as session and authentication cookies). See our Cookie Policy for details.

Zelfium Inc. is based in Japan. Some of our service providers (Supabase, OpenAI, Stripe, Vercel) process data in the United States and other jurisdictions. All cross-border transfers are governed by appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and data processing agreements. Japan has received an adequacy decision from the EU, facilitating data transfers between the EU and Japan. See our Data Processing Agreement for full details.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, port, or restrict processing of your personal data. You also have the right to withdraw consent at any time. Under CCPA, California residents have additional rights including the right to know what data is collected and the right to opt out of data sales (we do not sell data). Under Japan's APPI, you have rights to disclosure, correction, and cessation of use. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@zelfium.com. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Zelfium's AI-powered features, including Affinia and Libra, use OpenAI GPT-4o through a zero-retention API configuration. This means that OpenAI does not store or use your inputs or outputs for model training. The AI processes your queries in real time and does not retain your conversation data on its servers.

No. We use OpenAI's zero-retention API, which means your data is not stored by OpenAI and is not used to train or improve their models. Your conversations and personality data remain private. For more information, see our AI & Assessment Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.

AI-generated content — including personality insights, compatibility analyses, and career suggestions — should be treated as informational starting points, not definitive answers. AI can produce plausible-sounding content that may be incomplete, oversimplified, or occasionally inaccurate. Always apply your own judgment and, for important decisions, seek advice from qualified professionals. See our AI & Assessment Disclaimer.

Zelfium Affinia is a relationship compatibility AI agent that analyzes two or more personality profiles to illuminate interpersonal dynamics. It compares personality dimensions across profiles to identify areas of natural alignment, potential friction, communication styles, and growth opportunities. Affinia is designed for personal insight — it does not predict relationship outcomes or provide clinical advice.

Zelfium Libra is a career pathing AI agent that maps your personality profile to occupational paths. It analyzes your personality dimensions to suggest careers and work environments that may align with your natural strengths and preferences. Important: Libra is classified as HIGH-RISK AI under the EU AI Act when used in employment contexts. Career suggestions are not predictions of success and should not be the sole basis for career decisions. See our AI & Assessment Disclaimer and Terms of Service for details.

Yes. Like all AI systems, the models powering Zelfium can produce outputs that are incomplete, oversimplified, biased, or factually incorrect (sometimes called "hallucinations"). We design our prompts and systems carefully, but we cannot guarantee accuracy of AI-generated content. You should always treat AI outputs as suggestions for reflection, not as authoritative conclusions. See our AI & Assessment Disclaimer.

Zelfium offers three tiers:

• Free — Take the basic personality assessment and view your core results.
• Pro — Full access to detailed personality profiles, Affinia (relationship compatibility), Libra (career pathing), and all AI features. Available as monthly or annual subscriptions.
• Enterprise — API access, team assessments, dedicated support, and custom integrations for organizations.

See our Terms of Service for full plan details and pricing.

You can cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you will retain access to Pro features until then. We do not charge cancellation fees. See our Terms of Service for details.

Refund eligibility depends on your subscription type and timing. Generally, we offer refunds within a limited window after initial purchase. Annual subscriptions may be eligible for prorated refunds. For specific cases, please contact us at contact@zelfium.com. For customers in Japan, additional consumer protection terms apply — see our Tokushoho (特定商取引法に基づく表記) page.

Payments are processed securely through Stripe. We accept major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and others depending on your region). Stripe handles all payment processing — Zelfium does not store your full card details.

The Free plan itself allows you to experience the basic assessment at no cost. This gives you a meaningful introduction to the SymbolMAG methodology before deciding whether to upgrade to Pro for full access to detailed profiles, Affinia, and Libra.

Annual subscriptions are billed once per year at a discounted rate compared to monthly billing. Your subscription renews automatically unless you cancel before the renewal date. You can manage your subscription, including switching between monthly and annual plans, through your account settings.

Yes. Our Enterprise plan is designed for organizations that want to use Zelfium for team dynamics, talent development, and organizational insight. Enterprise features include team dashboards, bulk assessments, and dedicated support. Contact us at info@zelfium.com to discuss your organization's needs.

The Zelfium API allows organizations to integrate personality assessment and AI features directly into their own platforms and workflows. API access is available under our Enterprise plan and is governed by our B2B Terms of Service and Data Processing Agreement. API clients must declare the purpose of their deployment, especially when using Libra in employment-related contexts.

Using Zelfium Libra in hiring or employment decisions triggers HIGH-RISK AI classification under the EU AI Act. Organizations using Libra for employment purposes must complete a Deployment Purpose Declaration, implement human oversight, and comply with all applicable regulations. Libra should never be the sole basis for hiring, promotion, or termination decisions — it is a supplementary tool that requires human judgment. See our B2B Terms of Service and AI & Assessment Disclaimer for full compliance requirements.

Zelfium is designed to comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the EU AI Act. We maintain data processing agreements with all sub-processors and implement technical and organizational measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the data we handle. See our Data Processing Agreement for details.

When an Enterprise client deploys Zelfium (particularly Libra) in contexts that may affect individuals' rights — such as employment, education, or public services — they are required to complete a Deployment Purpose Declaration. This declaration specifies the intended use, target population, human oversight measures, and risk mitigation strategies. It ensures transparency and compliance with the EU AI Act's requirements for high-risk AI systems. See our B2B Terms of Service for the full framework.

Zelfium complies with multiple frameworks including:

• GDPR (EU General Data Protection Regulation) — including special category data protections under Article 9
• APPI (Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information)
• CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
• EU AI Act — including high-risk AI classification requirements for Libra in employment contexts
• Tokutei Sho-torihiki Ho (特定商取引法) — Japan's specified commercial transactions law

For details, see our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Data Processing Agreement.

Zelfium Libra is classified as HIGH-RISK AI under the EU AI Act when deployed for employment-related purposes (recruitment, promotion, task allocation, performance evaluation). The personality assessment itself (SymbolMAG) and relationship compatibility analysis (Affinia) are not classified as high-risk when used for personal insight. The risk classification depends on the deployment context, not the technology itself. See our AI & Assessment Disclaimer and B2B Terms of Service.

In the event of a personal data breach, we will notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours as required by GDPR Article 33. If the breach is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will also notify affected individuals without undue delay. Our incident response procedures are documented in our Data Processing Agreement.

If you have a complaint about how we handle your data or our services, please contact us first at contact@zelfium.com. We aim to resolve all complaints promptly. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. EU residents can contact their national supervisory authority. Japanese residents can contact the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC).

Your data is primarily stored on Supabase infrastructure. Our application is hosted on Vercel. Some data processing occurs through OpenAI (for AI features) and Stripe (for payments). These providers may process data in the United States and other jurisdictions, subject to appropriate safeguards including Standard Contractual Clauses. For full details on data locations and cross-border transfers, see our Data Processing Agreement and Privacy Policy.