The Story Behind the ID10T Test

Origins in Workplace Research

The ID10T Test was first developed in 1999 by Dr. Ada G. Null, a cognitive-systems psychologist at the Institute of Behavioral Informatics (IBI) in Trondheim, Norway. While analysing more than 12,000 help-desk tickets from multinational corporations, Dr. Null noticed a recurring pattern of user-support interactions that combined technical gaps with humorous misunderstandings. She coined the term “ID10T incident” (an alphanumeric nod to ID10T = “idiot”) as a neutral shorthand for benign user error.

Field Trials and Validation

Between 2001 and 2011, the IBI collaborated with clients in finance, healthcare, and higher-education sectors, administering the prototype test to 4,318 employees across 11 countries. Statistical validation showed a Cronbach’s α of 0.88, indicating high internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of 0.91 over a six-month interval.

Mission Today

Our mission is twofold:

1. Offer organisations a light-hearted self-assessment that sparks conversations about digital literacy and continuous learning.
2. Provide individuals with a shareable certificate that celebrates curiosity—whether they score Genius or Grandmaster ID10T.

The Institute of Behavioral Informatics (IBI)

Founded in 1987, the IBI is an independent research collective focusing on human–computer interaction (HCI), workplace psychology, and organisational humour. Its fellows have published in journals such as Applied Ergonomics, Computers in Human Behavior, and Corporate Comedy Review.