Comparing Worldview Assessment Tools for Christian Education

January 16, 2024 (Last Updated February 3, 2026)
Katherine Schultz

Are you looking for the right tool to help you truly understand a person’s worldview? You’re in the right place! Every journey toward nurturing faith begins with asking thoughtful questions, and it’s a privilege to walk alongside you in that process. There are many helpful options to consider, and we want to make it easy to find the best fit for your needs. If you’d like to jump right to practical examples, here’s a free PDF of “10 Questions to Understand Worldview” from the 3D Worldview Survey (3DWS).”

Available Tools for Understanding Biblical Worldview and Faith Formation in Students

• ACSI Bible Assessment (ABA)

  Description: The ACSI Bible Assessment is an evaluation tool specifically tailored for assessing biblical knowledge and understanding among students. It is often used in Christian schools to gauge students’ comprehension of biblical principles.

• Flourishing Student Assessment (FSA)

  Description: The Flourishing Student Assessment™ asks 27 questions and provides detailed insight into 14 areas. Chris Browne at Wheaton Press is the developer of the Flourishing Student Assessment.

• PEERS Test (PEERS)

  Description: The PEERS test consists of a series of statements carefully structured to identify a person’s worldview in five categories: Politics, Economics, Education, Religion, and Social Issues (PEERS). Dan Smithwick of the Nehemiah Institute developed the PEERS test.

• Practicing Faith Survey (PFS)

  Description: The Practicing Faith Survey is focused on faith formation within Christian schools. This survey was designed to help you to understand how your choices as a student relate to Christian practices. The Practicing Faith Survey grows out of a partnership between the Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning at Calvin University and Cardus Education. 

• ViewFinder Tool (VFT)

  Description: Renew a Nation’s ViewFinder Tool is a resource designed to guide individuals in exploring and understanding their worldview. It offers insights into personal perspectives and beliefs.

• Worldview Checkup (WVC)

  Description: The Summit Worldview Checkup is a tool designed to evaluate an individual’s worldview. Summit Ministries aims to help individuals explore and strengthen their Christian worldview through resources and assessments like the Worldview Checkup.

• Worldview Test (WVT)

  Description: The Worldview Test from Worldview Journeys is an online tool designed to assess an individual’s worldview. It provides 17 questions with 4 choices, asking participants to select the 1 they most agree with and the 1 they least agree with. The end result is to identify the person’s dominant worldview and their lowest worldview from 4 options: traditional, postmodern, modern, and integrative (or a mix of these).

• 3-D Worldview Survey (3DWS)

  Description: The 3-D Worldview Survey is a distinctive assessment that uniquely explores an individual’s worldview through three critical dimensions: Propositional (beliefs), Behavioral, and Heart-Orientation (attitudes). Unlike other tools, it not only identifies what a person believes but also how those beliefs shape actions and the deeper attitudes influencing their worldview. Developed by Katherine Schultz, the 3DWS provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how beliefs, behaviors, and heart-orientations interact—offering essential insights for meaningful spiritual formation.

Benefits of the 3DWS

• Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface with clear instructions allows participants to complete the survey confidently on any device.
• Accessible Reading Level: Written for a 7th-grade reading level to ensure accessibility for students through adults.
• Comprehensive Survey Items: Contains 73 items covering propositional beliefs, behaviors, and heart orientation for a multi-dimensional worldview assessment.
• Proven Validity & Reliability: Grounded in academic research with established content validity and reliability. (What is the 3-D Worldview Survey)
• Biblical Alignment: Developed in harmony with traditional Protestant evangelical biblical principles to support faith formation.
• Detailed Feedback: Provides clear, numerical, and narrative reports with practical recommendations for individual and group growth.
• Support & Training: User support services and online resources empower leaders to implement the survey effectively.
• Group-Friendly Features: Tools to administer and analyze assessments by demographics with group reporting enhance organizational use.

We believe that developing a 3-dimensional biblical worldview in students is essential for building a strong foundation of beliefs that shape their daily actions and orient their hearts toward Jesus Christ throughout their lives.

Ready to explore how this can work for you? Dive deeper with our detailed overview, What Is the 3-D Worldview Survey?

Experience the survey firsthand—Take the 3-D Worldview Survey yourself and see the insights it can reveal.

Let’s work together to nurture faith that truly transforms.

Key Takeaways

• Biblical worldview assessment tools vary widely in focus and depth; selecting one aligned with your faith formation goals is critical.
• The 3-D Worldview Survey uniquely integrates beliefs, behaviors, and heart orientation for a comprehensive perspective on worldview.
• Validity, readability, and practical feedback are important factors in choosing an effective worldview assessment tool.
• Developing a firm biblical worldview foundation in students supports lifelong faithfulness and daily living rooted in Christ.

#worldviewassessment  #ChristianEducators  #3dworldview