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Psychology · Study guide and quiz
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
A study guide and 12-question quiz on the five levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, with every answer explained. Free score, no sign-up.
- 12 questions
- Answers explained
- No sign-up needed
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The five levels · Question 1 of 12
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In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which level sits at the bottom, the one meant to be met first?
Bonus · unlocks with your email
A second quiz and a printable study sheet
- Applying the levels (12 questions): Match everyday, school and workplace situations to the right level, including the nursing-class priority example.
- A printable study sheet of the five levels with examples, plus an answer key for all 24 questions. Only the sheet prints.
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Where the facts come from
Every fact is reworded from these pages, and the example situations are our own and made up.
Questions
Common questions
Yes. The 12 questions and your score are free and need no sign-up. An email unlocks a second set of 12 questions that apply the levels to school and work situations, and a printable one-page study sheet.
From the bottom: physiological needs (food, water, air, sleep), safety needs (security and stability), love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization (growing into your potential).
Fundamentals courses use the hierarchy to teach priority setting: basic body needs, such as airway, breathing and circulation, usually come before higher-level needs. This page is for study only and gives no care advice.
Not always. Textbooks present it as a classic framework, and critics note that people often pursue several needs at once and that the order can differ between people and cultures.
They are reworded from Abraham Maslow’s 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” and the motivation chapter of OpenStax Psychology 2e. Check anything important against your own textbook.
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