Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1)

Check for symptoms of ADHD with just 6 questions via the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1).

This quick ADHD screening quiz includes just 6 questions which have been found to be the most predictive of DSM-IV-TR symptoms consistent with ADHD. This quiz is adapted from the 18-question symptom checklist developed in conjunction with the World Health Organization and researchers from New York University and Harvard Medical School leading the Workgroup on Adult ADHD.

Completing this Psychological Screening Test

This screening quiz is a symtpoms checklist for adult ADD. It is not a diagnostic test.

To take the questionnaire, please click the radio button next to the selection which best reflects how each statement applies to you. The items below refer to how you have felt and conducted yourself over the past 6 months.

Take the Quiz

Please note: This test will only be scored correctly if you answer each one of the questions. Please also check our disclaimer on psychological testing and our psychological testing privacy guarantee.

1. How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?

2. How often do you have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?

3. How often do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?

4. When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?

5. How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?

6. How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?


Talk to a Psychiatrist or Therapist Online

About Scoring this Psychological Questionnaire

Scoring:

  • Questions 1 to 3: 1 point for “Sometimes”, “Often”, or “Very Often”
  • Questions 4 to 6: 1 point for “Often” or “Very Often”

6 Questions: Answering 4 or more questions with the answers indicated above suggests symptoms highly consistent with ADHD in adults, and further investigation is warranted. (Please see the important note below regarding the inaccurate and misleading nature of some versions of this test provided on other websites, which assign a numerical score.)

The actual diagnosis of ADHD can only be made on the basis of a detailed history and mental status examination. High scores on this screening quiz may also be related to anxiety, depression or mania. These conditions must be ruled out before a diagnosis of ADHD can be made.

This section also includes a screening test for mania: “Mania Screening Quiz: The Goldberg Mania Questionnaire”.

Research suggests that the symptoms of ADHD can persist into adulthood, having a significant impact on the relationships, careers, and even the personal safety of patients who may suffer from it. Because this disorder is often misunderstood, many people who have it do not receive appropriate treatment and, as a result, may never reach their full potential. Part of the problem is that it can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in adults.

Important: The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v.1.1) developed in conjunction with the World Health Organization and the Workgroup on Adult ADHD is scored only on the basis of the number of answers given in the categories specified above. Any numerical scores or scales given in other than this form are inaccurate and misleading, and they do not accurately reflect the guidance given by the World Health Organization. Please beware of such misleading and inaccurate tests provided by other sites.

The original quiz, including all 18 questions and the explanation of the scoring used here, is available from New York University or Harvard University.

When your quiz is scored, one of 2 different information pages will appear to describe the results for scores in your range, along with further details of how your score was computed.

Additional Information

This is a screening examination for adult ADD. It is not a diagnostic test.

This quiz is adapted from the 18-question symptom checklist called the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1), developed in conjunction with the World Health Organization and the Workgroup on Adult ADHD. On the original 18-question test, only 6 of the questions are directly scored to indicate ADHD symptoms, and it is these 6 questions which are included here. The original team of psychiatrists and researchers included:

Lenard Adler, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology
New York University Medical School

Ronald C. Kessler, PhD
Professor, Department of Health Care Policy
Harvard Medical School

Thomas Spencer, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

References:

  1. Schweitzer JB, et al. Med Clin North Am. 2001;85(3):10-11, 757-777.
  2. Barkley RA. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment. 2nd ed. 1998.
  3. Biederman J, et al. Am J Psychiatry.1993;150:1792-1798.
  4. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association. 2000: 85-93.

All clinical material on this site is peer reviewed by one or more clinical psychologists or other qualified mental health professionals. This specific article was originally published by on and was last reviewed or updated by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Managing Editor on .

Overseen by an international advisory board of distinguished academic faculty and mental health professionals with decades of clinical and research experience in the US, UK and Europe, CounsellingResource.com provides peer-reviewed mental health information you can trust. Our material is not intended as a substitute for direct consultation with a qualified mental health professional. CounsellingResource.com is accredited by the Health on the Net Foundation.

Copyright © 2002-2024. All Rights Reserved.