Test Yourself for ADHD Symptoms

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Test yourself for ADHD symptoms with the Structured Adult ADHD Self-Test (SAAST, Version 2011.1).

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This new 22-question self-test differentiates between two distinct components of ADHD diagnosis (namely, inattention together with hyperactivity-impulsivity) and is also sensitive to factors which typically preclude a diagnosis of ADHD.

Completing this Psychological Screening Test

This is a screening quiz for adult ADHD which may help you identify aspects of your experience typically associated with ADHD. It is not a diagnostic test. (Please be sure to check the Additional Information and Note on Validity below.) 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 behaved during most of your adult life.

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. I find that I make careless mistakes in work, in school, or in other activities; or I have trouble paying attention to details.

2. I tend to fidget with my hands or feet, or I squirm in my seat.

3. I often miss what is being said to me in conversations.

4. I prefer to run about or climb on things, even when I know it doesn’t fit the situation.

5. I find it difficult to organize my tasks and activities.

6. I am often “on the go”.

7. I tend to lose things that I need for school or work.

8. I can’t help but give the answer before someone has finished asking me a question.

9. I am forgetful during my daily activities.

10. I find it difficult to keep my attention on what I am doing, whether working or playing.

11. I find it hard to stay sitting, even when I know I am expected to.

12. I find it hard to follow through on instructions or finish chores or duties, even though I understand what is expected of me.

13. I find it hard to engage in play or liesure activities that are quiet.

14. I don’t like having to make a sustained mental effort.

15. I tend to talk excessively.

16. I am easily distracted.

17. I have trouble waiting my turn.

18. I often interrupt others.

19. Even before the age of 7, some of the questions above (1-18) would still have been “Yes, moderately to quite a lot” or “Yes, very much”.

20. I experience problems related to some of the above in more than one context — i.e., I experience problems more than just at home, or more than just at work.

21. The kinds of problems I experience due to these experiences get to be pretty serious in my social life, my academic work, or my job.

22. I have previously been diagnosed with a mental disorder that I have been told might account for the types of experiences above, or I believe that I may be experiencing such a disorder. This might include Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia or other Psychotic Disorder, or something in the class of disorders included under the headings of Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Dissociative Disorder, or Personality Disorder.


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About Scoring this Psychological Questionnaire

Scoring for Questions 1-18:

  • 0 points No, not at all
  • 1 point Yes, somewhat or a little
  • 2 points Yes, moderately to quite a lot
  • 3 points Yes, very much

This yields a total maximum score of 54.

Question 21 is scored on the same scale but is used to adjudicate on whether a diagnosis of ADHD should be excluded; it is not included in the final total.

Questions 19, 20 and 22 are each scored as a binary choice and are again used to adjudicate on whether a diagnosis of ADHD should be excluded.

When your quiz is scored, one of seven 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 test for adult ADHD. It is not a diagnostic instrument. Structured so as to differentiate between two distinct components of ADHD diagnosis (namely, inattention together with hyperactivity-impulsivity), this ADHD test is also sensitive to factors which typically preclude a diagnosis of ADHD. Scores over 24 together with the absence of mitigating factors are typically consistent with experiences which, under the careful evaluation of a psychiatrist, may be considered symptomatic of ADHD. With regard to mitigating factors, note in particular that any of the conditions mentioned in question 22 may better account for these symptoms, even where those systems yield a high score on this ADHD test.

Constructed with a forced-choice semantic interval question design, ADHD screening with the Structured Adult ADHD Self-Test (SAAST) is intended to avoid the pitfalls of central tendency bias as well as acquiescence bias, reflecting clinically relevant self-assessments of experiences that correlate directly with some (but not necessarily all) important DSM diagnostic criteria for ADHD.

Additional Information and Note on Validity of this ADHD Test

The Structured Adult ADHD Self-Test (SAAST) was developed by Dr Greg Mulhauser. Like most mental health screening tests you will find on the internet, this test has not been evaluated for validity in terms of sensitivity and specificity via comparison with a Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM (SCID). Therefore, this instrument should not be relied upon in any way as a diagnostic aid but should be used solely as a tool for increasing your own awareness of experiences which might, under the careful evaluation of a psychiatrist, be considered indicative of ADHD.

Dr Greg Mulhauser, an experienced counsellor and psychotherapist, has also developed:

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 .

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