Adult ADHD self-test
Six quick questions, one at a time. The same screener many doctors use, with a plain answer at the end.
Six quick questions
About the last 6 months. Tap the answer that fits, and we’ll move on for you. It takes about two minutes.
For adults 18 and over. These are the official questions doctors use, word for word.
How this works, and why
The six questions
Each is answered Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often or Very Often, thinking about the past 6 months.
- How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?
- How often do you have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?
- How often do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?
- When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?
- How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?
- How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?
Official instructions: Please answer the questions below, rating yourself on each of the criteria shown using the scale on the right side of the page. As you answer each question, place an X in the box that best describes how you have felt and conducted yourself over the past 6 months.
The 6-question Adult Self-Report Scale-Version1.1 (ASRS-V1.1) Screener is a subset of the 18-question Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale-Version1.1 (Adult ASRSV1.1) Symptom Checklist. © New York University and the President and Fellows of Harvard College. The ASRS v1.1 Screener was created by Dr. Lenard Adler of NYU and Dr. Ronald Kessler of Harvard. Used under the free licence from NYU, unchanged except for this electronic form.
What this test is
It is the ASRS v1.1 Screener, six questions picked from an 18-question checklist because they best separated adults with ADHD from those without. It was built with the World Health Organization and tested by Ronald Kessler (Harvard) and Lenard Adler (NYU). In their 2005 study it picked up about 7 in 10 adults with ADHD and rarely flagged people without it. In real clinics, where many people have anxiety, depression or sleep problems, it flags more people who turn out not to have ADHD. That’s why it is a first step, not an answer.
What it can’t tell you
A screener sorts people into “worth checking” and “less likely”. It cannot diagnose ADHD. A diagnosis needs a clinician to confirm the symptoms started in childhood, cause real problems in more than one part of life, and aren’t better explained by something else. Sleep problems, anxiety, depression, thyroid problems and autism can all look similar, and they often come together with ADHD.
Why we only use this test
Many online “ADHD tests” are made up, and a 2024 study found 92% of popular #adhdtest videos on TikTok were misleading. This one has published accuracy figures and its owners allow it to be used freely as long as nobody changes the words. So we don’t.
If your result says “worth checking”
Print the result and take it to your doctor, or read how to get an ADHD assessment. Until then, the practical tools here work whether or not you have a diagnosis: Unstick me for starting tasks and the time-blindness trainer for planning.
Common questions
Is this ADHD test accurate?
It is the best-studied short adult screener. In the 2005 validation study it identified about 69% of adults with ADHD and rarely flagged people without it, though it flags more false alarms among people with anxiety, depression or sleep problems. A clinician still needs to make any diagnosis.
What score means I might have ADHD?
Each question has a range of answers that counts. Four or more answers in those ranges means your symptoms may be consistent with adult ADHD and an assessment is worth considering.
Can I use this test for my child?
No. This screener is for adults 18 and over. Children are assessed differently, with input from parents and teachers. Talk to your child’s doctor.
Do you store my answers?
No. Your answers stay in the page in your browser and disappear when you close it. Nothing is sent to us or anyone else.
The research behind it
Facts checked 24 October 2026.
- NYU licence page for the ASRS v1.1 6-question screener
- Kessler et al., Psychological Medicine: the WHO Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (2005)
- Kessler et al., Int J Methods Psychiatr Res: the screener in a health-plan sample (2007)
- Australasian Psychiatry: #adhdtest TikTok videos (46 of 50 misleading) (2024)