ADHD test (ASRS v1.1 adult ADHD screener)
See what the ASRS v1.1 measures, how its short screen works, and what a screen-positive or screen-negative result means.
The ASRS v1.1 (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) is a short, freely available questionnaire developed with the World Health Organization by Kessler, Adler and colleagues in 2005. It has a 6-item Part-A screener and 12 further Part-B symptom items, covering the inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms used to define ADHD in adults. The Part-A screen takes a minute or two to answer.
The model
What it measures
The ASRS measures one thing: how often common adult ADHD symptoms have shown up in the last six months. Its items map onto the recognised symptom criteria for ADHD - difficulty sustaining attention, losing track of tasks, fidgeting and restlessness, acting on impulse, and trouble getting organised or finishing what you start.
The areas below are the symptom features the items cover. They are not separately scored subscales with a percentile. The ASRS is a screener: the 6-item Part-A screen produces a simple screen-positive or screen-negative outcome, and the full 18 items give a broader picture of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms.
- SADHD symptoms (inattention + hyperactivity-impulsivity)
How often inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms have shown up over the past six months.
Facets: Trouble finishing the final details of a project, Difficulty getting things in order for a task, Problems remembering appointments or obligations, Avoiding or delaying tasks that need a lot of thought, Fidgeting or squirming when seated for long, Feeling driven, overly active, or compelled to keep moving.
The evidence
Science and validity
The ASRS v1.1 was built from the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview and validated against clinician ratings in the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication. The 6-item Part-A screener performs better than the full 18-item list for identifying adults likely to have ADHD: in the validation work it showed high sensitivity and specificity and the best overall accuracy of the symptom subsets tested. It is the WHO-endorsed adult ADHD self-report and is used worldwide in research and practice.
The 6-item Part-A screen does not use a 0 to N severity total. Each Part-A item has a dark-shaded threshold box, and the threshold differs by item: for the first three items a response of Sometimes, Often or Very Often falls in the shaded range, and for the last three items only Often or Very Often does. If 4 or more of the 6 responses fall in the shaded range, the screen is positive and symptoms are highly consistent with adult ADHD, warranting a fuller look by a professional. The full 18 items can also be scored 0 (never) to 4 (very often) for a dimensional view of symptom burden, but the shaded-box rule is the validated screening decision.
How it is scored
Score bands and what they mean
This is a screening questionnaire. The total is read against established cut-off bands, not a population percentile and not a diagnosis - the bands flag how strongly recent symptoms are showing up, and where it may help to talk to someone.
- 4-6 Part-A shadedScreen positiveFour or more of the six Part-A items fall in the shaded range; symptoms are highly consistent with adult ADHD and a fuller assessment with a professional may help.
- 0-3 Part-A shadedScreen negativeFewer than four Part-A items fall in the shaded range; adult ADHD is less likely on this screen, though a negative result does not rule it out.
How it works
What the questions feel like
Illustrative statements showing the style of the items. These are examples, not the official scored items.
Over the past six months, how often have you had trouble wrapping up the final details of a project once the challenging parts are done?
Illustrative example in the style of the screener, not the official scored item.
Over the past six months, how often have you had difficulty getting things in order when a task calls for organisation?
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
Over the past six months, how often have you fidgeted or squirmed with your hands or feet when you had to sit for a long time?
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
Over the past six months, how often have you felt driven to keep moving, as if propelled by a motor?
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
Honest strengths and limitations
Strengths
- The WHO-endorsed adult ADHD self-report screener, used worldwide and free to use with attribution.
- Very short - the 6-item Part-A screen takes a minute or two and has a clear, validated decision rule.
- Built from and validated against structured clinical interviews, with strong sensitivity and specificity for identifying adults who may have ADHD.
Limitations
- It is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis - a positive screen signals that a fuller assessment with a professional may help, not that ADHD is present.
- A negative screen does not rule ADHD out; symptoms can be masked, and inattentive presentations in particular are sometimes missed by brief screens.
- Like all self-reports it reflects how someone reads the questions and recalls the past six months, and adult ADHD often needs developmental history and other information that a self-report cannot capture.
Checking in on how you are doing?
Screeners like this are informational, not a diagnosis. The free Snapshot is a private, structured way to check in on how you have been feeling lately.
Frequently asked questions
What does the ADHD test (ASRS v1.1) measure?
It measures how often common adult ADHD symptoms - inattention, disorganisation, restlessness and impulsivity - have shown up over the past six months. The 6-item Part-A screen gives a simple screen-positive or screen-negative outcome, and the full 18 items give a broader symptom picture.
How is the ASRS screener scored?
The 6-item Part-A screen is not a 0 to N severity total. Each item has a dark-shaded threshold box: for the first three items a response of Sometimes, Often or Very Often counts, and for the last three only Often or Very Often counts. If 4 or more of the 6 responses fall in the shaded range, the screen is positive and symptoms are highly consistent with adult ADHD.
Is the ASRS a diagnosis of ADHD?
No. The ASRS is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can diagnose ADHD, after looking at the full picture including developmental history. A positive screen means it may help to speak with a professional. If you are struggling, please reach out to one.
Can I take the ASRS on Psychology.me?
This page is informational - we do not publicly offer the ASRS itself. If you would like a private, structured way to check in on how you have been doing, the free wellbeing Snapshot is a gentle place to start.
Related tests
- Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Ames, M., et al. (2005). The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychological Medicine, 35(2), 245-256.
- Adler, L. A., Spencer, T., Faraone, S. V., et al. (2006). Validity of pilot Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) to rate adult ADHD symptoms. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 18(3), 145-148.
The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) was developed by Kessler, Adler and colleagues with the World Health Organization and is freely available for use with attribution; this independent informational page describes the instrument and does not reproduce its scored items.