Autism test (Autism-Spectrum Quotient, AQ / AQ-10)
See what the AQ measures, how it is scored against established cut-off bands, and what each band means.
The AQ (Autism-Spectrum Quotient) is a self-report questionnaire developed by Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues in 2001 to measure autistic traits in adults of typical intelligence. The full form has 50 items; a brief 10-item version (AQ-10) is used by the UK NICE pathway as a quick screen. It measures traits across five areas - social skill, attention switching, attention to detail, communication and imagination - and the full form takes about ten minutes.
The model
What it measures
The AQ measures one thing: how strongly autistic traits are present in an adult. Autistic traits are dimensional, spread across the whole population, so a higher score means more of these traits, not a switch that is simply on or off. Many autistic adults score high on the AQ without ever having been formally assessed, and a high score on its own is information to follow up, not a label.
The areas below are the five trait domains the items cover. The AQ produces a single total used for screening; the five domains can be looked at descriptively but the established cut-off bands apply to the total, not to a percentile.
- TAutistic traits
How strongly autistic traits show up across social, attention, detail, communication and imagination domains.
Facets: Social skill, Attention switching, Attention to detail, Communication, Imagination.
The evidence
Science and validity
The AQ is the most widely used self-report measure of autistic traits in the general population and is heavily cited. In the original 2001 study, adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism scored far higher than controls, the great majority of the autistic group scored at or above 32, and very few controls did, which is why 32 and above was offered as a high-specificity threshold. The scale shows good test-retest reliability and reasonable internal consistency, and autistic traits measured this way are continuously distributed across the population rather than forming a clean clinical category.
Each of the 50 items is scored 0 or 1 in the autism-consistent direction and the items are summed for a total from 0 to 50; the agree or disagree strength is collapsed, so only the keyed direction counts. There are no population percentiles - the total is read against fixed cut-off bands. Typical adult scores cluster around 16 to 17; 26 and above is a more sensitive screening threshold used in later work; and 32 and above is the high-specificity threshold from the original study. The brief AQ-10 is scored 0 to 10, with 6 or more taken as a prompt to consider referral for a specialist diagnostic assessment under the NICE pathway.
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.
- 0-25 (AQ-50)Typical rangeAround or below the population average (which sits near 16 to 17); fewer autistic traits than the screening thresholds, though traits are dimensional.
- 26-31 (AQ-50)Elevated (sensitive screen)At or above the more sensitive screening threshold of 26; more autistic traits than typical, and a fuller conversation with a professional may help.
- 32-50 (AQ-50)At or above the clinical cut-offAt or above 32, the high-specificity threshold used in the original study; a specialist assessment is worth considering, but this is not a diagnosis.
- 6+ (AQ-10)AQ-10 referral promptOn the brief 10-item AQ-10, a score of 6 or more is taken as a prompt to consider referral for a specialist diagnostic assessment (NICE pathway).
How it works
What the questions feel like
Illustrative statements showing the style of the items. These are examples, not the official scored items.
I often notice small sounds or details that other people do not seem to register.
Illustrative example in the style of the questionnaire, not the official scored item.
I find it difficult to work out what someone is thinking or feeling just from their face.
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
I prefer to do things the same way each time, and changes to my routine unsettle me.
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
In a group conversation I find it hard to know when it is my turn to speak.
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
Honest strengths and limitations
Strengths
- The most widely used and most cited self-report measure of autistic traits in adults.
- Dimensional - it treats autistic traits as spread across the whole population rather than a simple yes or no.
- Free for non-commercial use, with a brief 10-item version (AQ-10) adopted in the UK NICE screening pathway.
Limitations
- It is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis - a high score signals that a fuller assessment with a professional may help, not that a person is autistic.
- It measures autistic traits in adults of typical intelligence; it was not designed for children, for people with intellectual disability, or to capture the full picture an assessment looks at.
- Many autistic adults score high without ever being assessed, and some autistic people score below the cut-offs, so the AQ is a guide to follow up, not a verdict either way.
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 autism test (AQ) measure?
It measures how strongly autistic traits are present in an adult, across five areas - social skill, attention switching, attention to detail, communication and imagination. The full form gives a single total from 0 to 50; the brief AQ-10 gives a total from 0 to 10.
How is the AQ scored?
Each of the 50 items is scored 0 or 1 in the autism-consistent direction and summed for a total from 0 to 50. There is no percentile: typical scores cluster around 16 to 17, 26 and above is a more sensitive screening threshold, and 32 and above is the high-specificity threshold from the original study. The brief AQ-10 uses 6 or more out of 10 as a prompt to consider referral.
Is the AQ a diagnosis of autism?
No. The AQ is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can diagnose autism, after a full assessment. A high score means it may help to speak with a professional - and many autistic adults score high without ever having been assessed. If you are struggling, please reach out to one.
Can I take the AQ on Psychology.me?
This page is informational - we do not publicly offer the AQ 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
- Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Skinner, R., Martin, J., & Clubley, E. (2001). The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism, males and females, scientists and mathematicians. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 5-17.
- Allison, C., Auyeung, B., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2012). Toward brief Red Flags for autism screening: the Short Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10) and the Short Quantitative Checklist (Q-CHAT-10). Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(2), 202-212.
The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ and the brief AQ-10) was developed by Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues (Cambridge Autism Research Centre) and is freely available for non-commercial use; this independent informational page describes the instrument and does not reproduce its scored items.