OCD test (Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, OCI-R)
See what the OCI-R measures, how it is scored against its established cut-off, and what each band means.
The OCI-R (Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised) is a short self-report questionnaire developed by Foa and colleagues in 2002 to measure how much distress obsessive-compulsive symptoms have caused over the past month. It has 18 items spread across six symptom areas, produces a single total from 0 to 72, and takes about five minutes to answer.
The model
What it measures
The OCI-R measures one thing: how much distress recent obsessive-compulsive symptoms have caused. Its 18 items are grouped into six three-item areas - washing, checking, ordering, obsessing, hoarding and mental neutralizing - each capturing a recognised face of OCD, from repeated washing or checking to intrusive thoughts and the urge to put things in a precise order.
The areas below are the six symptom subscales the items cover. They can be looked at descriptively, but the OCI-R produces a single total that is read against an established cut-off, not a percentile. A higher total means more distress from these symptoms.
- OObsessive-compulsive symptoms
How much distress washing, checking, ordering, obsessing, hoarding and neutralizing symptoms have caused over the past month.
Facets: Washing, Checking, Ordering, Obsessing, Hoarding, Mental neutralizing.
The evidence
Science and validity
The OCI-R is the most widely used brief self-report measure of OCD symptoms and a near-standard companion to the clinician-rated Y-BOCS. It has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and its six-subscale structure has been replicated across many samples and languages. In the development study by Foa and colleagues it distinguished people with OCD from people with other anxiety problems and from non-anxious controls.
Each of the 18 items is rated 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) for distress over the past month, and the items are summed for a total from 0 to 72; there are no reverse-scored items. There are no population percentiles - the total is read against an established cut-off. A total of 21 or above best separated people with OCD from non-anxious controls in the validation work, so 21 and above is treated as a positive screen worth following up, and below 21 as less likely. The hoarding subscale predates the separate DSM-5 hoarding-disorder construct, so the hoarding items are sometimes looked at on their own.
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.
- 0-20Below the cut-offBelow the established cut-off of 21; obsessive-compulsive symptoms are less likely on this screen, though it does not rule them out.
- 21-72At or above the cut-off (probable OCD)At or above 21, the cut-off that best separated people with OCD from non-anxious controls; a fuller conversation with a professional is worth considering, but this is not a diagnosis.
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 month, how much distress have you felt from checking things over and over more than is needed?
Illustrative example in the style of the questionnaire, not the official scored item.
Over the past month, how much have you been upset by unpleasant thoughts that came into your mind against your will?
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
Over the past month, how much distress have you felt from needing things arranged in a particular order?
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
Over the past month, how much have you felt driven to wash or clean yourself because you felt contaminated?
Illustrative example, not the official scored item.
Honest strengths and limitations
Strengths
- The most widely used brief self-report measure of OCD symptoms, replicated across many samples and languages.
- Short (about five minutes), freely available, and the standard self-report companion to the clinician-rated Y-BOCS.
- A clear, established cut-off that makes a total easy to interpret and to track over time.
Limitations
- It is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis - a high score signals that a fuller conversation with a professional may help, not that OCD is present.
- Like all self-reports it reflects how someone reads the questions and recalls the past month, and the cut-off is a guide rather than a hard line.
- It covers obsessive-compulsive symptoms only; related concerns and the hoarding-disorder construct introduced in DSM-5 need their own measures and assessment.
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 OCD test (OCI-R) measure?
It measures how much distress obsessive-compulsive symptoms have caused over the past month, across six areas - washing, checking, ordering, obsessing, hoarding and mental neutralizing. It produces a single total from 0 to 72.
How is the OCI-R scored?
Each of the 18 items is rated 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) for distress over the past month and the items are summed for a total from 0 to 72. There is no percentile: a total of 21 or above is treated as a positive screen for probable OCD that is worth following up, and below 21 as less likely.
Is the OCI-R a diagnosis of OCD?
No. The OCI-R is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can diagnose OCD, after looking at the full picture. A score at or above the cut-off means it may help to speak with a professional. If you are struggling, please reach out to one.
Can I take the OCI-R on Psychology.me?
This page is informational - we do not publicly offer the OCI-R 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
- Foa, E. B., Huppert, J. D., Leiberg, S., et al. (2002). The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory: development and validation of a short version. Psychological Assessment, 14(4), 485-496.
- Abramowitz, J. S., & Deacon, B. J. (2006). Psychometric properties and construct validity of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised: replication and extension with a clinical sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 20(8), 1016-1035.
The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) was developed by Edna B. Foa and colleagues (2002) and is freely available for research and clinical use; this independent informational page describes the instrument and does not reproduce its scored items.