Adult ADHD Test (ASRS v1.1) — Free WHO Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Online
The WHO Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale — 18 questions, 4 minutes, instant score with clinical banding. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Krishna K R, MBBS MD fellowship in Psyco Sexual Medicine. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.
Important safety information
The ASRS v1.1 includes a question about thoughts of self-harm (question 9). If you have had any such thoughts recently, please reach out for support before or instead of taking this assessment — you do not need to take a test to deserve help.
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The ASRS v1.1 — Part A (6 items)
Part A is the 6-item screener. It asks how often each symptom has occurred over the past 6 months on a 5-point scale (Never · Rarely · Sometimes · Often · Very Often).
The 6 Part A items ask about:
- Finishing the final details of a project once the challenging parts are done.
- Getting things in order when you have to do a task requiring organisation.
- Remembering appointments or obligations.
- Avoiding or delaying starting a task that requires a lot of thought.
- Fidgeting or squirming with your hands or feet when you have to sit for long.
- Feeling overly active and compelled to do things, as if driven by a motor.
Each item has a "darker-shaded" cut-off — for items 1-3 the threshold is Sometimes or higher, for items 4-6 it is Often or higher. If 4 or more of the six items score in the darker-shaded band, the screen is positive.
The ASRS v1.1 — Part B (12 items)
Part B adds 12 more items — 5 covering inattention symptoms (misplacing things, distractibility, difficulty sustaining attention, forgetting, missing details) and 7 covering hyperactivity-impulsivity (talking too much, finishing others' sentences, waiting your turn, interrupting others, restlessness, active-drive feelings, difficulty being quiet during leisure).
The Part A rule is the published screening threshold. The split of positive screens into "moderate" (4-5) and "high" (6) below is a practical Mindtalk guide, not a separate validated cut-off.
Part B is scored the same way and produces a symptom-cluster map — Inattentive-weighted, Hyperactive-Impulsive-weighted, or Combined. Clinicians use this map at intake to guide the diagnostic interview.
ASRS score interpretation
| Result | What it means | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|
| Part A 0-3 positive | Negative screen — symptoms below screening threshold | If concerns persist, read about the Wender Utah Rating Scale for childhood symptoms and book clinical evaluation |
| Part A 4-5 positive | Positive screen — moderate symptom load | Book clinical evaluation with an adult ADHD-experienced psychiatrist within 2-4 weeks |
| Part A 6 positive | Positive screen — high symptom load | Book clinical evaluation this week; likely benefit from full diagnostic assessment |
| Part B — Inattentive weighted | Symptom pattern skews toward inattention | Bring Part B report to consultation; Inattentive presentation is under-diagnosed |
| Part B — Combined weighted | Both Inattentive and Hyperactive-Impulsive present | Most common adult presentation; classic ADHD picture |
How the ASRS was developed
The ASRS was developed in 2005 by Ronald Kessler and colleagues in partnership with the WHO Workgroup on Adult ADHD. It was designed to fit into the WHO World Mental Health Surveys as a short adult ADHD screener that could be self-completed in under 5 minutes.
Validation compared ASRS answers with blind clinical interviews in 154 adults who had taken part in the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication. The Part A 6-item screener was selected by stepwise logistic regression to best match the clinical classification, and it outperformed the full 18 items on its own.
The ASRS is the WHO adult ADHD screener and has been translated into many languages. In 2017 a 6-item DSM-5 version was published for newer diagnostic criteria.
ASRS vs other adult ADHD tests
| Test | Items | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASRS v1.1 | 18 (Part A 6 + Part B 12) | 4 min | Adult ADHD screening |
| ADHD-RS-IV Adult | 18 | 5 min | Detailed DSM-anchored symptom count |
| Wender Utah Rating Scale | 25 (short) / 61 (long) | 6 min | Retrospective childhood symptoms |
| Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale | 66 | 12 min | Deep clinician-administered evaluation |
| BAARS-IV | 27 | 6 min | DSM-5-aligned, includes executive function |
The ASRS is the standard first-line screener because of its brevity, WHO backing, and very high specificity. Use ADHD-RS or Conners' for deeper clinician-administered work, and Wender Utah when confirming that symptoms were present before age 12.
When to act on your ASRS result
- Part A 0-3 (negative): If concerns persist despite the negative screen, add the Wender Utah retrospective scale and book clinical evaluation — the ASRS misses 3 in 10 real adult ADHD cases, particularly the Inattentive presentation in women.
- Part A 4-5 (positive, moderate): Book clinical evaluation with an adult-ADHD-experienced psychiatrist within 2-4 weeks. Bring Part B report, any childhood report cards, and observations from a partner or parent.
- Part A 6 (positive, high load): Book clinical evaluation this week. High-load positive screens often benefit from full diagnostic assessment including cognitive testing and functional impairment mapping.
- Rule out common ADHD mimics: anxiety, mood disorders, sleep disorders (particularly sleep apnoea), thyroid dysfunction, and substance use can all mimic adult ADHD. A good clinical evaluation will screen for these first.
After the ASRS
- Bring the result to consultation. The ASRS Part A + Part B report is the fastest way to give a psychiatrist a symptom map at intake. Save the app's PDF export and bring it to the appointment.
- Track your executive-function symptoms. The Mindtalk app's daily focus and task-completion tracking pairs well with a Part B Inattentive-weighted profile.
- Assess comorbidities. Adult ADHD comorbid with anxiety and depression is the norm, not the exception. Take the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 alongside; treatment planning depends on the full picture.
- Learn about treatment. Our ADHD page covers diagnosis and treatment, and CBT adapted for adult ADHD pairs well with medication.
- Book a specialist. Mindtalk's psychiatrists treat adult ADHD across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, and online for anywhere in India. Bring your ASRS report to the first consult.
Validation and evidence
The ASRS was developed by Ronald Kessler and colleagues with the World Health Organization Workgroup on Adult ADHD. Its 18 questions cover the DSM-IV adult ADHD symptoms. In the 2005 validation study, answers from 154 adults in the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication were compared with blind clinical interviews: the 6-item Part A screener had 68.7% sensitivity, 99.5% specificity, 97.9% overall accuracy and a kappa of 0.76, outperforming the full 18 questions. A 2017 update created a 6-item ASRS screener for DSM-5; in a clinical sample of people seeking ADHD evaluation it had 91.9% sensitivity and 74.0% specificity. In India, the DSM-5 ASRS has been used alongside the Wender Utah Rating Scale in clinical research, though large Indian validation studies are limited.
References
- Kessler RC, Adler L, Ames M, et al. The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychol Med. 2005;35(2):245-256. PubMed
- Ustun B, Adler LA, Rudin C, et al. The World Health Organization Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Screening Scale for DSM-5. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(5):520-527. PubMed
- Mishra VC, Solanki G, Singh D, et al. Prevalence and clinical correlates of co-morbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in euthymic adults with bipolar disorder: a cross-sectional study. Indian J Psychiatry. 2023;65(11):1129-1136. PubMed
How to take the ASRS v1.1
- 1
Open the ASRS v1.1 in the Mindtalk app
Tap "Take the ASRS" to open the assessment in the Mindtalk app. You will need a free Mindtalk account — sign-in takes under a minute.
- 2
Complete Part A (6 items)
For each of the 6 Part A items, choose how often the symptom has occurred over the past 6 months (Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often). Part A alone is enough for the screening result.
- 3
Complete Part B (12 items) for the symptom map
Part B adds 12 more items covering inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity separately. Together with Part A they build a full symptom-cluster map that your clinician uses at intake.
- 4
Get your Part A and Part B results
You receive a Part A screen result (positive / negative), a Part B symptom cluster map (Inattentive vs Hyperactive-Impulsive weighting), and a personalised next-step recommendation. If Part A is positive, the app surfaces clinical booking as the next step.
Related assessment guides
AUTC / AQ-10
A short adult autism spectrum screener based on the AQ-10 pattern — 10 questions, 3 minutes, instant score. Free in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →WURS (explained) → ASRS free alternative
The Wender Utah Rating Scale — retrospective self-report of childhood ADHD symptoms in adults. Learn what it is, and take the free ASRS adult ADHD screener in the Mindtalk app.
Read the guide →Frequently Asked Questions
- How accurate is the ASRS v1.1?
- In the original validation study (154 adults from the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication), the ASRS v1.1 Part A had 68.7% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity for adult ADHD against blind clinical interview, with 97.9% overall classification accuracy (Kessler et al., 2005). The very high specificity means a positive Part A screen is highly likely to correspond to real adult ADHD; the more moderate sensitivity means the ASRS can miss some cases, particularly the Inattentive presentation. It was designed for population screening in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys and is used routinely in adult ADHD clinics globally.
- What's a positive Part A result?
- Part A has 6 items. Four items ask about frequency across five levels (Never/Rarely/Sometimes/Often/Very Often); the darker-shaded response levels (Sometimes or higher for some items, Often or higher for others) are scored as positive. If four or more Part A items are positive at the darker-shaded threshold, the screen is positive — meaning symptoms consistent with adult ADHD are present at a level that warrants full clinical evaluation. A positive screen is NOT a diagnosis.
- Is the ASRS diagnostic?
- No. The ASRS is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. A positive Part A only means the symptom pattern is consistent with adult ADHD at a level worth investigating. Diagnosis requires clinical interview (DSM-5 or ICD-11 criteria), history of childhood symptoms, functional impairment across at least two settings, and ruling out anxiety, mood, sleep, and substance-use disorders that mimic ADHD.
- Can adult ADHD be diagnosed for the first time in adulthood?
- Yes — but the diagnostic criteria require symptoms to have been present in childhood (before age 12 per DSM-5), even if they were not identified at the time. A common presentation is a woman in her 30s who compensated well through school (high effort, external structure) but is now struggling with executive-function demands of work + family. Adult ADHD is under-diagnosed particularly in women and in the Inattentive presentation. A positive ASRS in an adult with no childhood diagnosis is worth clinical evaluation, not dismissal.
- Is the ASRS validated in India?
- The ASRS is used in Indian clinical research, for example in a 2023 Indian Journal of Psychiatry study that screened adults with bipolar disorder for ADHD using the DSM-5 version of the ASRS alongside the Wender Utah Rating Scale. Large Indian validation studies with local cut-offs are limited, so a positive or borderline result should be followed by clinical assessment.
- What if my ASRS is negative but I still think I have ADHD?
- A negative Part A does not rule out adult ADHD — sensitivity is 68.7%, so about 3 in 10 real cases screen negative on Part A alone. If you strongly suspect ADHD despite a negative screen, especially if you have the Inattentive presentation (which the ASRS is less sensitive to), full clinical evaluation is still worthwhile. Bring Part B results, any childhood report cards, and observations from a partner or parent to that consultation.
- How is the ASRS different from ADHD-RS or Wender Utah?
- The ASRS is the shortest and most widely used adult ADHD screener. ADHD-RS is longer, DSM-anchored, and used more in clinician-administered assessment. Wender Utah Rating Scale is retrospective — it asks the adult to rate childhood symptoms, useful when confirming that symptoms were present before age 12. Most adult ADHD assessments use ASRS + Wender Utah + clinical interview together.
- Is this a real ADHD test?
- Yes, in the sense that the ASRS v1.1 is the WHO-backed adult ADHD screening questionnaire used in research and clinics worldwide, and you get the same Part A screening rule clinicians use. But no online ADHD test can diagnose ADHD. Diagnosis needs a clinical interview, evidence that symptoms began in childhood, impairment in more than one setting, and ruling out conditions that mimic ADHD.
Need a clinician's read on your results?
A high score is a signal, not a diagnosis. Mindtalk's psychiatrists and clinical psychologists can interpret your results and recommend next steps — same-day appointments available.