The Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) is a clinician-administered structured interview for OCD severity. It has two parts: a symptom checklist (listing common obsessions and compulsions the person may have) and 10 severity items — 5 for obsessions (time spent, interference, distress, resistance, control) and 5 for compulsions (same 5 dimensions). Each item scored 0-4 during structured clinical conversation; total ranges 0-40.

Can I take the Y-BOCS as a self-report?

Self-administered Y-BOCS versions exist but are considered less reliable than clinician-administered. The scoring depends on nuanced clinical judgment (what counts as "moderate interference," what counts as "significant resistance") that's hard to standardise in self-report. If you want self-report OCD screening, use the [OCI](/assessments/oci) or [VOCI](/assessments/voci) instead — both are validated self-report measures freely available in the Mindtalk app.

What are the Y-BOCS severity bands?

Standard bands: 0-7 sub-clinical (no active OCD), 8-15 mild, 16-23 moderate, 24-31 severe, 32-40 extreme. Clinical OCD diagnosis typically requires Y-BOCS 16+; treatment response defined as 25% reduction; remission defined as Y-BOCS ≤ 12.

How long does the Y-BOCS take?

Full Y-BOCS administration takes 45-90 minutes — 15-30 minutes for the symptom checklist plus 30-60 minutes for the 10 severity items. Follow-up administrations during treatment can be quicker (15-20 min) because the symptom checklist is already known and only the severity ratings need updating.

Y-BOCS vs OCI vs VOCI — how do they differ?

Y-BOCS: clinician-administered, gold standard for severity + treatment tracking, 45-90 min. [OCI](/assessments/oci): 42-item self-report (or 18-item OCI-R), 5-8 min, fast OCD screening. [VOCI](/assessments/voci): 55-item self-report, 10 min, six-dimension subtype mapping. Rule of thumb: OCI-R for fast screening, VOCI for detailed subtype profile, Y-BOCS for clinician severity + treatment tracking.

Is Y-BOCS validated in India?

Yes. Y-BOCS has been used in Indian OCD research and specialist clinical practice since the 1990s, with translated Hindi and Kannada versions. It is the standard severity measure at NIMHANS, AIIMS, Cadabams, and specialist OCD clinics.

What treatment works for OCD?

First-line: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) — a specific CBT protocol. SSRIs at higher-than-depression doses (paroxetine 40-60mg, fluoxetine 60-80mg, sertraline 200mg, escitalopram 20-30mg) are also first-line for moderate-severe OCD. Combined ERP + SSRI often outperforms either alone for severe cases. Y-BOCS is the standard tracking measure across all treatment.

Assessments

Y-BOCS Test — Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Explained + Free Alternative)

The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale — the gold-standard clinician-administered OCD severity measure. Learn what it is, and take free OCD screeners in the Mindtalk app.

Important safety information

The Y-BOCS (explained) → OCI free alternative 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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Take the Y-BOCS (explained) → OCI free alternative (15 min)See related assessments

Quick answer

The Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) is the clinician-administered gold-standard measure of OCD severity. It has 10 items — 5 covering obsessions and 5 covering compulsions — plus an extensive symptom checklist. Each item is scored 0-4 by a trained clinician through structured interview; total ranges 0-40. Bands: 0-7 sub-clinical, 8-15 mild, 16-23 moderate, 24-31 severe, 32-40 extreme. Developed by Wayne Goodman, Steven Rasmussen, and colleagues at Yale-Brown in 1989. Y-BOCS is used in essentially every OCD medication and CBT trial and is the standard severity + treatment tracking measure at specialist OCD clinics. It is designed for clinician administration — no valid self-administered version. For self-report OCD screening, use the [OCI](/assessments/oci) (Obsessive Compulsive Inventory) or [VOCI](/assessments/voci) (Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory) — both free in the Mindtalk app.

What the Y-BOCS is (and why it needs a clinician)

The Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) is a clinician-administered structured interview for OCD severity — developed by Wayne Goodman, Steven Rasmussen, and colleagues at Yale-Brown in 1989. It has become the primary outcome measure in essentially every OCD medication trial and CBT trial since.

The Y-BOCS has two parts:

Symptom checklist — Lists common obsessions (contamination, harm, sexual, religious, symmetry) and compulsions (washing, checking, ordering, counting, mental rituals) so the clinician can identify what specific symptoms the person has.

10 severity items — 5 for obsessions and 5 for compulsions, each scored 0-4 through structured clinical conversation:

Time spent on obsessions/compulsions
Interference with functioning
Distress caused
Resistance (effort to fight the symptom)
Control over the symptom

Total ranges 0-40.

Y-BOCS requires trained clinician administration. Self-administered versions exist but are less reliable — the scoring depends on nuanced clinical judgment about interference, resistance, and control that's hard to standardise in self-report.

Y-BOCS severity band table

Score	Severity	What it means
0-7	Sub-clinical	No active OCD
8-15	Mild	OCD symptoms present but limited impact
16-23	Moderate	Clinical OCD; treatment usually indicated
24-31	Severe	Significant impairment; intensive treatment
32-40	Extreme	Very severe; often housebound or unable to work

Clinical thresholds: OCD diagnosis typically at Y-BOCS 16+. Treatment response = 25% reduction from baseline. Remission = Y-BOCS ≤ 12.

What to do instead (free alternative)

For OCD screening and subtype mapping, use free self-report measures:

OCI (Obsessive Compulsive Inventory) — 42-item full or 18-item short form (OCI-R). Fast OCD screening. Free in the Mindtalk app.
VOCI (Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory) — 55-item OCD subtype mapping across six dimensions (Contamination, Checking, Obsessions, Hoarding, Just Right, Indecisiveness). Free in the Mindtalk app.
OBQ-44 — Obsessional Beliefs Questionnaire measuring OCD-maintaining cognitive beliefs. Pairs with VOCI for treatment planning.

When to see a specialist

If OCI or VOCI is elevated, if OCD symptoms are impairing your daily life, or if you want structured OCD assessment including Y-BOCS. Mindtalk's clinicians with OCD and ERP expertise work across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, and online for anywhere in India.

Treatments backed by evidence

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) — First-line CBT protocol for OCD. Structured graded exposure to feared thoughts / situations paired with response prevention (not performing the compulsion). Strong evidence base.

SSRIs at high dose — Paroxetine 40-60mg, fluoxetine 60-80mg, sertraline 200mg, escitalopram 20-30mg. Higher than depression doses. First-line for moderate-severe OCD.

Combined ERP + SSRI — Often outperforms either alone for severe cases.

Y-BOCS tracking — Every 4-6 weeks during treatment for objective severity monitoring.

How to take the Y-BOCS (explained) → OCI free alternative

1
Book a clinical session for Y-BOCS administration
Y-BOCS requires a trained clinician. Book a session with a Mindtalk psychiatrist or clinical psychologist experienced with OCD.
2
Take free OCD self-report screeners now
While waiting for a clinician appointment, take the [OCI](/assessments/oci) or [VOCI](/assessments/voci) — free OCD self-report screeners in the Mindtalk app.
3
Bring self-report results to your clinician
OCI or VOCI results give your clinician a symptom-level starting point. They will complete Y-BOCS during structured interview for severity and treatment planning.

Take the Y-BOCS (explained) → OCI free alternative (15 min)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Y-BOCS?: The Y-BOCS (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) is a clinician-administered structured interview for OCD severity. It has two parts: a symptom checklist (listing common obsessions and compulsions the person may have) and 10 severity items — 5 for obsessions (time spent, interference, distress, resistance, control) and 5 for compulsions (same 5 dimensions). Each item scored 0-4 during structured clinical conversation; total ranges 0-40.
Can I take the Y-BOCS as a self-report?: Self-administered Y-BOCS versions exist but are considered less reliable than clinician-administered. The scoring depends on nuanced clinical judgment (what counts as "moderate interference," what counts as "significant resistance") that's hard to standardise in self-report. If you want self-report OCD screening, use the [OCI](/assessments/oci) or [VOCI](/assessments/voci) instead — both are validated self-report measures freely available in the Mindtalk app.
What are the Y-BOCS severity bands?: Standard bands: 0-7 sub-clinical (no active OCD), 8-15 mild, 16-23 moderate, 24-31 severe, 32-40 extreme. Clinical OCD diagnosis typically requires Y-BOCS 16+; treatment response defined as 25% reduction; remission defined as Y-BOCS ≤ 12.
How long does the Y-BOCS take?: Full Y-BOCS administration takes 45-90 minutes — 15-30 minutes for the symptom checklist plus 30-60 minutes for the 10 severity items. Follow-up administrations during treatment can be quicker (15-20 min) because the symptom checklist is already known and only the severity ratings need updating.
Y-BOCS vs OCI vs VOCI — how do they differ?: Y-BOCS: clinician-administered, gold standard for severity + treatment tracking, 45-90 min. [OCI](/assessments/oci): 42-item self-report (or 18-item OCI-R), 5-8 min, fast OCD screening. [VOCI](/assessments/voci): 55-item self-report, 10 min, six-dimension subtype mapping. Rule of thumb: OCI-R for fast screening, VOCI for detailed subtype profile, Y-BOCS for clinician severity + treatment tracking.
Is Y-BOCS validated in India?: Yes. Y-BOCS has been used in Indian OCD research and specialist clinical practice since the 1990s, with translated Hindi and Kannada versions. It is the standard severity measure at NIMHANS, AIIMS, Cadabams, and specialist OCD clinics.
What treatment works for OCD?: First-line: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) — a specific CBT protocol. SSRIs at higher-than-depression doses (paroxetine 40-60mg, fluoxetine 60-80mg, sertraline 200mg, escitalopram 20-30mg) are also first-line for moderate-severe OCD. Combined ERP + SSRI often outperforms either alone for severe cases. Y-BOCS is the standard tracking measure across all treatment.

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