About the ASRS Adult ADHD Self-Report
The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1) was developed by the World Health Organization with Ronald Kessler and colleagues at Harvard Medical School as a screening tool for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults aged 18 and over. The full checklist has 18 questions based on DSM criteria; the six questions in Part A form the short screener because they were found to be the most predictive of a clinical ADHD diagnosis.
Answer each question about how you have felt and behaved over the past 6 months. On the official form some answers fall in shaded boxes: for questions 1–3 a response of Sometimes or more counts, and for questions 4–6 Often or more counts. Four or more shaded answers mean your symptoms are highly consistent with adult ADHD and further evaluation is worthwhile.
In the validation study in a US community sample, the six-question screener had a sensitivity of 68.7% and a specificity of 99.5%. It is a screening questionnaire only: ADHD can only be diagnosed by a qualified clinician after a full assessment that includes childhood history and rules out other explanations such as anxiety, depression or sleep problems.
With the default inputs, the shaded (positive) answers in part a is 3 / 6. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the asrs adult adhd self-report
- 1Think about how you have felt and behaved over the past 6 months.
- 2Answer each of the six questions with the frequency that fits best.
- 3Count of shaded answers is calculated automatically.
- 4If four or more are shaded, book an assessment with a clinician experienced in adult ADHD.
Formula and method
Each question is answered on a five-point frequency scale: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often or Very often. Following the official ASRS v1.1 scoring, questions 1, 2 and 3 count as positive (a mark in a shaded box) when the answer is Sometimes, Often or Very often, and questions 4, 5 and 6 count as positive when the answer is Often or Very often.
Four or more positive answers indicate symptoms highly consistent with adult ADHD. The validation study found the unweighted six-item screener outperformed the full 18-item checklist for classification accuracy. The total frequency score (0–24) is shown for interest only; it is not the official screening rule.
- Q1–Q4
- Inattention items
- Q5–Q6
- Hyperactivity items
- ≥ 4
- Official cut-off for a positive screen
Worked examples
Three shaded answers
Q1 (Sometimes) and Q3 (Sometimes) meet the Sometimes threshold, and Q4 (Often) meets the Often threshold. Q2 (Rarely), Q5 (Rarely) and Q6 (Sometimes) do not, so 3 of 6 are positive — just below the cut-off.
Positive screen
Raising Q2 and Q5 to Often adds two more shaded answers, for 5 of 6 — a positive screen that warrants a full clinical assessment.
Sometimes on every question
Sometimes is positive only for questions 1–3. Questions 4–6 need Often or more, so the count is 3 of 6 and the screen is negative.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ASRS?+
The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale is a WHO-developed questionnaire for adults aged 18 and over. Part A contains the six screening questions; Part B contains 12 further questions that help a clinician explore symptoms in more detail.
How is the ASRS Part A scored?+
Questions 1–3 are positive if you answer Sometimes, Often or Very often; questions 4–6 are positive if you answer Often or Very often. Four or more positive answers indicate symptoms highly consistent with adult ADHD.
How accurate is the ASRS screener?+
In the original validation study the six-question screener correctly classified 97.9% of participants, with sensitivity of 68.7% and specificity of 99.5%. Accuracy varies in other populations, especially clinical settings.
Can this test diagnose ADHD?+
No. It is a screening tool. An ADHD diagnosis requires a clinical interview, evidence that symptoms began in childhood and affect several areas of life, and exclusion of other conditions that cause similar problems.
What should I do if I score positive?+
Share your answers with your GP or a mental health professional and ask about an adult ADHD assessment. It helps to bring examples from school reports or input from family members who knew you as a child.
For healthcare professionals and education only. This calculator implements a published formula or score but is not a diagnosis and does not replace clinical judgment. Verify inputs and results against the original source before using them in patient care.