Clinician or parent? Hand your device over with the score hidden, or send the test to their phone.
10 questions · about 2–3 minutes
For each one, pick the answer that fits you best over the past year. There are no right or wrong answers.
A "drink" means one standard drink: a 12 oz beer, a 5 oz glass of wine, or a 1.5 oz shot of spirits. If you do not drink at all, choose the first answer for questions 2 to 8.
Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is saved or sent unless you choose to email the results. This screening tool is for educational and self-awareness purposes only. It is not a diagnosis. If you drink heavily every day, do not stop suddenly without medical advice, because alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. SAMHSA's National Helpline is free and confidential, any time: 1-800-662-4357.
- Questions
- 10
- Time
- 2–3 min
- Looks back over
- The past year
- Score range
- 0–40
- Cost
- Free
What the AUDIT measures
- How often and how much you drink, including heavy drinking (questions 1 to 3)
- Signs of dependence: trouble stopping, morning drinking, not doing what was expected (questions 4 to 6)
- Harm from drinking: guilt, blackouts, injuries and other people's concern (questions 7 to 10)
About the AUDIT
The AUDIT was developed for the World Health Organization by Thomas Babor, John Saunders, Olaf Aasland and colleagues. The WHO first published it in 1989, and the study behind it, run in six countries (Australia, Bulgaria, Kenya, Mexico, Norway and the United States), appeared in 1993. The aim was a screen that worked across cultures and caught risky drinking early, before dependence, when a short conversation with a doctor makes the most difference.
The first three questions ask how much and how often you drink, the next three ask about signs of dependence, and the last four ask about harm. Questions 1 to 8 are scored 0 to 4, and questions 9 and 10 are scored 0, 2 or 4. The total runs from 0 to 40, and the WHO sorts it into four risk zones: 0 to 7 lower risk, 8 to 15 increasing risk, 16 to 19 higher risk, and 20 or more possible dependence.
The AUDIT is free to use. Its first three questions on their own make up the AUDIT-C, a shorter version used in many primary care offices.
How the AUDIT is scored
- Each question has its own set of answers, worth from 0 to 4 points depending on the question.
- The answers are added together for a total from 0 to 40.
AUDIT score ranges
The ranges this quiz uses to label a score. They describe where a score falls, not a diagnosis.
| Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Lower risk | 0–7 |
| Increasing risk | 8–15 |
| Higher risk | 16–19 |
| Possible dependence | 20–40 |
How to read the results
- It is a snapshot, not a diagnosis. The score describes the past year, and a label only says where that falls compared with the people the questionnaire was tested on. A word like "mild" does not mean a mild disorder.
- Look at the answers, not only the total. Which questions scored highest often says more about what to work on than the number does.
- Compare with yourself over time. Taking it again in a few weeks, or after starting therapy, shows whether things are moving. Compare each score with your own earlier one, not with someone else's.
- Talk it through. A clinician will ask what no questionnaire can: how long it has been like this, what else is going on, and how much it gets in the way.
The AUDIT compared with similar tests
| Test | Screens for | Questions | Looks back over |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUDIT (this page) | Alcohol use and its risks | 10 | The past year |
| DAST-10 | Problems from drug use | 10 | The past 12 months |
Using the AUDIT with clients
- Baseline, then repeat. Give it at intake, then at regular intervals, and compare each score with the client's own earlier ones to see whether treatment is working.
- Hand to client. Give it on your own device in session. The questions fill the screen with nothing else on it, and the scores stay hidden until you take the device back and press Show results.
- Send to someone. Send a link before the session by text or email. Tick "Ask for a copy of their results" and their results page offers to email you their score. They decide whether to send it. Your address travels in the link itself and never reaches our servers.
- Copy summary and Print. The results screen copies a one-line summary for the session note, or prints the results on their own.
- Nothing is stored. Answers stay in the browser. Results leave it only when someone chooses to email them, and that email is not kept.
- Billing. Giving and scoring a standardized instrument like the AUDIT is commonly billed as CPT 96127, one unit per instrument. Payers set their own limits, so check before relying on it.
Diagnosis codes often documented for this concern
For reference only. A screening score is not a diagnosis, and none of these follows from a score on its own.
- F10.20 Alcohol Use Disorder, Moderate
Where to go from here
- Individual Counseling at Crown Counseling · in Brooklyn and online across New York
- Free resources for therapists
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AUDIT?+
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test is a 10-question screen for risky drinking, developed for the World Health Organization and used in clinics around the world. It asks about how much you drink, signs of dependence, and harm from drinking over the past year.
What is a good or bad AUDIT score?+
The WHO uses four zones: 0 to 7 lower risk, 8 to 15 increasing risk, 16 to 19 higher risk, and 20 to 40 possible dependence. A score of 8 or more is the usual point at which a clinician would suggest cutting down.
What is the AUDIT-C?+
The AUDIT-C is the first three AUDIT questions on their own, about how often and how much you drink. It is quicker and is often used in primary care to decide who should take the full AUDIT.
Does a high score mean I am an alcoholic?+
Not on its own. The AUDIT measures risk; it does not diagnose. Alcohol use disorder is diagnosed by a clinician using the DSM-5 criteria. A high score is a good reason to have that conversation.
Are my responses stored?+
No. All responses remain completely private and local to your browser. No data is collected, stored, or transmitted to any server.
References
- Babor TF, Higgins-Biddle JC, Saunders JB, Monteiro MG. AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Guidelines for Use in Primary Care. 2nd ed. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2001.
- Saunders JB, Aasland OG, Babor TF, de la Fuente JR, Grant M. Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption, II. Addiction. 1993;88(6):791-804.
- Bush K, Kivlahan DR, McDonell MB, Fihn SD, Bradley KA. The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): an effective brief screening test for problem drinking. Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(16):1789-1795.