What the AUDIT measures
Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the AUDIT is the gold-standard instrument for detecting the early signs of hazardous and harmful drinking and identifying mild to severe alcohol dependence. Unlike tests that only identify late-stage alcoholism, the AUDIT is specifically designed to detect early-stage risky drinking patterns, allowing for brief interventions before physical dependence occurs.
The dimensions it assesses
- Hazardous Alcohol Use (Items 1-3): Measures frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption (binge drinking patterns).
- Dependence Symptoms (Items 4-6): Assesses impaired control over drinking, increased salience of drinking, and morning drinking.
- Harmful Alcohol Use (Items 7-10): Evaluates guilt after drinking, blackouts, alcohol-related injuries, and concerns expressed by others.
Already have a AUDIT score from somewhere else? Look it up without retaking the questionnaire.
What your score means
(Theoretical Range: 0 to 40)
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 7 | Zone I: Low Risk | Alcohol consumption is within low-risk limits. Education on standard drink sizes recommended. |
| 8 – 15 | Zone II: Hazardous Drinking | Exceeds safe limits. Brief advice to reduce drinking is highly recommended to prevent progression. |
| 16 – 19 | Zone III: Harmful Drinking | Significant risk of physical and psychological harm. Brief counseling and continuous monitoring recommended. |
| 20 – 40 | Zone IV: Possible Dependence | High probability of alcohol dependence. Requires diagnostic evaluation for alcohol use disorder and likely referral for specialized addiction treatment. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- For Zone II (Hazardous): Implement a self-monitoring system. Track every drink, set a strict limit before going out, and alternate every alcoholic drink with a glass of water.
- For Zone III (Harmful): Consider taking a "dry month" to reset tolerance and re-evaluate the emotional reliance on alcohol. Consult a primary care physician to discuss the physical impacts (e.g., liver enzymes, blood pressure).
- For Zone IV (Dependence): Medical Warning: Do not attempt to quit "cold turkey" without medical supervision, as severe alcohol withdrawal (delirium tremens) can be fatal. Seek immediate evaluation from an addiction specialist or medical detox facility.
Common questions about the AUDIT
- What does the AUDIT measure?
- Screening for hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption, as well as possible alcohol dependence.
- Can the AUDIT diagnose me?
- No. Alcohol Use Check (AUDIT) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. Grief, burnout, a thyroid problem, medication side effects, chronic pain and months of bad sleep are not among its questions, and any of them can move a score. Telling those apart is what a professional assessment is for.
- What is considered a high score on the AUDIT?
- Scores of 20 – 40 fall in the range described as "Zone IV: Possible Dependence", while 0 – 7 is described as "Zone I: Low Risk". Those labels describe bands of scores rather than people, and a score sitting one point either side of a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it.
- How long does the AUDIT take?
- 10 questions, which most people finish in 2 – 5 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this AUDIT test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the AUDIT?
- Most of these questionnaires ask about the past one to two weeks, so retaking sooner than that mostly measures the same period twice. Every two to four weeks is a reasonable rhythm if you are tracking change. A direction of travel over several weeks tells a doctor far more than any single score.
- Who created the AUDIT, and is this the real version?
- It was published by World Health Organization. Published by WHO for free use; attribution requested. The items here are the published ones rather than a paraphrase, and the scoring follows the original rules. Both are documented on this page so they can be checked.
- How accurate is the AUDIT?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Rights held by World Health Organization. Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Babor, T. F., Higgins-Biddle, J. C., Saunders, J. B., & Monteiro, M. G. (2001). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for use in primary care (2nd ed.). World Health Organization.
- Saunders, J. B., Aasland, O. G., Babor, T. F., de la Fuente, J. R., & Grant, M. (1993). Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO Collaborative Project on Early Detection of Persons with Harmful Alcohol Consumption‐II. Addiction, 88(6), 791-804.
Licensing
Public domain. Published by WHO for free use; attribution requested.