Assessments / AQ-10

AQ-10 autism screening test Free

Ten statements about how you notice details, switch attention and read other people. It takes about three minutes and gives you a quick first look, not an answer.

• 10 questions
• 3 min about
• Free no account
• 0 answers uploaded

What it measures

The AQ-10 is a short form of the 50-item Autism Spectrum Quotient. It samples autistic traits across attention to detail, attention switching, communication, imagination and social skills, one statement at a time.

Who it is for

Adults (16 and over) who are wondering whether autistic traits describe them and want a brief, low-effort place to start. UK NICE guidance suggests it as a first step before referral for adults without a learning disability.

How long it takes

About 3 minutes for 10 questions. You can stop and come back: your answers so far are saved in this browser.

How it is scored

Each statement has four answers: definitely agree, slightly agree, slightly disagree, definitely disagree. "Slightly" counts the same as "definitely".

Six statements earn a point when you disagree, four when you agree, so the score is not just "how much you agreed". The total runs from 0 to 10.

A score of 6 or more is the published point at which a fuller assessment may be worth considering.

What it cannot tell you

• It is a screener. It can point toward a fuller assessment; it cannot tell you whether you are autistic.
• People who have learned to mask or compensate, often women and late-identified adults, can score lower than their experience would suggest.
• Independent studies have found its accuracy in the general population and in clinic referrals to be lower than in the original study.
• Anxiety, social anxiety and other conditions can raise scores too.

Screening, not diagnosis. Your result describes your answers. Only a qualified professional can diagnose autism, ADHD or a mental health condition.

Sources

1. Allison C, Auyeung B, Baron-Cohen S (2012). Toward brief "red flags" for autism screening: the Short Autism Spectrum Quotient and the Short Quantitative Checklist in 1,000 cases and 3,000 controls. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(2), 202–212. doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2011.11.003
2. Booth T, Murray AL, McKenzie K, Kuenssberg R, O’Donnell M, Burnett H (2013). Brief report: an evaluation of the AQ-10 as a brief screening instrument for ASD in adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 2997–3000. doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1844-5
3. Ashwood KL, Gillan N, Horder J, et al. (2016). Predicting the diagnosis of autism in adults using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) questionnaire. Psychological Medicine, 46(12), 2595–2604. doi.org/10.1017/S0033291716001082