ASRS ADHD test explained
The ASRS is one of the most cited adult ADHD questionnaires. Here is what the 18 items measure, how we score them, and what the number is not.
Educational information only - not medical advice and not a diagnosis.
Written by Jacqui Walker
BSc Psychology, MBPsS. ADHD screening and coaching - not a prescribing clinician.
Last reviewed 28 August 2026
Where the ASRS comes from
Kessler et al. (2005) published the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale with the World Health Organization and Harvard’s National Comorbidity Survey team. The instrument is freely described for screening and research. It was never designed to replace a clinician.
What the 18 items ask
The items cover everyday examples of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity: wrapping up details, organising, remembering appointments, delaying hard work, fidgeting, feeling “driven by a motor”, careless mistakes, losing things, interrupting, and waiting your turn.
You rate how often each applied over the past six months. That time window matters. A bad week is not the same as a six-month pattern, and a questionnaire cannot see childhood history.
How ADHDNeuro scores it
We use a simple 0–4 scale on each item so the total is easy to explain:
- Never = 0, Rarely = 1, Sometimes = 2, Often = 3, Very Often = 4
- 18 items × 4 = maximum 72
- 0–24 lower band · 25–44 moderate band · 45–72 higher band
Those three bands are ADHDNeuro’s educational labels. They are not official ASRS diagnostic thresholds and they are not something to quote to a clinician as evidence.
What a score cannot do
Anxiety, depression, sleep debt, trauma, thyroid problems, and a dozen other things can raise similar answers. The ASRS does not sort those out. That is why screening is not diagnosis.
Take the free 18-question test. If you want a written walkthrough of your answers, the paid screening report is still not for doctors.