ASRS · 18Q · Standard screening questionnaire
Adult ADHD Screener
For adults aged 18 and over. Eighteen questions about the past six months, with separate scores for inattention and hyperactivity / impulsivity.
This 18-item presentation groups questions into two nine-item domains to match the Traditional Chinese version. The score bands are reference bands from that Chinese version, not separately validated English cutoffs.
Please choose the response that best describes how you have felt and conducted yourself over the past six months.
Adults aged 18+ · About 5 minutes · 18 items
Screening results can support a clinical conversation but cannot confirm or rule out a diagnosis on their own.
View score ranges and interpretation ↓
Inattention
How often do you make careless mistakes when you have to work on a boring or difficult project?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you have difficulty keeping your attention when you are doing boring or repetitive work?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you have difficulty concentrating on what people say to you, even when they are speaking to you directly?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you misplace or have difficulty finding things at home or at work?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often are you distracted by activity or noise around you?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
Hyperactivity / impulsivity
How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you leave your seat in meetings or other situations in which you are expected to remain seated?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you feel restless or fidgety?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you have difficulty unwinding and relaxing when you have time to yourself?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you find yourself talking too much when you are in social situations?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
When you’re in a conversation, how often do you find yourself finishing the sentences of the people you are talking to, before they can finish them themselves?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you have difficulty waiting your turn in situations when turn taking is required?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How often do you interrupt others when they are busy?
Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often
How to interpret the 18-item ASRS
Inattention and hyperactivity / impulsivity each contain nine items. Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often and Very Often score 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each domain is summed separately, from 0 to 36, and compared with the reference bands below.
| Score / range | What it means | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|
| 0–16 points | ADHD is less likely Responses in this domain fall below the follow-up reference bands. A low score does not rule out ADHD. | Discuss ongoing distraction, procrastination or impulsivity if it affects work, relationships or everyday life. |
| 17–23 points | ADHD is likely Responses suggest difficulties in this domain—either inattention or hyperactivity / impulsivity—that merit further assessment. | Bring your results to a clinician and discuss when symptoms began, where they occur and their impact on daily life. |
| 24–36 points | ADHD is very likely Responses indicate more prominent symptoms in this domain and warrant a comprehensive assessment. | Consider a psychiatric assessment covering childhood history, difficulties across settings and other possible explanations. |
| Score / range | What it means | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|
| 0–16 points | ADHD is less likely Responses in this domain fall below the follow-up reference bands. A low score does not rule out ADHD. | Discuss ongoing distraction, procrastination or impulsivity if it affects work, relationships or everyday life. |
| 17–23 points | ADHD is likely Responses suggest difficulties in this domain—either inattention or hyperactivity / impulsivity—that merit further assessment. | Bring your results to a clinician and discuss when symptoms began, where they occur and their impact on daily life. |
| 24–36 points | ADHD is very likely Responses indicate more prominent symptoms in this domain and warrant a comprehensive assessment. | Consider a psychiatric assessment covering childhood history, difficulties across settings and other possible explanations. |
These are reference bands from the Traditional Chinese 18-item version, not separately validated English cutoffs. English items are regrouped into the same two symptom domains.
Interpret the two domains separately. Do not use a combined 18-item score to diagnose ADHD or assign a severity level or diagnostic presentation. The bands are not probabilities of having ADHD.
A full assessment considers childhood symptoms, effects across settings and other factors such as sleep and mood.
Interpretation sources：ASRS Traditional Chinese form and domain scoring ↗ · Original English ASRS questions ↗