About the test
Alcohol test (AUDIT)
The AUDIT is the World Health Organization's ten-question alcohol test. It shows whether your drinking may be risky, and it can be a starting point for talking to a doctor.
Questionnaire / instrument: AUDIT
The test at a glance
- Price
- Free, including results
- Registration
- No account required
- Length
- 10 questions
- Time
- About 2 minutes
- Format
- Self-report · three to five response options
- Your report
- Risk level and three parts
The three parts
The WHO manual groups the ten questions into three parts:
Alcohol consumption
Questions 1 to 3: how often you drink, how much, and how often you drink six or more drinks.
Signs of dependence
Questions 4 to 6: being unable to stop, failing to do what was expected, and needing a morning drink.
Alcohol-related harm
Questions 7 to 10: guilt, memory loss, injury, and concern from others.
What your results show
Your report is available straight after the last question. You can preview an example before starting.
- A total from 0 to 40 and which of the four risk zones it falls in.
- Your points on each of the three parts, and the answers that gave points.
- What the result means, what can help and what to do next.
What does it measure?
Whether your drinking may be risky or harmful, based on ten questions about how much you drink, signs of dependence and alcohol-related harm over the past year.
Where does it come from?
The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) was developed by the World Health Organization and published in 1989, with a second edition of the manual in 2001. It is used around the world in health care and research.
How is the result calculated?
Questions 1 to 8 give 0 to 4 points, and questions 9 and 10 give 0, 2 or 4, for a total from 0 to 40. The WHO manual has four risk zones: 0 to 7, 8 to 15, 16 to 19 and 20 to 40.
What can the result tell you?
The AUDIT is a screening test, not a diagnosis, and it relies on honest answers. The manual calls its limits tentative: they can vary with a country's drinking patterns and the size of a standard drink. A limit one point lower finds more people at risk among women and men over 65.
Languages and adaptations
The questions are shown as in the published language versions on auditscreen.org, with only obvious misprints corrected. These versions differ a little from each other, for example in how they describe a drink. Our explanations and result commentary are written for this website, partly with AI assistance.
Frequently asked questions
Can this test tell me if I am an alcoholic?
No. It shows how likely it is that your drinking is risky or harmful. Alcohol use disorder is diagnosed by a health professional, but a high score is a good reason to talk to one.
What is a good AUDIT score?
A score from 0 to 7 is the low-risk zone. A score of 8 or more is the manual's general sign of risky drinking. For women and men over 65, a limit of 7 finds more people at risk.
What counts as a standard drink?
It varies by country. A rough guide is a bottle of beer (33 cl), a glass of wine (14 cl) or a shot of spirits (4 cl). Stronger or larger drinks count as more than one.
Is it safe to stop drinking suddenly?
Not always. If you drink heavily every day, withdrawal can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before you stop, so it can be done safely.
Who made the AUDIT?
It was developed by the World Health Organization through an international project. Saunders and colleagues described it in 1993, and the WHO manual by Babor and colleagues was published in 2001.
Are my answers anonymous?
Answers are stored without your name or contact details, only after you consent. There are no ads on this test, and you can delete your result later.
License and reuse
Public domain (WHO-approved)As a WHO-approved instrument, the AUDIT is in the public domain. No permission is needed for non-commercial use, and people completing it should not be charged a fee. It may be published as long as it is not materially changed and it is noted that it is a WHO-approved instrument.
The terms below apply to the test materials. Articles, translations, software and our result descriptions may have separate terms.
Sources and further reading
Babor, T. F., Higgins-Biddle, J. C., Saunders, J. B., & Monteiro, M. G. (2001). AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Guidelines for Use in Primary Care (2nd ed.). World Health Organization. As a WHO-approved instrument, the AUDIT is in the public domain (https://auditscreen.org/about/faqs/).