How the ASRS-v1.1 Screener Actually Works
The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) is the screener developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with researchers from Harvard Medical School and the WHO World Mental Health Survey. It is in the public domain and is the most widely used self-report instrument for adult ADHD worldwide. If you have ever taken an "online ADHD test" that felt structured and serious, there is a good chance it was based on the ASRS.
What the ASRS-v1.1 actually contains
The full instrument has 18 questions aligned with DSM-IV (and effectively DSM-5) adult ADHD criteria. They are split into two sections:
- Part A: 6 items selected by the WHO research team because they best predicted a full clinical diagnosis. This is the screener.
- Part B: 12 additional items that round out the full DSM-IV symptom list (9 inattention, 9 hyperactivity-impulsivity overall, with Part A drawing from both).
The response scale
Each item is answered on a 5-point frequency scale: Never · Rarely · Sometimes · Often · Very often. The clever part of the ASRS is that the threshold for "endorsement" is not the same for every item.
The validated scoring rule (Part A)
For Part A, you don't add up points. You count how many of the 6 items are endorsed at or above a specific threshold. The thresholds were chosen because they discriminate best between ADHD-positive and ADHD-negative adults.
| Item | Domain | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wrapping up final details | Inattention | Sometimes / Often / Very often |
| 2. Getting things in order | Inattention | Sometimes / Often / Very often |
| 3. Remembering appointments | Inattention | Sometimes / Often / Very often |
| 4. Avoiding tasks needing thought | Inattention | Often / Very often |
| 5. Fidgeting / squirming | Hyperactivity | Often / Very often |
| 6. Feeling driven by a motor | Hyperactivity | Often / Very often |
4 or more endorsed items in Part A is considered "highly consistent with adult ADHD" and is the validated cutoff for further clinical evaluation. This is the rule used in published research and the one any honest screener should follow.
What the published validation actually showed
- Sensitivity: ~68.7% — about 7 in 10 people who actually have ADHD score positive on Part A.
- Specificity: ~99.5% — very few people without ADHD score positive.
- Total classification accuracy: ~97.9% in the original Kessler et al. (2005) study.
In plain words: a positive Part A is meaningful and worth following up on. A negative Part A does not rule ADHD out, especially in people with strong inattentive features who developed compensation strategies.
Common mistakes when interpreting your result
- "I scored 3, so I'm fine." Maybe — or maybe you're an inattentive type and Part B reveals more. Look at the full picture.
- "I scored 6, so I have ADHD." No — you have a positive screen. A diagnosis still requires a clinician, history, and ruling out other causes.
- Taking it during a stressful week. Acute stress, sleep deprivation, depression, and even hangovers can push the score up. The ASRS asks about "the past 6 months" for a reason.
Take the ASRS-v1.1 yourself (free)
All 18 items, the official Part A scoring rule, and a separate inattention vs hyperactivity-impulsivity breakdown. About 5 minutes.
Start the screening →What comes after a positive screen?
The next step is a clinical evaluation. That usually means a structured interview (like the DIVA-5 or ACE+), a developmental history, and screening for co-occurring conditions like anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, and thyroid issues. The screener does the cheap, fast triage. The clinician does the actual diagnosis.