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Brain Lab · Tool 006 · Adult ADHD Test

How well does your brain regulate attention and activity as an adult?

A validated 18-item screen for adult ADHD using the WHO-developed ASRS-v1.1 (Kessler 2005). Inattention vs Hyperactivity-Impulsivity profile, derived 6-item screener result, and 5 research-grounded archetypes mapping pattern to evidence-based pathways.

A screen, not a diagnosis. ADHD requires childhood-onset symptoms — read the limitations before drawing conclusions.

Developed by Abiot Y. Derbie, PhD — cognitive neuroscientist & founder. Reviewed by Eskezeia Y. Dessie, PhD — clinical reviewer. Browser-local. Nothing transmitted. No accounts. Source-cited methodology.

18 items · ASRS-v1.1
Public domain · WHO/Kessler 2005
~5 minutes
Browser-local · no data transmitted
I.

About this screen

The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) is a validated 18-item screening instrument developed by Kessler and colleagues in 2005 in collaboration with the World Health Organization. Each item maps directly to one of the 18 DSM-IV ADHD symptom criteria — 9 covering inattention, 9 covering hyperactivity-impulsivity. Items are rated on a 5-point frequency scale over the past 6 months.

The instrument is in the public domain (WHO World Mental Health Survey Initiative) and is the most widely cited brief adult ADHD screener globally.

This implementation provides your full 18-item dimensional profile, your derived 6-item ASRS Screener result, and matches your symptom pattern to one of 5 research-grounded archetypes mirroring the DSM-5 ADHD presentation specifiers.

II.

The 18 items

Over the past 6 months, how often have you experienced each of these? Be honest about typical patterns rather than your worst day or your best day.

Item 1 · Inattention · ★ Screener

How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?

Item 2 · Inattention · ★ Screener

How often do you have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?

Item 3 · Inattention · ★ Screener

How often do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?

Item 4 · Inattention · ★ Screener

When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?

Item 5 · Hyperactivity · ★ Screener

How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?

Item 6 · Hyperactivity · ★ Screener

How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?

Item 7 · Inattention

How often do you make careless mistakes when you have to work on a boring or difficult project?

Item 8 · Inattention

How often do you have difficulty keeping your attention when you are doing boring or repetitive work?

Item 9 · Inattention

How often do you have difficulty concentrating on what people say to you, even when they are speaking to you directly?

Item 10 · Inattention

How often do you misplace or have difficulty finding things at home or at work?

Item 11 · Inattention

How often are you distracted by activity or noise around you?

Item 12 · Hyperactivity

How often do you leave your seat in meetings or other situations in which you are expected to remain seated?

Item 13 · Hyperactivity

How often do you feel restless or fidgety?

Item 14 · Hyperactivity

How often do you have difficulty unwinding and relaxing when you have time to yourself?

Item 15 · Hyperactivity

How often do you find yourself talking too much when you are in social situations?

Item 16 · Hyperactivity

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?

Item 17 · Hyperactivity

How often do you have difficulty waiting your turn in situations where turn-taking is required?

Item 18 · Hyperactivity

How often do you interrupt others when they are busy?

0 of 18 answered
IV.

What the ASRS actually measures

The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, version 1.1 (ASRS-v1.1) is an 18-item self-report instrument developed by Ronald Kessler and colleagues at Harvard, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), for the World Mental Health Survey Initiative. It was published in 2005 in Psychological Medicine and has since accumulated thousands of citations as the canonical brief adult ADHD screener.

Each of the 18 items maps directly to one of the 18 DSM-IV ADHD symptom criteria. The first 9 items cover the Inattention domain (DSM-5 criterion A1) — symptoms like trouble sustaining attention, difficulty with organization, forgetfulness, and getting distracted. The next 9 items cover Hyperactivity-Impulsivity (DSM-5 criterion A2) — fidgeting, physical restlessness, talking excessively, interrupting, and difficulty waiting. Each item is rated on a 5-point frequency scale (Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often) over the past 6 months.

Within those 18 items, six items (numbered 1–6 in this implementation) form the optimized 6-item ASRS Screener — the subset Kessler 2005 identified as the strongest brief detection set when scored with item-specific cutoffs. This tool reports both your full 18-item dimensional profile and your 6-item screener result.

The instrument is in the public domain as part of the WHO's contribution to global mental health screening. It may be used freely in clinical, research, and consumer settings without permission or fee. This is the cleanest licensing of any adult ADHD screening instrument — alternatives like the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale and the Brown ADD Scales are proprietary.

V.

Why the 18-item version, not just the 6-item screener

Most online ADHD screeners use only the 6-item ASRS Screener — Kessler's optimized brief detection subset. It is shorter (~90 seconds), validated as a binary classifier, and produces a simple positive/negative result with sensitivity 68.7% and specificity 99.5% in the original development sample.

This implementation goes further. We administer the full 18 items because:

  • The 18-item form preserves the DSM-5 sub-dimension structure that the 6-item screener does not. Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity have distinct treatment implications, distinct epidemiology by age and sex, and distinct cross-tool referral patterns. Reducing to 6 items collapses this clinically meaningful axis.
  • The 18-item form supports DSM-5 presentation specifiers. The five LBL archetypes (Focused, Drifter, Dynamo, Kinetic Mind, Tired) mirror the official DSM-5 specifier system (Predominantly Inattentive, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive, Combined). The 6-item screener cannot distinguish these.
  • Adult ADHD presents differently in women. Women are more likely to score in the inattentive pattern, which the 6-item screener under-represents (only 4 of its 6 items are inattention-focused). The full instrument gives women's presentation more accurate weight.
  • The added time cost is small. 18 items at ~10 seconds each = ~3 minutes more than the 6-item version. For an instrument used once or rarely, this trade is correct.

You still get the 6-item screener result — it is computed from items 1–6 with the Kessler 2005 item-specific cutoff rule (items 1–3 positive at "Sometimes" or higher; items 4–5 positive at "Often" or higher; item 6 positive at "Sometimes" or higher; ≥4 positive items = screener positive). It appears alongside your full dimensional profile in the results panel.

VI.

How the four severity bands were derived

Unlike the GAD-7 (anxiety) or PHQ-9 (depression) — which have published clinical-consensus severity bands — the ASRS does not have an official band system. The instrument was designed for binary screening (positive/negative), not severity grading. The following bands are an explicitly-disclosed LBL author choice, anchored to the Kessler 2005 normative distribution.

Severity bands — LBL author choice 4 bands

The bands we use

BandScoreAnchor
Minimal0–17Below the median of US adults (16.7) per Kessler 2005 NCS-R subsample
Mild18–35Median to ~1 SD above mean; symptoms present but subthreshold
Moderate36–53Symptom level consistent with adults who screen positive on the ASRS Screener
Severe54–72Approaching the diagnosed-ADHD mean (36.4 in Kessler 2005 clinical sample); most severe presentations score here

Why these specific cutpoints

The 17/18 boundary is the Kessler 2005 general-population median (n=966). The 35/36 boundary is approximately the diagnosed-ADHD mean minus 1 SD — meaning scores at or above this level are consistent with diagnosed populations. The 53/54 boundary is approximately the diagnosed-ADHD mean plus 1 SD — scores in the severe band are unusually high even by clinical standards.

These cutpoints are not clinical thresholds in the GAD-7 sense. We use them to organize the score interpretation pedagogically — to give you "where am I relative to other adults" intuition — not to imply diagnostic certainty.

Provenance: Kessler RC, Adler L, Ames M, et al. Psychol Med. 2005;35(2):245–256. General-population norm n=966; diagnosed-ADHD comparison sample n=154.
VII.

How the five archetypes were defined

The five archetypes mirror the DSM-5 ADHD presentation specifiers (Predominantly Inattentive, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive, Combined Presentation) plus two LBL author-choice categories for low-symptom and ambiguous-pattern profiles. Each archetype's definition rule, clinical correlate, and pathway class is documented below.

The Focused total < 18

Definition rule

Total score below 18 (below US adult population median per Kessler 2005). Below this threshold, no archetype-matching logic runs — the user gets the maintenance-pathway profile.

Clinical correlate

Reflects an ADHD-screen-negative profile. Approximately 50% of the general adult population scores below 18.

Pathway class

Maintenance interventions: sleep hygiene, attention-environment design, regular exercise, periodic re-screening if life events shift.

Reference: Kessler 2005 NCS-R subsample, US adult mean 16.7 (SD 9.0).
The Drifter Inattentive dominant

Definition rule

Total score ≥ 18 AND ≥ 5 inattention items rated "Often" or "Very Often" AND < 5 hyperactivity-impulsivity items at that level.

Clinical correlate

DSM-5 Predominantly Inattentive Presentation. The dominant adult ADHD pattern — hyperactive-impulsive symptoms attenuate with age while inattention typically persists (Biederman 2000). Disproportionately represents women's adult ADHD presentation (Quinn & Madhoo 2014).

Pathway class

Cognitive-behavioral therapy adapted for adult ADHD (Safren 2005, 2010), externalized memory systems, time-blocking, body-doubling, stimulant medication (strongest evidence for inattention per Cortese 2018 network meta-analysis).

5-item threshold rationale: DSM-5 Predominantly Inattentive Presentation requires 5+ of 9 inattention symptoms persisting for 6+ months. We adapt this to "5+ items at 'Often' or 'Very Often'" as a pragmatic surrogate for the clinical symptom-count requirement.
The Dynamo Hyperactive-impulsive dominant

Definition rule

Total score ≥ 18 AND ≥ 5 hyperactivity-impulsivity items rated "Often" or "Very Often" AND < 5 inattention items at that level.

Clinical correlate

DSM-5 Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation. Less common in adults than inattentive — Biederman 2000 documented age-dependent decline of hyperactive-impulsive symptoms while inattention persists. Most common in younger adults and in adults with childhood-onset hyperactivity that did not attenuate.

Pathway class

Aerobic exercise (strongest behavioral evidence base), mindfulness training (Zylowska 2008), pause-and-delay practices for impulsivity, stimulant or non-stimulant medication. Non-stimulants like atomoxetine sometimes work better when stimulants exacerbate restlessness.

The Kinetic Mind Combined presentation

Definition rule

Total score ≥ 18 AND ≥ 5 inattention items at "Often" or "Very Often" AND ≥ 5 hyperactivity-impulsivity items at that level (both thresholds crossed).

Clinical correlate

DSM-5 Combined Presentation — the most clinically severe profile, with elevated symptom counts across both DSM dimensions. Highest comorbidity rates with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders (Kessler 2006).

Pathway class

Combined therapy plus medication has the strongest evidence base (the MTA framework was originally validated in children but adult parallels appear in Safren 2010). Multimodal approach across pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, environmental, and lifestyle domains. Comprehensive evaluation strongly recommended.

The Tired Author-choice category

Definition rule

Total score ≥ 18 AND fewer than 5 items at "Often" or "Very Often" in either dimension (no dominance threshold crossed).

Clinical correlate

Symptoms present at moderate frequency but not concentrated in either DSM dimension at the threshold for presentation specifier. The "is this ADHD or something else?" pattern. Often reflects sleep deprivation, untreated depression or anxiety, perimenopause, thyroid dysfunction, or chronic stress rather than ADHD specifically.

Pathway class

Differential investigation rather than ADHD-specific intervention. Cross-referrals to LBL Sleep-Cognition Optimizer, Anxiety Test, and LBL Depression Test are featured in this archetype's results because comorbid or alternative explanations are statistically more likely than primary ADHD when no dominance pattern emerges.

Author choice: This archetype has no DSM-5 equivalent — DSM-5 only specifies Predominantly Inattentive, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined. We add the Tired category because the absence of dominance is itself clinically meaningful: it suggests the symptoms may not be primarily ADHD.
VIII.

Comorbidity is the rule, not the exception

Adult ADHD rarely appears in isolation. The Kessler 2006 National Comorbidity Survey Replication analysis (n=3,199 US adults with structured diagnostic interviews) found that the great majority of adults with ADHD had at least one current comorbid psychiatric condition. Screening for these comorbidities is essential to a complete clinical picture — and to avoid attributing symptoms to ADHD that may have a different primary cause.

Co-occurring condition Approximate prevalence in adults with ADHD LBL screen
Major depressive disorder ~ 19% LBL Depression Test →
Generalized anxiety disorder ~ 24% Anxiety Test →
Sleep disorder (any) ~ 25% Sleep-Cognition Optimizer →
Substance use disorder ~ 15% (separate clinical evaluation)
Any current Axis-I disorder ~ 47% (comprehensive evaluation)

Two practical implications. First, if you score moderate or severe on this screen, a useful evaluation should include screens for these conditions — not just ADHD. Second, if you score in The Tired archetype (symptoms present without DSM-5 dominance pattern), the alternative-explanation pathway is statistically more likely than primary ADHD, and the cross-referral tools above are the correct starting point.

IX.

How adult ADHD differs from childhood ADHD

DSM-5 treats ADHD as a single disorder with a single set of diagnostic criteria, but the symptom expression changes substantially across the lifespan. Two patterns matter for self-screening:

Hyperactivity attenuates with age. Biederman et al. (2000) followed children with ADHD into early adulthood and documented reliable age-dependent decline in hyperactive-impulsive symptoms — overt restlessness diminishes, while inattention typically persists. By adulthood, the most common ADHD presentation is Predominantly Inattentive — which is the opposite of the childhood pattern, where Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive and Combined dominate.

The DSM-5 childhood-onset requirement is preserved. Adult ADHD is diagnosed only when the symptoms can be traced to childhood — specifically, evidence that several symptoms were present before age 12. This is one reason a high score on this self-report screen is necessary but not sufficient for diagnosis: alternative explanations (depression, anxiety, sleep loss, perimenopause, thyroid dysfunction, head injury, chronic stress) can produce ADHD-like symptoms in adulthood without childhood-onset history.

The current scientific consensus is that adult-onset ADHD without any childhood symptoms is rare. Faraone et al. (2021) — the World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement, summarizing evidence from 208 studies — reaffirmed the developmental-disorder framing. If you score high on this screen but cannot recall any childhood symptoms, alternative explanations should be evaluated first.

What this means practically: bring documentation of childhood symptoms to a clinical evaluation if available — school report cards, parent recall, old psychological evaluations. If no such documentation exists and you cannot recall childhood symptoms yourself, the differential investigation pathway (sleep, depression, anxiety, hormonal evaluation) is more useful than pursuing an ADHD diagnosis.

X.

Sex differences in adult ADHD presentation

The childhood ADHD literature was built primarily on hyperactive boys. The adult ADHD picture is different. Women are more likely to present with the Predominantly Inattentive pattern — what this tool calls The Drifter — and are correspondingly more likely to be missed, mis-attributed to anxiety or depression, or undiagnosed until adulthood.

Quinn and Madhoo (2014), in a clinical review for the Primary Care Companion, documented this systematically: women with ADHD often go undiagnosed until their thirties or forties, frequently presenting only after their own children are diagnosed and they recognize the pattern in themselves. The childhood-onset requirement compounds the problem because the inattentive presentation in girls — quiet, daydreamy, disorganized — is less disruptive and less likely to come to clinical attention than the hyperactive presentation in boys.

Two practical implications for self-screening:

  • If you are a woman scoring moderate-to-severe in The Drifter pattern, this is clinically meaningful — even if your hyperactivity score is low. The diagnostic criteria were calibrated on hyperactive boys; the inattentive women's pattern is real but historically under-detected.
  • Hormonal life transitions can unmask or worsen ADHD symptoms. Postpartum, perimenopause, and menstrual-cycle phase variations interact with attention regulation in women. If symptoms emerged or worsened around one of these transitions, both ADHD and hormonal evaluation are reasonable next steps.

The 18-item ASRS and the LBL archetype matching system give the inattentive pattern equal representation with the hyperactive pattern — exactly because the 6-item screener under-represents inattentive presentation, which means it under-represents women's adult ADHD.

XI.

Treatment evidence at a glance

Adult ADHD is highly treatable. The major intervention classes — pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, behavioral — all have published evidence. The right combination depends on your symptom profile, comorbidities, preferences, and clinician recommendation. This table summarizes the strongest meta-analytic evidence per class.

Intervention Best evidence for Evidence strength Key reference
Stimulant medication (methylphenidate, amphetamines) Inattention, executive function Strongest Cortese 2018 network meta-analysis
Non-stimulant medication (atomoxetine, guanfacine) Hyperactivity-impulsivity, when stimulants poorly tolerated Strong Cortese 2018
CBT for adult ADHD (Safren protocol) Residual symptoms in medication-treated adults Strong RCT evidence Safren 2005, 2010 (JAMA)
Mindfulness training Hyperactivity-impulsivity, emotional regulation Moderate (small RCT) Zylowska 2008
Meta-cognitive therapy Time management, organization Moderate Solanto 2010
Aerobic exercise (regular) Hyperactivity, executive function support Supportive Multiple meta-analyses
Combined therapy + medication Combined Presentation, severe symptom burden Strongest combined Safren 2010 (JAMA)

Two notes. First, treatment selection should be made with a clinician — this table is informational, not prescriptive. Second, response to medication is highly individual: some adults respond strongly to stimulants, others tolerate them poorly. Trial-and-titration with a prescriber is standard practice.

XII.

What this test does not do

It does not diagnose ADHD

This is a screening instrument, not a diagnostic tool. A high score is a strong signal that ADHD symptoms warrant clinical attention — but only a qualified clinician can diagnose ADHD via comprehensive evaluation that includes documentation of childhood-onset symptoms, ruling out alternative explanations, and meeting full DSM-5 criteria.

It does not measure your current cognitive function

The ASRS measures self-reported behavioral and experiential symptoms over the past 6 months — it does not directly test attention, working memory, processing speed, or executive function. Neuropsychological testing measures those abilities directly. The two are complementary; both have a role in a full evaluation.

It does not establish childhood onset

DSM-5 requires evidence of ADHD symptoms before age 12 for adult diagnosis. This test asks only about the past 6 months. A high score on this screen without any childhood symptom history points to alternative explanations first — depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, hormonal changes, head injury, or chronic stress.

It does not screen for comorbid conditions

Adult ADHD rarely appears alone — about half of adults with ADHD have current depression, anxiety, or a sleep disorder. This test screens only for ADHD symptoms. The cross-referral tools (Sleep, Anxiety, Depression) cover the most common comorbidities and should be used alongside this screen for a complete picture.

It does not replace clinical evaluation

If your score is moderate or severe, the most useful next step is a comprehensive evaluation with a qualified clinician — preferably one who specializes in adult ADHD. Adult ADHD is highly treatable; the evaluation is the path to treatment, not the obstacle.

XIII.

How this tool works

The 18 ASRS items are grouped into two 9-item subscales matching the DSM-5 ADHD symptom dimensions: Inattention (items 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity (items 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Each item is rated 0–4 on a 5-point frequency scale.

Total score sums all 18 items (range 0–72). The four severity bands (Minimal / Mild / Moderate / Severe) anchor the total score against the Kessler 2005 normative distribution.

Subscale scores sum the 9 items per dimension (range 0–36 each). The quadrant scatter visualization plots your point at (inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity), and the 5-items-at-Often-or-higher threshold lines at score 18 on each axis divide the plot into the four DSM-5-mapped quadrants.

Archetype matching is rule-based, first-match-wins. The rule order tests low-symptom (Focused) first, then crossing both thresholds (Kinetic Mind), then single-dominance (Drifter or Dynamo), and falls through to the no-dominance category (Tired). This ordering ensures the most clinically specific match wins when multiple rules could fire.

The 6-item screener is computed from items 1–6 with item-specific cutoffs from Kessler 2005: items 1–3 are positive at "Sometimes" or higher; items 4–5 are positive at "Often" or higher; item 6 is positive at "Sometimes" or higher. Four or more positive items means the screener is positive.

All computation runs in your browser. Your responses and computed results are never transmitted to LifeByLogic or any third party. Closing the tab clears the session. We use Google Analytics 4 in a privacy-respecting way for aggregate page-view tracking; this never includes your individual responses.

XIV.

Frequently asked questions

What if I scored high but never had ADHD symptoms as a kid?

DSM-5 requires evidence of ADHD symptoms before age 12 for an adult diagnosis. A high adult score without any childhood history points to alternative explanations first: depression, anxiety, chronic sleep deprivation, thyroid dysfunction, perimenopause, head injury, or chronic stress can all produce ADHD-like symptoms in adulthood. The current scientific consensus (Faraone 2021 World Federation of ADHD Consensus) is that adult-onset ADHD without childhood symptoms is rare. A clinical evaluation is the right next step — bring documentation of childhood symptoms if available.

Can adults develop ADHD?

Per current scientific consensus, no — ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in childhood, even when not diagnosed until adulthood. What can happen is that previously compensated ADHD becomes unmasked in adult life, often when life demands exceed compensation strategies (new job complexity, parenthood, school re-entry). Symptoms may "emerge" in adulthood but reflect a longstanding pattern that was previously well-managed.

ADHD vs. anxiety — how do I tell?

There is significant symptom overlap: difficulty concentrating, restlessness, racing thoughts, and trouble unwinding can appear in both. The differentiator is timing and origin. ADHD inattention is typically persistent and developmental (long-standing, traceable to childhood). Anxiety inattention is typically state-dependent (concentrated when anxiety is high, better when anxiety is low). Comorbidity is common — about 24% of adults with ADHD have current GAD per Kessler 2006 — so the answer is often "both." If your score is moderate or severe, both screens (this one and the Anxiety Test) are worth taking.

Should I get tested if I score in the moderate band?

A moderate score (36–53) is in the range consistent with adults who screen positive on the formal ASRS Screener and who go on to receive ADHD diagnoses in clinical evaluation. If symptoms cause meaningful difficulty in your work, relationships, or daily functioning, a comprehensive evaluation is reasonable. If symptoms are present but not impairing, watchful waiting plus checking the comorbidity screens (Sleep, Anxiety, Depression) is also reasonable. The functional-impairment question is the discriminator — symptom count alone does not determine clinical importance.

Is the 6-item screener enough, or do I really need 18?

For pure binary detection (positive vs. negative), the 6-item screener is sufficient and faster. We use 18 items because the additional information — sub-dimension scores, archetype matching, DSM-5 presentation specifier mapping — is clinically meaningful and not recoverable from the 6-item version. The 18-item form takes about 3 more minutes; the trade is correct for an instrument used once or rarely.

Do women present with ADHD differently?

Yes. Women are more likely to present with the Predominantly Inattentive pattern (The Drifter archetype on this test) and are correspondingly more likely to be missed because the diagnostic criteria were calibrated on hyperactive boys. Per Quinn & Madhoo (2014), women with ADHD often go undiagnosed until adulthood, and many present after their children are diagnosed. Hormonal life transitions (postpartum, perimenopause, cycle phase) can also unmask or worsen symptoms. If you are a woman with a moderate-to-severe inattentive score, this is clinically meaningful even if your hyperactivity score is low.

Can I have both ADHD and depression?

Yes — and it is very common. Per Kessler 2006, about 19% of adults with ADHD have current major depression, ~24% have current anxiety, and ~25% have a current sleep disorder. ADHD rarely appears alone in adults. If you score high on this screen, getting a comprehensive evaluation that includes screens for these comorbidities is more useful than focusing on ADHD alone. The LBL Depression Test, Anxiety Test, and Sleep-Cognition Optimizer are useful complements.

ASRS vs. Conners vs. Brown — which is most accurate?

All three are validated, but they serve different purposes. The Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (66 items) is the most comprehensive but slow and proprietary. The Brown ADD Scales (40 items) emphasize executive function and have a narrower construct definition (also proprietary). The ASRS-v1.1 (18 items, public domain) is the WHO-developed instrument, the most widely cited brief screener, and the basis of nearly all population epidemiology research. For self-screening before a clinical evaluation, the ASRS is the standard. A clinician may use Conners or Brown as part of a fuller assessment after the screen is positive.

What does my score mean if my pattern doesn't match any archetype clearly?

If you scored ≥18 (above population median) but neither dimension crossed the 5-items-at-Often threshold, you matched The Tired archetype. This is the "is this ADHD or something else?" pattern — symptoms present, but no DSM-5-mapped dominance. Statistically, alternative explanations (sleep loss, depression, anxiety, hormonal changes, chronic stress) are more likely than primary ADHD when this pattern emerges. The archetype's pathway list features cross-referrals to the Sleep, Depression, and Anxiety tools as the recommended starting point.

Is my data saved?

No. All computation runs in your browser. Your responses and scores are never transmitted to LifeByLogic or any third party. Closing the tab clears the session. We use Google Analytics 4 in a privacy-respecting way for aggregate page-view tracking; this does not include any of your individual responses.

Citation

How to cite this tool

If you reference this tool in academic work, journalism, blog posts, or other publications, please cite it. The corporate author is LifeByLogic; the current version is 1.0 (2026-05-06). Choose the citation style appropriate for your venue.

APA (7th ed.)
LifeByLogic. (2026). Adult ADHD Test (Version 1.0) [Interactive web tool]. https://lifebylogic.com/brain-lab/adult-adhd-test/
MLA (9th ed.)
LifeByLogic. Adult ADHD Test. Version 1.0, LifeByLogic, 2026, https://lifebylogic.com/brain-lab/adult-adhd-test/.
Chicago (Author-date)
LifeByLogic. 2026. “Adult ADHD Test.” Version 1.0. Accessed May 6, 2026. https://lifebylogic.com/brain-lab/adult-adhd-test/.
BibTeX
@misc{lbl_adult_adhd_test_2026,
  author       = {{LifeByLogic}},
  title        = {{Adult ADHD Test}},
  year         = {2026},
  version      = {1.0},
  publisher    = {{LifeByLogic}},
  howpublished = {Interactive web tool},
  url          = {https://lifebylogic.com/brain-lab/adult-adhd-test/},
  note         = {Accessed: May 6, 2026}
}

Note on authorship: LifeByLogic is the corporate author. Individual contributors are credited on the about page: this tool was developed by Abiot Y. Derbie, PhD, and reviewed by Eskezeia Y. Dessie, PhD. For non-academic citations (journalism, blog posts), citing “LifeByLogic” is appropriate; for academic citations, the formats above are the recommended structure. The underlying instrument (ASRS-v1.1) should be cited separately to Kessler et al. 2005 — see Reference 1 below.

Sources

Selected references

  1. Kessler RC, Adler L, Ames M, Demler O, Faraone S, Hiripi E, Howes MJ, Jin R, Secnik K, Spencer T, Ustun TB, Walters EE. The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychol Med. 2005;35(2):245–256. doi:10.1017/s0033291704002892
  2. Kessler RC, Adler L, Barkley R, et al. The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(4):716–723. doi:10.1176/ajp.2006.163.4.716
  3. Adler LA, Spencer T, Faraone SV, et al. Validity of pilot Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) to rate adult ADHD symptoms. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2006;18(3):145–148. doi:10.1080/10401230600801077
  4. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). DSM-5. APA Publishing; 2013.
  5. Faraone SV, Banaschewski T, Coghill D, et al. The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021;128:789–818. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022
  6. Safren SA, Otto MW, Sprich S, Winett CL, Wilens TE, Biederman J. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for ADHD in medication-treated adults with continued symptoms. Behav Res Ther. 2005;43(7):831–842. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2004.07.001
  7. Safren SA, Sprich S, Mimiaga MJ, et al. Cognitive behavioral therapy vs. relaxation with educational support for medication-treated adults with ADHD and persistent symptoms: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2010;304(8):875–880. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1192
  8. Zylowska L, Ackerman DL, Yang MH, et al. Mindfulness meditation training in adults and adolescents with ADHD: a feasibility study. J Atten Disord. 2008;11(6):737–746. doi:10.1177/1087054707308502
  9. Cortese S, Adamo N, Del Giovane C, et al. Comparative efficacy and tolerability of medications for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents, and adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(9):727–738. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30269-4
  10. Biederman J, Mick E, Faraone SV. Age-dependent decline of symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: impact of remission definition and symptom type. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157(5):816–818. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.157.5.816
  11. Quinn PO, Madhoo M. A review of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in women and girls: uncovering this hidden diagnosis. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(3). doi:10.4088/PCC.13r01596
  12. Hesson J, Fowler K. Prevalence and correlates of self-reported ADD/ADHD in a large national sample of Canadian adults. J Atten Disord. 2018;22(2):191–200. doi:10.1177/1087054715573992
  13. Brod M, Pohlman B, Lasser R, Hodgkins P. Comparison of the burden of illness for adults with ADHD across seven countries: a qualitative study. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2012;10:47. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-10-47
  14. Solanto MV, Marks DJ, Wasserstein J, et al. Efficacy of meta-cognitive therapy for adult ADHD. Am J Psychiatry. 2010;167(8):958–968. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.09081123
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Full methodology and provenance documentation: Adult ADHD Test methodology page →