ASRS v1.1: Adult ADHD Self‑Report Scale v1.1

The Adult ADHD Self‑Report Scale (ASRS) v1.1 is an 18‑item questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization and Harvard researchers to assess symptoms of attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Each item corresponds to DSM‑IV‑TR criteria and uses a five‑point frequency scale ranging from "Never" to "Very Often".

Part A vs Part B: What's the difference?

• Part A (6 items): Short screener most predictive of ADHD diagnosis. Focuses on core symptoms with highest diagnostic accuracy.
• Part B (12 items): Additional symptom severity and functional impact. Provides broader clinical context.
• Both parts use identical 0–4 scoring ("Never" to "Very Often") over past 6 months.

Understanding ASRS Shaded Boxes Scoring

The original paper ASRS form uses shaded boxes to highlight clinically significant responses. If your answer falls in a shaded box, it counts toward a positive screen. Here's how the shaded thresholds work for Part A:

Traditional interpretation: If 4 or more of your Part A responses fall in shaded boxes, the screen is positive for ADHD. Our online tool converts this to a numeric 0–24 score for more precise measurement—a score of 14 or higher corresponds to the traditional 4+ shaded boxes threshold.

Why it matters: ADHD persists into adulthood for many people and can significantly affect relationships, career and quality of life. Yet adult ADHD is frequently under‑diagnosed. The ASRS offers a quick, self‑administered way to identify individuals whose symptom pattern warrants further evaluation. Studies report high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ≈ 0.88) and strong concurrent validity (r ≈ 0.84). More recent factor analytic work confirms a two‑factor structure (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) with excellent reliability (α ≈ 0.95 for the full scale and ≈ 0.92 for each subscale).

Evidence & scoring: Traditionally, clinicians counted how many responses in Part A fell within the darkly shaded boxes; four or more was considered a positive screen. In 2024, researchers proposed a 0–24 scoring system that assigns 0–4 points to each Part A response ("Never"=0, "Rarely"=1, "Sometimes"=2, "Often"=3, "Very Often"=4). A score of 14 or more on Part A indicates symptoms consistent with adult ADHD. Part B is scored similarly (range 0–48) and provides context about broader symptom severity; scores of 27 or higher are clinically significant. The combined 18‑item total (0–72) is compared with population norms: a total of 40 or more places someone above the 79th percentile of community adults.

Validation findings: Large normative studies (n≈22,000) show that adults diagnosed with ADHD score on average 16.7 ± 5.1 on Part A and 32.7 ± 9.2 on Part B, whereas community controls score 10.9 ± 3.8 and 21.6 ± 6.7, respectively. In a case–control study of 646 adults with ADHD and 908 controls, the ASRS achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.904 for the full scale and 0.903 for the 6‑item screener. This demonstrates excellent diagnostic accuracy. Using a Part A cut‑off of 14 points produces around 90 % sensitivity and 88 % specificity. Comparable sensitivity (≈91 %) and moderate specificity (≈63 %) were reported when the Thai version was validated, supporting cross‑cultural applicability.

Important note: The ASRS is a screening tool—it does not confirm or rule out ADHD. A positive screen should lead to a comprehensive clinical interview assessing childhood history, functional impairment and potential comorbidities. Clinicians may combine the ASRS with the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) to evaluate retrospective childhood symptoms. If you or your patient scores in the high or very high range, consult a qualified healthcare professional for a full evaluation.

Crisis support: If you experience thoughts of self-harm or severe distress, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline immediately.

Answer 18 questions about how often you have experienced specific ADHD‑related behaviours over the past 6 months. Each response is scored from 0 (Never) to 4 (Very Often). The first six questions (Part A) form the short screener. Add up the scores from those items to obtain a Part A score (range 0–24). Repeat the process for the remaining twelve questions to calculate a Part B score (range 0–48). Summing all 18 responses yields the total score (range 0–72).

After completing the questionnaire, compare your scores with the interpretive ranges below. Higher scores indicate greater frequency of ADHD symptoms. Remember that the ASRS is not diagnostic—use it to guide conversations with healthcare providers.