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Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1) Screener, Part A

The WHO ASRS v1.1 Screener asks 6 questions about ADHD symptoms over the past 6 months. Items 1–3 count as positive at "Sometimes" or more often and items 4–6 at "Often" or more often; 4 or more positive items means symptoms highly consistent with adult ADHD and further evaluation is warranted.

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
How often do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?: 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 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 feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?: Never; Rarely; Sometimes; Often; Very Often

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Interpretation

Result	Meaning
0–3 shaded responses	Negative screen
4–6 shaded responses	Positive screen: further evaluation warranted

Formula

Six items rated Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very Often for the past 6 months. Items 1–3 are positive at Sometimes, Often or Very Often; items 4–6 are positive at Often or Very Often. Count positive (darkly shaded) items, 0–6; ≥4 is a positive screen.

Clinical pearls

Attribution (required by the licence): ASRS Screener v1.1, © New York University and the President and Fellows of Harvard College; developed with the World Health Organization. The items may not be modified other than to create electronic versions.
A positive screen is not a diagnosis: DSM-5 adult ADHD needs symptoms before age 12, in two or more settings, with functional impairment, and other causes (anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, substance use) excluded.
In the original community validation the 6-item screener had sensitivity 68.7% and specificity 99.5% (Kessler 2005).

Examples

asrs screener: sometimes, often, very often, often, sometimes, rarely adult adhd screen q1 often q2 often q3 sometimes q4 often q5 often q6 rarely ASRS part A all never

FAQ

How do you score the ASRS screener?

Count the answers that fall in the shaded boxes: Sometimes or more for questions 1–3, Often or more for questions 4–6. Four or more shaded answers is a positive screen.

Can the ASRS diagnose ADHD?

No. It is a screen. A positive result should lead to a full clinical evaluation of childhood onset, impairment and alternative explanations.

Evidence

Psychiatry & Substance Use · Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Methodology