AQ-10 Autism Screening

What this test measures

This is the shortest autism screening on the site: ten statements about detail, switching attention, conversation, imagination and reading other people. It answers one question: do your answers reach the level at which a short screening like this suggests considering a full autism assessment?

It is a screening of traits, not a diagnosis. It cannot tell you whether you are autistic. It gives you a first indication, in two minutes, of whether a closer look could be worthwhile.

How it is built

The test follows the structure of the ten-item short form of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, often called the AQ-10, which some health services use to decide whether an adult should be referred for assessment. Like that questionnaire, it takes two statements from each of five trait areas, uses the same four answers (definitely agree, slightly agree, slightly disagree, definitely disagree) and the same scoring: each statement scores one point when your answer is on the side typical of autistic traits, whether slightly or definitely.

Six of the ten statements are worded in the opposite direction, as in the original, so agreeing with everything does not raise your score. Your total runs from 0 to 10, and the threshold is the published one: a score of 6 or more is the level at which the short questionnaire suggests considering a referral. The wording of every statement is our own.

Two statements per area are enough to show where your score comes from, but not to measure each area on its own. For a fuller picture, the Autism Spectrum Test on this site asks fifty statements across the same five areas.

What your result contains

Your free result shows whether your answers fall below or at and above the referral threshold, with a short summary, and the five areas as bars. The full report adds your exact score out of 10, the five areas behind it, what your result tends to mean and the strengths that often come with autistic traits, what to do next and what to bring to a professional, and a PDF to keep or to take to an appointment. The full report is one payment, no subscription.

Not a diagnosis, and where to get support

A score at or above the threshold means a full assessment could be worthwhile, not that you are autistic. A lower score does not rule autism out: a ten-statement screen sees only part of the picture, and many autistic adults, women in particular, have learned to mask their traits.

Autism is not an illness or a crisis, but feeling different or misunderstood can be hard, and anxiety and low mood are common alongside it. If you are struggling, find a free and confidential helpline in your country. If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.