What this test measures
After a very stressful or frightening experience, most people have some stress reactions for a while. For some, they do not fade: memories keep pushing in, reminders get avoided, mood and beliefs change, and the body stays on high alert. This test asks how much twenty such reactions have bothered you over the past month, in four clusters: intrusion (memories, dreams, reliving, reactions to reminders), avoidance, changes in mood and thinking, and arousal and reactivity (being on guard, jumpy, irritable, sleeping badly). Your answers add up to one score from 0 to 80.
You keep the experience in mind while you answer. You are never asked to describe it, and nothing about it is stored.
It is a screening. It can tell you whether what you describe reaches the level at which a closer look for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is usually suggested. It cannot tell you whether you have PTSD; only a clinician who talks with you can do that, and a score below the cut-off does not rule it out.
How it is built
The test follows the structure of a 20-item checklist widely used to screen for post-traumatic stress, often called the PCL-5: one question for each symptom of PTSD in the current diagnostic manual, in the same four clusters and order, each rated on the same five-point scale (not at all, a little bit, moderately, quite a bit, extremely) for the past month. The published cut-off range for the total is 31 to 33; we use 33.
The full report also applies the symptom-criteria check that comes with the checklist: a symptom counts when you rate it "moderately" or higher, and the pattern is met with at least one intrusion symptom, one avoidance symptom, two changes in mood or thinking and two arousal symptoms. The wording of every question is our own.
What your result contains
Your free result shows whether your total is below, or at or above, the cut-off, with a short summary, and the four clusters as bars. The full report adds your exact score out of 80, the symptom-criteria check cluster by cluster, your score in each cluster, what this result tends to look like, what helps and what to bring to a professional, and a PDF to keep or to take to an appointment. The test is free; the full report is one payment, no subscription.
Not a diagnosis, and where to get support
A score at or above the cut-off is a pattern worth discussing with a professional, not a label. Post-traumatic stress responds well to treatment: trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and EMDR often help, and you decide how much you share about what happened.
If answering these questions has stirred things up, take a moment before you go on with your day. These lines are free and confidential: Find a helpline in your country, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US (call or text 988), Samaritans in the UK and Ireland (116 123) and 113 Zelfmoordpreventie in the Netherlands (113 or 0800-0113). If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about the Trauma Test.
How long does the Trauma Test take?
About four minutes. There are twenty questions, each with five answers.
Do I have to say what happened?
No. You keep the experience in mind while you answer, but you are never asked to describe it, and nothing about it is stored.
What does the Trauma Test measure?
How much twenty post-traumatic stress reactions have bothered you in the past month, in four clusters: intrusion, avoidance, changes in mood and thinking, and arousal. Each answer scores 0 to 4; the total of 0 to 80 is read against the cut-off of 33. Whether you are below or above the cut-off is free; your exact score, the symptom-criteria check, the cluster scores and the full report are one payment, no subscription.
Is this the PCL-5?
No. It follows the structure of that checklist (twenty symptoms in four clusters, the same five-point scale over the past month, a cut-off from the published range and the symptom-criteria check), but the wording of every question is our own and it is not the official instrument.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. It is a screening. A score at or above the cut-off means a pattern worth discussing with a doctor or therapist; only a qualified clinician can diagnose PTSD, and a lower score does not rule it out.
Is my data private?
Yes. Your answers are scored in your browser. Mental-health results are never shown on a share card: if you share the test, you share the test, not your result. We do not sell personal data and you can ask for export or deletion at any time.
Can I retake the Trauma Test?
Yes. Because it asks about the past month, retaking it every month or so shows whether reactions are fading, which is useful on its own and during treatment.