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ADHD Test for Women
Many women first wonder about ADHD as adults. This free ADHD test for women uses the same six ASRS v1.1 Screener questions as for all adults; there is no separate women's version. Below the test: why ADHD in women is often missed.
Adult Self-Report Scale-V1.1 (ASRS-V1.1) Screener
Check the box that best describes how you have felt and conducted yourself over the past 6 months. Please give the completed questionnaire to your healthcare professional during your next appointment to discuss the results.
The 6-question Adult Self-Report Scale-Version1.1 (ASRS-V1.1) Screener is a subset of the 18-question Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale-Version1.1 (Adult ASRSV1.1) Symptom Checklist. © New York University and the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Shown with attribution as NYU permits; questions, answers and scoring are unchanged. ADHD Self-Test is not affiliated with NYU or Harvard.
Your result
0 of 6
Your answers may be consistent with adult ADHD
The screener's own instructions say: "Four (4) or more checkmarks indicate that your symptoms may be consistent with Adult ADHD. It may be beneficial for you to talk with your healthcare provider about an evaluation."
This is a screening result, not a diagnosis. Other conditions can lead to similar answers, which is why a provider also asks about your mood and medical history. Only a qualified professional can tell you whether ADHD is the explanation.
Your answers are below the screener's cut-off
Fewer than 4 of your answers fell in the shaded range. That does not rule ADHD out: in the original study the screener identified about 69% of adults who had ADHD, so some people with ADHD score below 4 (Kessler et al., 2005).
If attention, organization or restlessness keep getting in the way at work, at home or in your relationships, it is still worth talking with a health care provider.
Answers in the shaded range
None of your answers fell in the shaded range.
A second way to score it
In 2024 the scale's Harvard research team posted a scoring update describing an alternative 0 to 24 method: Never 0, Rarely 1, Sometimes 2, Often 3 and Very Often 4 points per question. They found it more robust, especially for research. On that scale, 14 or more screens positive.
Your total: 0 of 24, which is 14 or more.which is below 14.
What to do next
- Print or save your answers and bring them to a primary care provider or a mental health professional. The screener was written to start that conversation.
- Expect more than a questionnaire. The National Institute of Mental Health says a provider may use clinical interviews, rating scales and questions about your childhood, mood and medical history, and may ask to talk with people who know you well.
- Not sure where to start? Search for mental health services near you at FindTreatment.gov, or call SAMHSA's free, confidential National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 (24/7, English and Spanish).
If you're in crisis: call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US, free, confidential, 24/7), or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Outside the US, call your local emergency number.
Optional: an ADHD-friendly strategy guide
Your result above is complete and free. Separately, we're considering a short guide of everyday planning and organizing methods, arranged around the six areas this screener asks about.
This guide isn't available yet. We're checking whether people want it before we write it. Nothing has been charged, and we didn't ask for your email.
It will be general self-help, not treatment, and it won't replace care from a health care professional.
Why ADHD in women is often missed
NIMH notes that ADHD symptoms among girls and women are especially likely to have been missed in childhood, and that sex differences in diagnosis rates begin to even out in adulthood. A 2020 expert consensus statement on females with ADHD, written by a group of clinicians and researchers convened by the United Kingdom ADHD Partnership (Young et al., BMC Psychiatry), describes why:
- Quieter symptoms get fewer referrals. Less overt symptoms are less likely to lead to referral, which means inattentive girls are more often missed.
- Coping can hide it. Compensatory strategies may mask or overshadow underlying symptoms of ADHD.
- Other problems get noticed first. In girls and women with ADHD, common co-occurring problems appear more internalized, and these symptoms may be misinterpreted as the main condition.
- Bias affects who is sent for assessment. Gender-based biases in teachers and parents appear to affect referral likelihood.
The statement's authors conclude that clinicians should move away from seeing ADHD only as a behavioral disorder and attend to the more subtle or internalized presentation that is common in females.
How ADHD can show up in adult women
According to the consensus statement, inattention in girls and women may present as being easily distracted, disorganized, overwhelmed and lacking in effort or motivation. Symptom severity may be lower in females than in males, particularly for hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. Symptoms may become more obvious during periods of social or educational transition, and adult women may become aware of their difficulties and seek help themselves.
NIMH's list of problems ADHD can cause in adults applies to women too. It includes disorganization and procrastination, poor time management, trouble remembering daily tasks, frequently losing things, trouble finishing projects, and feelings of restlessness.
Hormones and ADHD symptoms
The consensus statement notes that symptoms may be exacerbated by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause. The screener asks about the past 6 months as a whole, so answer for how things have typically been. If you notice your focus or organization changing at certain times, write that down and tell your provider; it is the kind of detail a questionnaire can't capture.
Anxiety, depression and ADHD
The same statement advises clinicians to explore common co-occurring conditions in females with ADHD, including mood disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, autism spectrum disorder and tics. If you have been treated for anxiety or depression and still recognize yourself in these six questions, it is reasonable to ask your provider whether ADHD has been considered.
Taking your result to a provider
A result of 4 or more means your symptoms may be consistent with adult ADHD; a result below 4 doesn't rule it out. Either way, the most useful next step is a conversation with a primary care provider or a mental health professional.
Because adults must have shown symptoms starting before age 12 (NIMH), it helps to think about what school was like before your appointment. The consensus statement notes that school reports may comment more on attentional problems, such as daydreaming or being distracted and disorganized, than on behavior, so old report cards can be worth bringing along with your printed answers.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a special ADHD test for women?
Not this one. The ASRS v1.1 Screener uses the same six questions and the same cut-off for everyone 18 and older, and we show it exactly as published. An expert consensus statement on females with ADHD suggests that small changes to how symptoms are described may help capture more female-centric behavior (Young et al., 2020), which is one more reason to talk your answers through with a professional.
Is this female ADHD test free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up or email, and your answers are scored in your browser. They are never sent to us or anyone else.
Can I have ADHD if I did well in school?
Yes, it's possible. NIMH notes that teachers and parents may not have recognized the disorder or may have provided supportive environments that helped someone thrive despite it, and that a milder form may be manageable until the stresses and demands of adulthood.
Is it too late to get evaluated as an adult woman?
No. NIMH says it is never too late to seek a diagnosis and treatment for ADHD and any other mental health condition that may occur with it.
Should I mention my cycle, a pregnancy or menopause to my provider?
If your symptoms seem to change with them, yes. The consensus statement notes that symptoms may be exacerbated by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause.
More on ADHD self-screening
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health. ADHD in Adults: 4 Things to Know. NIH Publication No. 24-MH-3573, 2024. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd-what-you-need-to-know
- Young S, Adamo N, Ásgeirsdóttir BB, et al. Females with ADHD: an expert consensus statement taking a lifespan approach providing guidance for the identification and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in girls and women. BMC Psychiatry. 2020;20:404. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32787804/
- Kessler RC, Adler L, Ames M, et al. The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychological Medicine. 2005;35(2):245-256. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15841682/
- NYU Langone Health, Technology Opportunities & Ventures. ASRS v1.1 6-Question Screener. https://license.tov.med.nyu.edu/product/asrs6Qscreener