Free autism quiz · For adults · AQ-10
Free adult autism quiz.
Ten questions, about three minutes. This free autism test is the AQ-10, the brief adult screener recommended as a first step. It will not diagnose you, but it can help you decide whether a fuller assessment is worth pursuing.
Reviewed by Lisette Montañez, PsyD, licensed psychologist
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About this screener
What the AQ-10 is noticing.
The AQ-10 asks you to agree or disagree with ten statements about everyday experience: how you notice sounds and detail, how easily you read between the lines or tell what someone is feeling, and how you handle interruptions and people’s intentions. Together they sketch a brief picture of autism-associated traits.
There are no right answers. Choose what is most true for you, most of the time. When you finish, you will get a plain-language result and a clear next step.
The AQ-10 (adult version) was developed by the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge (Allison, Auyeung, and Baron-Cohen, 2012). It is reproduced here for educational screening use only.
How scoring works
How the AQ-10 test is scored.
Each of the ten statements earns one point when your answer leans in the autism-associated direction, so scores run from 0 to 10. It does not matter whether you agree slightly or definitely; either counts the same. In the original research, a score of 6 or more was the point at which a referral for a full diagnostic assessment was recommended.
The cutoff is a signpost, not a verdict. Scoring 6 does not mean you are autistic, and scoring 5 does not mean you are not. The AQ-10 was designed to be quick enough for a clinic visit and sensitive enough to catch most people who would benefit from a closer look, which also means it trades away nuance that only a full evaluation can restore.
The wider landscape
AQ-10, AQ-50, RAADS-R: which autism test?
The AQ-10 is the short form of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-50), a fifty-item measure of autistic traits developed at Cambridge. The RAADS-R is another widely used self-report scale, with eighty items that also ask how things were for you when you were younger. The longer tools gather more detail, but none of them diagnoses autism; they all point toward or away from a fuller assessment, which is why the ten-item version is the recommended first step.
Screeners also share a blind spot: adults who have spent years camouflaging. Many autistic adults, and especially women, learn to mask so well that trait checklists undercount them. If your score is low but the description still fits, the autistic masking quiz looks at exactly that pattern, and if attention and focus are part of the picture, an AuDHD evaluation considers autism and ADHD together.
Get a real answer
Comprehensive autism evaluations in North County.
Many autistic adults spent years sensing they were different without a name for it. Our doctoral-level clinicians provide thorough autism evaluations that go well beyond ten questions, giving you clarity, a written report, and recommendations that fit your life. It starts with a free 15-minute consultation, in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Vista, or online across California.
Questions
About the autism quiz.
01 Is this an official autism diagnosis?
No. The AQ-10 is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. It is designed to flag when a fuller autism assessment might be helpful. Only a comprehensive evaluation with a clinician can actually answer whether you are autistic.
02 How accurate is the AQ-10?
The AQ-10 is a brief, recommended first-step screener drawn from the longer Autism Spectrum Quotient. It is useful for deciding who should be assessed further. Because it is only ten items, it can miss people, especially adults who have learned to mask, so a lower score does not rule autism out.
03 What score suggests I should be assessed?
A score of 6 or more out of 10 is the point at which many clinicians recommend referring someone for a full autism assessment. Below that, a specialist assessment is not usually indicated by the screen alone, though your own experience still matters.
04 Is this quiz for adults or children?
This is the adult version of the AQ-10, written for adults aged 16 and older. Autism can look different across ages and in people who have spent years adapting, and assessment for children uses different tools.
05 What is the difference between the AQ-10, the AQ-50, and the RAADS-R?
They are all self-report autism screeners, not diagnostic tests. The AQ-50 is the full fifty-item Autism Spectrum Quotient; the AQ-10 is its validated ten-item short form, recommended as a quick first step. The RAADS-R is a longer eighty-item scale that also asks about your younger years. A high score on any of them points toward the same next step: a comprehensive evaluation.
06 Can this test detect autism in women?
It can, but with a real caveat. Autistic women and others who have spent years masking often score lower on trait checklists than their actual experience would suggest, because the questions measure visible traits rather than the effort spent hiding them. If your score is low but you recognize yourself in autistic experiences, our autistic masking quiz and a conversation with a clinician are better next steps than taking the screen at face value.
07 What happens after a positive screen?
A comprehensive autism evaluation goes well beyond ten questions. It looks at your developmental history and current experience, considers other explanations, and gives you a clear answer with recommendations. You can start with a free 15-minute consultation to see if it is the right next step.
Ready when you are
Wondering about autism?
A free 15-minute consultation is the simplest way to learn what a real evaluation would involve, and whether it is right for you. No pressure, no commitment.