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Alcohol Test

A short, validated screening for risky alcohol use. Three questions, free to use (WHO).

AUDIT-C Alcohol Screening

The following three questions are about your alcohol use over the past year.

3 questions~1 minanonymous, scored in your browsernot a diagnosis

What does AUDIT-C measure?

AUDIT-C is the short alcohol consumption screen made from the first three questions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. It asks about drinking frequency, typical quantity on a drinking day, and six or more drinks on one occasion. The total score runs from 0 to 12 points.

What does the result mean?

Standard cutoffs are women >= 3 points and men >= 4 points. This is a screening, not a diagnosis. A score above the threshold is a signal that your drinking is worth talking through with a doctor. A lower score is not an all-clear if something worries you.

Source

Bush K, Kivlahan DR, McDonell MB, Fihn SD, Bradley KA. The AUDIT Alcohol Consumption Questions (AUDIT-C). Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(16):1789-1795. Bradley KA, et al. AUDIT-C as a Brief Screen for Alcohol Misuse in Primary Care. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007;31(7):1208-1217. Dybek I, Bischof G, Grothues J, et al. Reliability and Validity of the AUDIT in a German General Practice Population. J Stud Alcohol. 2006;67(3):473-481. WHO. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for Use in Primary Care, 2nd Ed. Geneva 2001. WHO-approved instrument, Public Domain.

Frequently asked questions

What does AUDIT-C measure?

AUDIT-C screens for risky alcohol use with three consumption questions: frequency, typical quantity, and six or more drinks on one occasion. It is a screening, not a diagnosis.

Why are there different cutoffs for women and men?

Bradley et al. 2007 validated different screening thresholds: women >= 3 points, men >= 4 points. Because this test does not ask for sex, it names both cutoffs in the result text.

Does the test replace a diagnosis?

No. An elevated score is a signal that risky alcohol use may be worth discussing with a doctor or addiction counselor. A lower score is not an absolute all-clear if something worries you.

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Reviewed by our editorial team

Instrument, scientific basis, and limitations checked. Last updated July 2026. Independent, anonymous, not a diagnosis.

After the test

A alcohol use result is a signal, not a verdict. Note what stood out and use it as a starting point for a conversation with a medical or mental-health professional.

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