Autism Spectrum Quotient

Published: March 30, 2020

Last updated on May 4, 2026

Contents

1 Notes on answering the questions
2 The AQ
3 What do my scores mean?
4 Understanding your AQ score
5 How to interpret your score
6 Limitations of the AQ
7 Recommended next steps
8 Enjoyed this read? Share it with others:
9 References
10 Tags
11 Disclaimer

Many autistic adults come across the AQ when they’re trying to understand patterns in themselves that have always felt hard to explain. They might be wondering:

Why do I feel out of sync socially, even when I try to do everything “right”?
Why do I process things differently from the people around me?
Could this be autism?

The AQ is one way to begin exploring those questions. It’s a short self-report questionnaire designed to identify autistic traits in adults, especially those who may have been missed earlier in life.

This version is based on the original AQ questionnaire used in research and clinical settings.

Basic information
Who it’s for:	Adults (16+) who suspect they may be autistic, were missed earlier in life, or relate to autistic traits.
Length:	10–30 minutes
Statements:	80
Purpose:	To identify patterns of autistic traits across multiple areas of thinking, communication, and attention

Notes on answering the questions

A few things to keep in mind:

The AQ was originally developed as a research screening tool, not specifically for self-interpretation or high-masking adults
Some questions may feel unclear, overly broad, or simplified
If your answer feels like “it depends,” choose what is most typical for you
You may notice yourself interpreting questions very literally; that’s okay—answer based on how you understand the question
Try to answer based on your internal experience, not just how you appear to others
The AQ uses forced-choice answers (agree/disagree), which can feel limiting if your experience is more nuanced
Some questions reflect earlier models of autism and may not fully capture masking, burnout, or late identification
Self-report tools weren’t originally designed for independent use, but research shows they can still be helpful for adults exploring patterns

Take the test:

This test is free, anonymous, and requires
no email sign-up for the results

The AQ

Please read each statement and choose the answer that best fits your typical experience.

Getting your score is free and anonymous
You can download the PDF if you like

What do my scores mean?

Score range	Interpretation
0–25	What to do next: If you still relate to autistic experiences, you may want to explore other factors (e.g., masking, burnout, depression) or conditions that often co-occur and show some overlap in traits (e.g., ADHD, OCD,^[1]Autistic traits predict obsessive-compulsive symptoms: Study in a clinical sample (Pinto-Gouveia et al., 2021)^[2]The prevalence of autism spectrum traits and autism spectrum disorders in children and adolescents with obsessive compulsive disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis (Tiley et al., 2026) Social Anxiety Disorder^[3]The Relationship Between Autistic Traits and Social Anxiety, Worry, Obsessive–Compulsive, and Depressive Symptoms: Specific and Non-specific Mediators in a Student Sample (Liew et al., 2014)) or take additional screeners (e.g., RAADS–R, CAT-Q).
26–31	Some autistic traits are present. These may show up in certain situations or environments. ~20% of autistic individuals scored less than 32 What to do next: This range often overlaps with anxiety, ADHD, or masking. Exploring patterns more deeply can help clarify what fits best.
32–39	Your responses suggest a strong pattern of autistic traits. These traits are present across multiple areas. In the original validation work, around 80% of autistic participants scored 32 or higher, but later studies show cutoffs vary by sample and setting. What to do next: Many people in this range explore further through additional tests (e.g., RAADS–R, CAT-Q) or a diagnostic assessment.
40+	Very strong alignment with autistic traits. What to do next: Many people in this range pursue deeper exploration (e.g., RAADS–R, CAT-Q) or a diagnostic assessment to better understand their experiences.

Understanding your AQ score

Your score reflects patterns across five areas:

Social skill

How comfortable and confident you feel in social situations, including:

Feeling unsure what to say or do in conversations
Preferring time alone over social interaction
Finding social situations draining or difficult to navigate

Attention switching

How easily you adapt to change and shift focus, including:

Difficulty switching between tasks
Preferring routines and predictability
Feeling unsettled by unexpected changes

Attention to detail

How strongly you notice patterns and small details, including:

Focusing on details others may miss
Noticing patterns, numbers, or specific features
Becoming absorbed in parts rather than the whole

Communication

How you interpret and use language, including:

Taking things literally
Finding it harder to read between the lines
Missing implied meaning, tone, or sarcasm

Imagination

How you think about hypothetical or abstract situations, including:

Preferring concrete or factual information
Finding it harder to imagine others’ perspectives
Less interest in fictional or pretend scenarios

How to interpret your score

This test is not a diagnosis and cannot determine whether you are autistic.

It reflects patterns in your responses, not your full life experience.

Some autistic people score below 32
Some non-autistic people score above it

This is why interpretation matters. The AQ is best understood as a starting point, rather than an answer.

Limitations of the AQ

The AQ is widely used, but it has some known limitations:

It does not capture masking well
It may miss late-identified or high-masking adults
Lower scores overlap with:
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Burnout
Cutoff scores vary across studies. Traditional AQ research used 32+ as a common cutoff, but later studies show that cutoffs vary across samples. Some autistic adults score below 32, and some non-autistic people score above it. A lower score does not rule out autism, especially when masking, burnout, ADHD, anxiety, trauma, or literal interpretation affects how someone answers.

Because of this, the AQ works best when combined with other tools.

Recommended next steps

After the RAADS-R, consider taking one of the tests below.

RAADS-R

Identifies adults who often “escape diagnosis”
due to a subclinical level presentation

CAT-Q

Measures camouflaging, and can account
for lower scores on other autism tests

Autism Screening Assessment

25+ page report • Clinical interpretation by an autistic psychologist

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References

 [+]

References
1↑	Autistic traits predict obsessive-compulsive symptoms: Study in a clinical sample (Pinto-Gouveia et al., 2021)
2↑	The prevalence of autism spectrum traits and autism spectrum disorders in children and adolescents with obsessive compulsive disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis (Tiley et al., 2026)
3↑	The Relationship Between Autistic Traits and Social Anxiety, Worry, Obsessive–Compulsive, and Depressive Symptoms: Specific and Non-specific Mediators in a Student Sample (Liew et al., 2014)

This article
was written by:

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP is a dually licensed naturopathic doctor and registered psychotherapist, and a Canadian leader in trauma, PTSD, and integrative medicine strictly informed by scientific research.

She was diagnosed at 46, and her autism plays a significant role in who she is as a doctor, and how she interacts with and cares for her patients and clients.

Want to know more about her? Read her About me page.

Disclaimer

Although our content is generally well-researched
and substantiated, or based on personal experience,
note that it does not constitute medical advice.

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Autism Spectrum Quotient

Basic information

Notes on answering the questions

The AQ

1. I prefer to do things with others rather than on my own.

2. I prefer to do things the same way over and over again.

3. If I try to imagine something, I find it very easy to create a picture in my mind.

4. I frequently get so strongly absorbed in one thing that I lose sight of other things.

5. I often notice small sounds when others do not.

6. I usually notice car number plates or similar strings of information.

7. Other people frequently tell me that what I've said is impolite, even though I think it is polite.

8. When I'm reading a story, I can easily imagine what the characters might look like.

9. I am fascinated by dates.

10. In a social group, I can easily keep track of several different people's conversations.

11. I find social situations easy.

12. I tend to notice details that others do not.

13. I would rather go to a library than a party.

14. I find making up stories easy.

15. I find myself drawn more strongly to people than to things.

16. I tend to have very strong interests which I get upset about if I can't pursue.

17. I enjoy social chit-chat.

18. When I talk, it isn't always easy for others to get a word in edgeways.

19. I am fascinated by numbers.

20. When I'm reading a story, I find it difficult to work out the characters' intentions.

21. I don't particularly enjoy reading fiction.

22. I find it hard to make new friends.

23. I notice patterns in things all the time.

24. I would rather go to the theatre than a museum.

25. It does not upset me if my daily routine is disturbed.

26. I frequently find that I don't know how to keep a conversation going.

27. I find it easy to 'read between the lines' when someone is talking to me.

28. I usually concentrate more on the whole picture, rather than the small details.

29. I am not very good at remembering phone numbers.

30. I don't usually notice small changes in a situation, or a person's appearance.

31. I know how to tell if someone listening to me is getting bored.

32. I find it easy to do more than one thing at once.

33. When I talk on the phone, I'm not sure when it's my turn to speak.

34. I enjoy doing things spontaneously.

35. I am often the last to understand the point of a joke.

36. I find it easy to work out what someone is thinking or feeling just by looking at their face.

37. If there is an interruption, I can switch back to what I was doing very quickly.

38. I am good at social chit-chat.

39. People often tell me that I keep going on and on about the same thing.

40. When I was young, I used to enjoy playing games involving pretending with other children.

41. I like to collect information about categories of things.

42. I find it difficult to imagine what it would be like to be someone else.

43. I like to plan any activities I participate in carefully.

44. I enjoy social occasions.

45. I find it difficult to work out people's intentions.

46. New situations make me anxious.

47. I enjoy meeting new people.

48. I am a good diplomat.

49. I am not very good at remembering people's date of birth.

50. I find it very easy to play games with children that involve pretending.