ASRS v1.1 accuracy Adult ADHD test
How accurate is the ASRS v1.1?
Short answer: the ASRS v1.1 is a well-validated screening tool — good at flagging who should have a fuller evaluation, not at handing out a diagnosis. It was developed by Kessler et al., for the World Health Organization in 2005 and has been tested against clinical interviews in independent studies. The six Part-A questions were selected because they best predict adult ADHD out of the full 18-item scale.
Measured four or more marked items flag likely adult ADHD.
What the numbers mean
Sensitivity is how often the test correctly flags people who do have the condition; specificity is how often it correctly clears those who don't. High figures on both mean the ASRS v1.1 misses few real cases while raising few false alarms — which is exactly what you want from a first-pass screen.
The honest limits
No screening tool is perfect, and self-administration online adds its own caveats:
- It screens for adult ADHD specifically — childhood assessment differs.
- Anxiety, depression, and sleep problems can mimic or mask ADHD.
- A positive screen means "worth a full evaluation", not "you have ADHD".
Does taking it online change the accuracy?
The questions and scoring here are identical to the clinical version, so the instrument itself is unchanged. What differs is context: a clinician also weighs your history, rules out other causes, and interprets borderline scores. That's why every result here points you toward a professional rather than standing in for one. Reproducing the instrument faithfully is our job; diagnosing is theirs.