ACE Test: Score Your Adverse Childhood Experiences from 0 to 10
The ACE test counts types of adverse childhood experiences using questions adapted from CDC-Kaiser research. Get an instant score with context for reflection and an optional report, not a diagnosis.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
ACE Test is a free, confidential 10-question self-assessment, the 10 original ACE study questions. It takes about 7 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 4 interpretation bands plus an optional in-depth report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
One number, honestly explained
The ACE score counts reported categories of adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, neglect, and household challenges. It describes exposure history rather than current symptoms, the severity of what happened, or a prediction of your future health. Research associations concern groups of people.
The 10 ACE questions
The adverse experience categories examined in CDC-Kaiser research include abuse, neglect, and household challenges before age 18. These adapted questions ask about those experiences. A yes response adds a point; an uncertain or withheld answer requires care when interpreting the total.
Your ACE score
The total is your ACE score, a whole number from 0 to 10. It counts the types of adversity you experienced, not how often or how severe. That is exactly how the original study defined it. The score also leaves out supportive experiences and adversity that these questions do not cover, so it cannot summarize your whole childhood.
The dose-response pattern
The study found risk rising as the score rises, with 4 or more marking a sharper increase across the population. We show you where your number lands and what the evidence does and does not say. This research grouping is not a diagnostic threshold or a boundary below which support is unnecessary.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| The 10 original ACE questions | Sometimes reworded loosely | Yes, faithful to the study |
| Clear 0 to 10 score | Vague labels | Your exact number |
| What 4+ actually means | Rarely explained | Explained in context |
| Category breakdown | No | Abuse / neglect / household |
| Clinician-reviewed interpretation | Rarely | Yes, clinician reviewed |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
How scoring works
Answers are scored 0–10 in total. Your result falls into one of 4 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–0 | ACE score of 0 | You didn't report any of the 10 adverse childhood experiences. That is genuinely good news for this measure. The context below still offers useful perspective. |
| 1–3 | ACE score of 1 to 3 | You reported one to three adverse childhood experiences. Many people fall in this range. It is worth understanding, and very workable with support. |
| 4–6 | ACE score of 4 to 6 | You reported four to six adverse childhood experiences. In the research, 4 or more is the point where risk rises more noticeably, so this is worth taking seriously and gently. |
| 7–10 | ACE score of 7 to 10 | You reported seven or more adverse childhood experiences. That reflects a heavy load to have carried, often before you had any say in it. Support can make a real difference. |
Printable version (PDF)
Download the printable ACE questionnaire to complete by hand or bring to an appointment.
Download the printable ACE questionnaire →
Reproduced from public-domain CDC-Kaiser questionnaire content with source credit, unchanged substantive content, a non-endorsement disclaimer and acknowledgment that CDC provides the source questionnaires free of charge.
Who the ACE Test Is For
The ACE test is an educational self-assessment of childhood adversity; its score can help start a conversation about your history. This test is for any adult curious about a number they may have heard mentioned in a news story, a workplace training, or a therapist's intake form, not just people who suspect a difficult childhood. Some people take it out of plain curiosity, some are starting therapy and want a starting point to discuss, and some are parents or caregivers thinking about the patterns they grew up with and want to break or continue deliberately.
It is also a research tool as much as a personal one, so it is worth taking with that framing in mind. If your real interest is in your current symptoms rather than your childhood history, the PTSD Test (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) or the Complex PTSD Test (C-PTSD) look at how past experiences may be showing up in your body and mind right now, which this score alone cannot tell you.
Signs It May Be Time to Talk to a Professional
A high ACE score on its own does not establish a need for treatment, and you can ask for support with your history at any score. In particular, certain everyday signs are worth taking seriously regardless of your number: trouble sleeping or persistent nightmares, feeling on edge or easily startled, avoiding people or places that bring up old memories, or noticing the same painful relationship pattern repeating itself. Any of these are valid reasons to reach out, whether your score was a 1 or a 9.
A trauma-informed therapist can help you make sense of how early experiences connect to how you feel today, and resources like the Psychology.com therapist directory and the Trauma Psychoeducation tool are good starting points if you are not sure what kind of support to look for. If you are ever in crisis, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text any time, in addition to the professional support above.
You can pause if a question feels upsetting and choose whether to return. You do not need to describe experiences in detail to ask a professional for help. Say what feels difficult now and what would help you feel comfortable during the conversation. The Psychology.com tests hub can help you find symptom-focused self-assessments when that is your main concern.
What if I am unsure how to answer an ACE question?
Choose the response that best reflects what you know without forcing yourself to recall details. This online version offers uncertain and prefer-not-to-say responses, and neither increases the displayed total. That means the total can omit experiences you were unsure about or chose to keep private. Interpret it as a count of reported experiences, not proof that other experiences did not occur.
If you bring the result to an appointment, mention that some responses were uncertain or withheld. You can discuss how those questions felt without supplying details you are not ready to share. A low score does not invalidate distress or rule out adversity beyond the categories included here.
Methodology & sources
These questions are adapted from the adverse experience categories studied in CDC-Kaiser Permanente research. Felitti and colleagues established the foundational association between accumulated childhood adversity and adult health; later work by Dong and colleagues examined the 10 categories used in this framework, including neglect. Each yes response adds a point to the displayed count. This page uses readable, adapted wording and additional response choices, so its wording and administration should not be treated as an unchanged research questionnaire.
This is the same ACE category framework used in our broader Childhood Trauma Test, but centered tightly on the ACE score itself. If you want the wider picture, including community adversity and a separate self-assessment of resilience and sources of support, that companion test is the place to go. Either way, this is provided for education and self-reflection, presents risk at the population level rather than as a personal forecast, and is not a diagnosis.
References
- Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. Am J Prev Med. 1998;14(4):245-258.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Adverse Childhood Experiences. CDC Violence Prevention.
- Hughes K, Bellis MA, Hardcastle KA, et al. The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Public Health. 2017;2(8):e356-e366.
- Dong M, Anda RF, Felitti VJ, et al. The interrelatedness of multiple forms of childhood abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Child Abuse Negl. 2004;28(7):771-784. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15261471/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Adverse Childhood Experiences. cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 16). ACE Test. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tests/ace
ACE Test FAQ
What is an ACE score?
Your ACE score is a count of how many of the 10 adverse childhood experiences you had before age 18, across abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Each type you experienced adds one point, so the score ranges from 0 to 10. A higher number is linked to greater health risk across large populations, but it is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.
Is this an ACE quiz or adverse childhood experiences quiz?
Yes. This adverse childhood experiences quiz is built on the 10 ACE categories studied in CDC-Kaiser research, with adapted questions and a count of reported experiences. People search for it as an ACE quiz, an ACE test, or an adverse childhood experiences quiz, and they all point to the same 10-item screening you can take here for free.
What is a high ACE score?
In the original ACE study, a score of 4 or more was the point where the statistical risk for several health and mental-health conditions rose more sharply across the population studied. A high score does not mean any particular outcome will happen to you, and supportive relationships and resilience meaningfully shift the picture.
How is the ACE score calculated?
You answer each of the 10 questions with yes or no. Every yes counts as one point, and the points are added up. The score reflects how many types of adversity you experienced, not how often or how severe each one was. The categories come from CDC-Kaiser research. Here, uncertain and withheld responses do not increase the total, which can leave the count incomplete.
Is this the same as your Childhood Trauma Test?
They share the same adapted questions about ACE categories, but the focus differs. This page is built tightly around the ACE score itself. Our companion Childhood Trauma Test adds a community-adversity scale and a resilience score, giving a wider view. Pick this one if you mainly want your number and what it means.
Is my ACE score fixed for life?
The score reflects what happened in the past, so the number itself does not change. Its influence on your life can. Therapy, supportive relationships, and building resilience are all associated with better outcomes, even for people with high scores. Your reported score can change if your understanding of a question or willingness to disclose changes. The underlying childhood events remain in the past, and the score does not measure your current coping or support.
Is this test confidential?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser. Your individual answers are scored in your browser and are never sent to us or linked to you. They stay in this tab so you can return to your result, and closing or clearing the tab clears them. If you ask us to email the PDF, we receive your summary scores with your email address, never your individual answers. No account is needed.
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