Alcohol Use Test (Am I Drinking Too Much?)
A confidential self-assessment built on the AUDIT, the World Health Organization's alcohol screening used by doctors worldwide. In three minutes you get an instant risk-zone result, a plain-language interpretation with zero judgment, and a PDF report you can keep or bring to a doctor or therapist.
Alcohol Use Test (Am I Drinking Too Much?) is a free, confidential 10-question self-assessment, based on the WHO AUDIT. It takes about 4 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 4 interpretation bands plus a downloadable PDF report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
What the AUDIT actually captures
Wondering whether you drink too much is one of the most common health questions people quietly ask themselves. The AUDIT was built to answer it with evidence instead of guilt, looking at three things together over the past year.
How much and how often
The first three questions cover consumption: how often you drink, how much a typical session involves, and how often a session reaches six or more drinks.
Signs of lost control
The middle three questions look at early dependence signals: not being able to stop once you start, drinking getting in the way of what you meant to do, and needing a morning drink to get going.
Consequences
The last four questions cover harm: guilt or regret after drinking, memory blackouts, injuries connected to alcohol, and other people voicing concern about your drinking.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| WHO AUDIT questions | Sometimes | Yes, all 10 topics |
| Real WHO risk zones | Vague labels | Yes, published cutoffs |
| Judgment-free interpretation | Often moralizing | Yes, for every band |
| Category breakdown | No | Consumption / control / consequences |
| Clinician-reviewed | Rarely | Yes, physician reviewed |
| Downloadable PDF report | No | Yes, branded & shareable |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
How scoring works
Answers are scored 0–40 in total. Your result falls into one of 4 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–7 | Lower risk | Your answers place you in the WHO's lower-risk zone. On this measure, your drinking pattern is not raising flags. |
| 8–14 | Hazardous drinking | Your answers fall in the WHO's hazardous zone. This is common, it is not a verdict on you, and it is very workable. |
| 15–19 | Harmful drinking | Your answers fall in the WHO's harmful zone, where drinking is likely already affecting your health or your life. Support helps, and you get to choose what kind. |
| 20–40 | Possible dependence | Your answers fall in the zone the WHO links with possible dependence. Please read this as a clear signal to get support, not as a judgment. People recover from exactly this starting point every day. |
Methodology & sources
This test is built on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), developed by the World Health Organization and validated across countries, cultures, and healthcare settings since 1993 (Saunders et al., 1993; Babor et al., 2001). All ten question topics are kept faithful to the original: drinking frequency, typical quantity, heavy-drinking episodes, difficulty stopping, failed expectations, morning drinking, guilt, memory blackouts, alcohol-related injuries, and concern from others. One adaptation was made for this online format: the original AUDIT uses slightly different answer wording for different questions, while our engine presents one consistent five-point frequency scale (never, less than monthly, monthly, weekly, daily or almost daily, scored 0 to 4). Questions 1, 2, 9, and 10 were reworded so this frequency format fits them naturally.
Because of that unified answer format, your score here closely approximates, but does not exactly equal, an official AUDIT score administered by a clinician. We keep the risk zones used in AUDIT screening practice for interpretation: 0 to 7 lower risk, 8 to 14 hazardous drinking, 15 to 19 harmful drinking, and 20 or above suggesting possible dependence. This test is for education and self-reflection. It is not a diagnosis, and a score in any zone is information to bring to a professional conversation, not a label. Only a licensed clinician can assess an alcohol use disorder.
References
- Saunders JB, Aasland OG, Babor TF, de la Fuente JR, Grant M. Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO Collaborative Project on Early Detection of Persons with Harmful Alcohol Consumption–II. Addiction. 1993;88(6):791–804. doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02093.x
- Babor TF, Higgins-Biddle JC, Saunders JB, Monteiro MG. AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Guidelines for Use in Primary Care. 2nd ed. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2001. who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-MSD-MSB-01.6a
- Reinert DF, Allen JP. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: an update of research findings. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007;31(2):185–199. doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00295.x
Alcohol Use Test (Am I Drinking Too Much?) FAQ
How much drinking is too much?
US dietary guidelines define moderate drinking as up to one drink a day for women and up to two for men, and heavy drinking above eight drinks a week for women or fifteen for men. Worth knowing: newer large studies have questioned whether any amount of alcohol is fully risk-free, so these are guideposts rather than a guarantee of safety. What matters most is the pattern, the reasons you drink, and the effects on your life.
Does a high score mean I am an alcoholic?
No, and modern medicine has largely moved past that label. Clinicians now talk about alcohol use disorder, which sits on a spectrum from mild to severe rather than being something you either are or are not. A high score means your drinking pattern carries elevated risk and is worth discussing with a professional. It says nothing about your character.
Can I cut back without quitting completely?
Often, yes. For people in the hazardous or harmful range, moderation is a realistic and evidence-supported goal, and even modest reductions measurably lower health risks. Honesty matters here too: for people with significant dependence, research finds abstinence tends to be more achievable than sustained moderation. A doctor or therapist can help you figure out which path fits your situation.
What counts as one drink?
In the US, a standard drink is about 14 grams of pure alcohol: a 12 oz regular beer (5%), a 5 oz glass of wine (12%), or a 1.5 oz shot of spirits (40%). Many real-world pours are larger, so a single glass at home or a strong craft beer can easily count as more than one standard drink.
Will my answers stay private?
Yes. The test runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server, never stored, and never linked to you. No account is needed, and the optional PDF is generated on your own device. Nobody will know you took this test unless you choose to share it.
When should I seek help for drinking?
If drinking is affecting your health, sleep, mood, work, or relationships, if you have tried to cut back and could not, or if people you trust have expressed concern, those are good reasons to talk to someone. You do not need to hit a crisis point first. A primary-care doctor, a therapist, or the free SAMHSA National Helpline are all reasonable first steps.
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