Drug Addiction Test (DAST-10): See Your Risk Level Based on the DAST-10 Screening
This drug addiction test screens for problems related to drug use using an adaptation of the DAST-10. Get an instant score, a breakdown of your answers, and an optional report to discuss with a clinician.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
Drug Addiction Test (DAST-10) is a free, confidential 10-question self-assessment, based on the validated DAST-10. It takes about 7 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 5 interpretation bands plus an optional in-depth report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
What the DAST-10 actually captures
The DAST-10 screens for problems related to nonmedical drug use, including reduced control, health consequences, and strain on daily life over the past year. Alcohol and tobacco are excluded; the score helps identify concerns to discuss in a fuller assessment.
Use and control
Whether you have used drugs beyond medical need, used more than one drug at a time, and whether you can reliably stop when you want to. Loss of control is the core signal any drug screening looks for.
Consequences to you
Blackouts or flashbacks, guilt about your use, withdrawal symptoms when stopping, and medical problems connected to drugs. These are the costs that tend to build quietly.
Life and relationships
Complaints from a partner or family, neglected responsibilities, and illegal activity to obtain drugs. The ripples that reach beyond the use itself.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Validated DAST-10 questions | Sometimes | Yes, all 10 items |
| Published research risk levels | Vague labels | Yes, the real cutoffs |
| Judgment-free interpretation | Often moralizing | Yes, for every band |
| Category breakdown | No | Use / consequences / life impact |
| Clinician-reviewed | Rarely | Yes, physician reviewed |
| Optional in-depth personalized report | No | Yes, written to your exact scores |
| 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 5 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–0 | No problems reported | Your answers did not report any of the drug-related problems the DAST-10 screens for. On this measure, nothing is raising a flag. |
| 1–2 | Low level | Your answers suggest a low level of drug-related problems. This is common, it is not a verdict on you, and it is a good moment to pay attention. |
| 3–5 | Moderate level | Your answers fall in the moderate range, where the research recommends a proper conversation with a professional. That is guidance, not judgment. |
| 6–8 | Substantial level | Your answers fall in the substantial range. Drug use appears to be taking a real toll, and that deserves real support, not more willpower. |
| 9–10 | Severe level | Your answers fall in the severe range. Please read this as a clear signal to get support now, not as a judgment. People recover from exactly this starting point every day. |
How common is this?
This drug addiction test asks about drug-related problems rather than measuring how much of a substance is in your body. Screening questions land differently when you know how many other people are answering them the same way. Our addiction statistics page collects the current numbers on drug use and addiction in the United States, each one with its source and the year it was measured next to it.
None of those figures say anything about your own result. They are context for it, and a reminder that whatever the score, this is common ground rather than rare territory.
How accurate is the DAST-10
The DAST-10 has been studied in clinical screening research, including psychiatric outpatient settings, and its psychometric properties are reviewed by Yudko and colleagues. Accuracy depends on the population, the threshold used, and how the questionnaire is administered. Internal consistency describes how closely answers relate to each other; it does not show whether an individual has a substance use disorder. Results need to be interpreted alongside a clinical conversation about the particular drugs used, health effects, and daily functioning.
Researchers comparing DAST-10 scores against clinical interviews have generally recommended a cutoff score of 3 for flagging further assessment, and at that cutoff the test is quite sensitive, catching most people who do have a diagnosable drug problem, though it also flags some people who would not meet full clinical criteria, so specificity runs lower than sensitivity at this threshold (Cocco & Carey, 1998; Yudko et al., 2007). That tradeoff is one reason every band above zero here points toward a conversation with a professional rather than a conclusion on its own. If compulsive urges around cravings specifically are the hardest part, the Urge Surfing tool teaches a concrete way to ride one out without acting on it, and if compulsive gambling rather than drugs feels closer to your situation, our Gambling Addiction Test uses a similar structure.
This online version uses readability changes and additional response choices, so published accuracy estimates should not be assumed to apply unchanged. If you select an uncertain or private response, tell a clinician which questions were difficult to answer. A low total cannot rule out overdose risk, dangerous interactions, or concerns you did not feel ready to disclose.
What should I do after a drug addiction test?
Consider bringing your result and a medication list to a primary care or substance use appointment. Note which substances you use, when you last used them, what happens when you cut back, and any effects on sleep, responsibilities, or relationships. You can ask for help even when your total is low or you are unsure whether you want to change your use.
Ask a clinician about stopping safely, especially if you take benzodiazepines. The FDA warns that abruptly stopping them or reducing the dose too quickly can cause serious withdrawal, including seizures. Trouble breathing or a seizure requires emergency care rather than another screening. A questionnaire cannot decide whether withdrawal can be managed at home.
For a related concern, the Alcohol Use Test (Am I Drinking Too Much?) covers drinking separately, while the Anxiety Test can help you describe anxious symptoms to a clinician. The Addiction Recovery Worksheets can help organize concerns and questions before a visit. You can explore other topics through the Psychology.com tests hub or look for professional support in the Psychology.com therapist directory.
Methodology & sources
This test is adapted from the 10-item Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), developed by Harvey Skinner (1982) and one of the most widely used and best validated drug screenings in clinical practice and research (Yudko et al., 2007). It retains the topics of the ten yes-or-no items, with wording changes for readability: use beyond medical need, using more than one drug at a time, ability to stop, blackouts or flashbacks, guilt, complaints from family, neglected responsibilities, illegal activity to obtain drugs, withdrawal symptoms, and medical problems from use. Item 3 asks whether you are always able to stop when you want to and is reverse-scored, exactly as in the original instrument, so a no answer adds a point. The test covers the past 12 months and deliberately excludes alcohol and tobacco, which have their own screenings.
Each yes answer scores one point (with item 3 reversed), for a total of 0 to 10. We interpret your total using the risk levels established in the DAST-10 research literature: 0 no problems reported, 1 to 2 a low level, 3 to 5 a moderate level, 6 to 8 a substantial level, and 9 to 10 a severe level of problems related to drug use. This test is for education and self-reflection. A score at any level is information to bring to a professional conversation, not a label, and only a licensed clinician can assess a substance use disorder.
The category breakdown on this page organizes answers for readability; these groups should not be treated as independently validated diagnostic subscales. Published evidence for the DAST concerns the studied versions and settings. The online adaptation adds response options beyond yes and no, and its output cannot determine which substance is responsible for a problem or replace a substance-specific assessment.
References
- Skinner HA. The Drug Abuse Screening Test. Addict Behav. 1982;7(4):363-371. doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(82)90005-3
- Yudko E, Lozhkina O, Fouts A. A comprehensive review of the psychometric properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2007;32(2):189-198. doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2006.08.002
- Cocco KM, Carey KB. Psychometric properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test in psychiatric outpatients. Psychol Assess. 1998;10(4):408-414. doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.10.4.408
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). National Helpline. samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drug Abuse Screening Test. datashare.nida.nih.gov/instrument/drug-abuse-screening-test
- US Food and Drug Administration. FDA requiring Boxed Warning updated to improve safe use of benzodiazepine drug class. fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-requiring-boxed-warning-updated-improve-safe-use-benzodiazepine-drug-class
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. National Helpline, current resource page. samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 16). Drug Addiction Test (DAST-10). Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tests/drug-addiction
Drug Addiction Test (DAST-10) FAQ
What is the DAST-10?
The Drug Abuse Screening Test is a brief screening created by Harvey Skinner in 1982 and used ever since in clinics, hospitals, and research. The 10-item version asks yes-or-no questions about your drug use over the past 12 months and sorts the total into research-based risk levels. It is a starting point for an honest conversation, not a diagnosis.
Which drugs does this test cover?
Any non-medical drug use: cannabis, cocaine, stimulants, opioids, hallucinogens, inhalants, and prescription medications used beyond what was prescribed or without a prescription. It deliberately excludes alcohol and tobacco, which have their own screenings. If drinking is the thing you are actually wondering about, our alcohol use test, based on the WHO AUDIT, is the better fit.
Does a high score mean I am addicted?
No single questionnaire can tell you that. Clinicians now talk about substance 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 pattern of use carries real risk and deserves a professional conversation. It says nothing about your character or your worth.
I only use prescription medication. Does that count?
It can. Taking more of a medication than prescribed, taking it for reasons other than the one it was prescribed for, or using someone else's prescription all count as non-medical use on the DAST-10. Prescription opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants are among the most commonly misused drugs, and the risks are just as real as with anything bought on the street.
Will my answers stay private?
Yes. The test 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. Nobody will know you took this test unless you choose to share it.
When should I seek help for drug use?
If drugs are affecting your health, sleep, mood, money, work, or relationships, if you have tried to cut back and could not, or if people you trust have voiced concern, those are all good reasons to talk to someone. You do not need to hit bottom first. A doctor, a therapist, or the free and confidential SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 are all reasonable first steps.
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