Eating Disorder Test
A confidential two-stage self-assessment: the SCOFF, a brief validated screen clinicians use to flag possible eating concerns, followed by the EDE-QS, a 12-item validated measure of how severe those concerns have been over the past week. You get an instant, supportive, plain-language result on both, plus an optional in-depth personalized report to bring to a clinician.
Eating Disorder Test is a free, confidential 17-question self-assessment, sCOFF + EDE-QS, two validated instruments. It takes about 4 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.
A quick screen, then a real severity score
Most online eating disorder tests stop at a yes-or-no style screen. This one pairs the five-question SCOFF with the 12-item EDE-QS, so you see both whether a concern is flagged and how intense things have actually been over the past seven days.
The SCOFF quick screen
Five yes-or-no questions covering core warning signs: loss of control, weight loss, body-image distress, and how much food dominates your thoughts. Answering yes to two or more is the validated positive-screen threshold.
EDE-QS severity score
Twelve questions about the past 7 days: restricting, going long stretches without eating, loss of control while eating, fear of weight gain, and how much weight and shape shape your self-judgment. Scored 0 to 36, with 15 or more suggesting a clinically significant eating problem.
A recent time window
The EDE-QS asks specifically about the past seven days, so your severity score reflects how things have been lately, not your whole history. That makes it useful for tracking change over time too.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Validated SCOFF questions | Sometimes | Yes, all 5 items |
| Real severity measure (EDE-QS) | Rarely | Yes, all 12 items |
| Research-based cutoffs (2+ and 15+) | Rarely | Yes, clearly explained |
| Supportive, non-triggering framing | Often clinical | Yes, trauma-informed |
| Clinician-reviewed interpretation | Rarely | Yes, clinician 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 0–36 in total. Your result falls into one of 4 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–7 | Minimal signals this week | Your EDE-QS score falls in the lowest range, which means the past 7 days brought few of the thoughts and behaviors this measure tracks. That is reassuring, though it is one part of the picture. |
| 8–14 | Some disordered-eating signals | Your EDE-QS score sits below the clinical threshold, but the past 7 days did bring some of the thoughts or behaviors this measure tracks. That is worth paying gentle attention to. |
| 15–24 | At the clinical threshold | Your EDE-QS score is at or above 15, the validated threshold suggesting a clinically significant eating problem. A fuller evaluation with a professional is genuinely recommended, and it is a kind step to take, not an alarming one. |
| 25–36 | High severity | Your EDE-QS score falls in the highest range, which suggests the past 7 days have been heavy: food, weight, or your body have likely been taking up a great deal of room. Please consider reaching out for support soon. You should not have to carry this alone. |
Methodology & sources
This test combines two validated instruments in a two-stage design. Stage one reproduces the SCOFF questionnaire developed by Morgan, Reid, and Lacey (1999), worded to stay faithful to the validated instrument while reading clearly and supportively. Each of its five questions is answered yes or no, and the research found that answering yes to two or more best identified people likely to have anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, at a threshold designed to catch concerns rather than confirm a diagnosis. For comfort we add two non-scoring options, "I'm not sure" and "Prefer not to say"; both count as No, which makes this version slightly more conservative than the forced yes-or-no original.
Stage two reproduces the 12 items of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS), developed and validated by Gideon and colleagues (2016) as a brief version of the widely used EDE-Q. Each item asks about the past 7 days and is scored 0 to 3, giving a total from 0 to 36. A score of 15 or more is the validated threshold suggesting a clinically significant eating problem. One honest adaptation: the published EDE-QS rates its first ten items on a days-based scale (0 days, 1–2, 3–5, 6–7) and its last two items on a degree scale (not at all to markedly). Because this test presents one answer scale for all twelve items, we use combined labels such as "Not at all / 0 days" through "Markedly / 6–7 days" that read naturally for both item types. The scoring values (0 to 3) are unchanged from the published instrument.
This test is provided for education and self-reflection, not diagnosis. The SCOFF is intentionally sensitive, meaning it errs toward flagging concern, so a positive screen does not mean you have an eating disorder, and a negative screen does not rule one out, especially for patterns the SCOFF was not designed to detect such as binge eating disorder or ARFID. The EDE-QS severity score is likewise a screening measure, not a diagnosis. Whatever your results, if your relationship with food or your body causes you distress, that is reason enough to talk with a professional.
References
- Morgan JF, Reid F, Lacey JH. The SCOFF questionnaire: assessment of a new screening tool for eating disorders. BMJ. 1999;319(7223):1467–1468.
- Gideon N, Hawkes N, Mond J, Saunders R, Tchanturia K, Serpell L. Development and psychometric validation of the EDE-QS, a 12 item short form of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). PLoS ONE. 2016;11(5):e0152744.
- Hill LS, Reid F, Morgan JF, Lacey JH. SCOFF, the development of an eating disorder screening questionnaire. Int J Eat Disord. 2010;43(4):344–351.
- Botella J, Sepúlveda AR, Huang H, Gambara H. A meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of the SCOFF. Span J Psychol. 2013;16:E92.
Eating Disorder Test FAQ
What instruments does this eating disorder test use?
Two validated ones, in sequence. First the SCOFF, a brief five-question screen widely used by clinicians as a first step. Then the EDE-QS, a 12-question short form of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire that measures how severe things have been over the past 7 days. Together they tell you whether a concern is flagged and how intense it currently is. Both are screening tools, not a diagnosis.
What scores suggest an eating concern?
On the SCOFF, answering yes to two or more of the five questions is the validated positive-screen threshold. On the EDE-QS, a score of 15 or more out of 36 suggests a clinically significant eating problem. Either result on its own is enough reason to talk things through with a professional, and scores below the thresholds do not rule a problem out.
What if my two results disagree?
That happens, and both still matter. The SCOFF asks about a broader recent period while the EDE-QS covers only the past 7 days, so a quieter week can lower your severity score even when the screen is positive. If you answered yes to two or more SCOFF questions, treat that as a meaningful signal regardless of your EDE-QS number.
Does this test detect all eating disorders?
No. The SCOFF was developed mainly to screen for anorexia and bulimia, and the EDE-QS measures attitudes and behaviors most typical of those patterns plus binge eating. Some presentations, such as ARFID, are not well captured, so a low score is not a clean bill of health if you are struggling.
Is this test a diagnosis?
No. It is for education and self-reflection only. Only a licensed clinician can diagnose an eating disorder. If your results or your relationship with food concern you, please reach out for support.
Is the test really confidential?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server, never stored, and never linked to you. No account is needed.
Can eating disorders be treated?
Yes. Eating disorders are serious but treatable, and recovery is possible at any stage. Evidence-based therapy, medical care, and nutritional support help most people, and earlier help tends to make recovery easier.
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