Pathological Liar Test: See How Often, Automatic and Costly Your Lying Patterns Are
A confidential, non-judgmental screener for compulsive and frequent lying: how often, how automatic, and what it costs you. Get an instant result, a starting point for understanding rather than a label.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
Pathological Liar Test is a free, confidential 14-question self-assessment, educational screener (not a formal diagnosis). It takes about 8 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 3 interpretation bands plus an optional in-depth report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
What compulsive lying looks like, in four lenses
Everyone bends the truth sometimes. What sets compulsive lying apart is the frequency, the sense that it happens almost on its own, the distress it causes you, and the toll it takes on your life. This screener looks at all four.
Frequency and automaticity
How often you lie and whether it happens almost reflexively, even when the truth would do just fine. Automaticity is the hallmark of compulsive lying.
Distress and shame
Whether the lying troubles you, leaves you feeling out of control, or fills you with shame afterward. Distress is often what brings people to look this up.
Consequences
The impact on trust, relationships, work, and your sense of self. Lying that costs you something it is hard to stop is worth understanding.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Looks at the pattern, not just the act | No | Yes (frequency, automaticity, distress, cost) |
| Non-judgmental, compassionate framing | Often shaming | Yes, throughout |
| Explains links to anxiety, shame, and other conditions | No | Yes |
| Clear that this is not a DSM diagnosis | Rarely | Yes, stated plainly |
| Practical, hopeful next steps | Generic | Yes, specific and workable |
| 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 0–56 in total. Your result falls into one of 3 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–13 | Few signs of a lying pattern | Your answers do not point to a compulsive lying pattern. The context below is still worth a read. |
| 14–29 | Some patterns worth noticing | Your answers point to some lying patterns that are worth understanding, and very workable. |
| 30–56 | Frequent patterns worth support | Your answers point to a frequent lying pattern that may be affecting your life. That can be hard to sit with, and support can genuinely help. |
How this screener is scored
The 14 statements are rated 0 (not at all true) to 4 (very true) and split evenly across three areas, frequency and automaticity, distress, and consequences, for a total score of 0 to 56. The breakdown keeps each area visible on its own, so you can see whether your pattern is mostly about how often you lie, how much it troubles you, or what it has cost you, rather than reading one flat number.
The three bands describe how strong the overall pattern looks, from few signs to a frequent pattern worth support. None of the bands are diagnostic thresholds, since there is no validated cutoff for pathological lying. They are a plain-language way to read your own answers back to you.
Pathological lying vs an occasional white lie
Almost everyone tells small, protective lies now and then, softening an opinion or skipping an awkward detail. What separates a pattern researchers describe as pathological or compulsive lying is not any single lie but the combination of how often it happens, how automatic it feels, and what it costs. A white lie is usually a conscious, one-off choice with a clear, limited purpose. A compulsive pattern tends to involve lies that come out before you decide to tell them, stories that keep growing once told, and a sense afterward that you could not fully control it.
The consequences also tend to differ. An occasional white lie rarely damages trust in a meaningful way. A compulsive pattern more often leaves a trail: relationships strained by discovered lies, a reputation for unreliability, or a private sense of not knowing which version of a story you told to whom.
When lying overlaps with other patterns
Frequent lying does not point to one single cause. It can stand alone, or it can travel alongside anxiety, low self-esteem, trauma histories, or certain personality patterns, including narcissistic and antisocial traits. If lying shows up together with a strong need for admiration, a lack of remorse, or a pattern of manipulating others for advantage, our Narcissism Test or Psychopathy Test may capture a fuller picture worth bringing to a clinician.
If shame or a harsh inner critic seems to fuel the lying, working through it with a Self-Compassion Exercises practice alongside therapy can make honesty feel less risky. The Psychology.com therapist directory lists clinicians who work with compulsive behaviors, shame, and self-esteem without judgment.
Methodology & sources
There is no single validated questionnaire for pathological lying, so this is an honest educational screener rather than a clinical instrument. Its items are built around the features that researchers describe when they write about compulsive lying and pseudologia fantastica, including frequency, the seemingly automatic or compulsive quality of the lies, distress, and the consequences for relationships and self. The framing draws on Dike, Baranoski, and Griffith's review of pathological lying (2005) and related clinical literature.
Pathological lying, sometimes called compulsive lying or pseudologia fantastica, is not a formal stand-alone diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR. Frequent lying can appear on its own and can also accompany anxiety, shame, low self-esteem, trauma histories, or certain personality patterns. We treat it as a workable pattern, not a defect of character, and we report your result as a pattern band rather than a label.
References
- Dike CC, Baranoski M, Griffith EEH. Pathological lying revisited. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2005;33(3):342-349.
- Curtis DA, Hart CL. Pathological lying: theoretical and empirical support for a diagnostic entity. Psychiatr Res Clin Pract. 2020;2(2):62-69.
- Hart CL, Curtis DA. Big Liars: What Psychological Science Tells Us About Lying and How You Can Avoid Being Duped. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2023.
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed., Text Revision. Washington, DC: APA; 2022.
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 15). Pathological Liar Test. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tests/pathological-liar
Pathological Liar Test FAQ
What is a pathological liar?
Pathological lying, also called compulsive lying or pseudologia fantastica, describes a pattern of frequent lying that can feel automatic and is often out of proportion to any benefit. The lies may be elaborate and persist over time. It is a descriptive term used in clinical writing rather than a formal diagnosis on its own.
Is pathological lying a real diagnosis?
Not as a stand-alone condition. The DSM-5-TR does not list pathological lying as its own diagnosis, though it can appear as a feature of other conditions. Some researchers have argued it should be recognized in its own right. Either way, the pattern is real and it is workable.
Why do people lie compulsively?
There is rarely a single reason. Compulsive lying often grows out of anxiety, shame, low self-esteem, a need to feel accepted, or earlier experiences where honesty did not feel safe. It can also accompany other mental-health conditions. Understanding the why, without self-blame, is usually the first step toward change.
Is this test a diagnosis?
No. It is an educational screener for self-reflection only. It cannot diagnose any condition. If frequent lying is troubling you or affecting your relationships, a therapist can help you understand the pattern and change it.
Can compulsive lying be changed?
Yes. Because lying is a learned pattern, often serving a purpose like avoiding shame or rejection, it can be unlearned with support. Therapy that addresses the underlying anxiety, shame, or self-esteem tends to help, and many people make real progress.
What are the signs of a pathological liar?
Common signs include lying about big and small things alike, elaborate stories that shift when questioned, lies that offer little practical benefit, discomfort or defensiveness when caught, and lying that keeps happening despite real costs to relationships or trust. No single behavior confirms the pattern; it is the frequency, the automatic quality, and the consequences together that matter, which is exactly what this screener asks about.
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