Relationship Satisfaction Test
A confidential self-assessment built on the Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-16), one of the most precise measures of relationship satisfaction in the research literature. See where your relationship stands against the published distress cutoff, what the score does and does not mean, and get a professional PDF report you can keep or bring to a couples therapist.
Relationship Satisfaction Test is a free, confidential 16-question self-assessment, based on the validated CSI-16. It takes about 4 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 3 interpretation bands plus a downloadable PDF report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
One precise score, three views of your relationship
Most relationship quizzes ask a handful of vague questions and hand you a verdict. The CSI-16 was built differently: its creators tested items from eight established satisfaction scales and kept only the ones that measured satisfaction most precisely. This version looks at your total score and where it comes from.
Overall satisfaction
The full 16-item Couples Satisfaction Index, scored against the cutoff its authors published for distinguishing distressed from satisfied relationships. Higher scores mean more satisfaction.
Warmth, teamwork, and needs
How strong and comfortable the relationship feels day to day, whether you feel like a team, and how well the relationship meets your needs and original hopes. These are the workhorse ingredients of satisfaction.
Your gut feel
Six quick first-impression judgments, such as whether the relationship feels full or empty, sturdy or fragile, hopeful or discouraging. Research finds these immediate reads carry real signal.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Validated instrument (CSI-16) | Rarely | Yes, faithful items |
| Published distress cutoff | No | Yes, and we show it |
| Breakdown of where the score comes from | No | Happiness / warmth / needs / gut feel |
| Evidence-based next steps | Generic tips | Gottman & EFT research |
| Clinician-reviewed interpretation | Rarely | Yes, reviewed |
| Downloadable PDF report | No | Yes, branded & shareable |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
How scoring works
Answers are scored 0–80 in total. Your result falls into one of 3 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Signs of real relationship distress | Your score falls below the research cutoff for relationship distress (51 on this version, scaled from the published 51.5 out of 81). That is worth taking seriously, and it is also one of the most treatable situations in the couples literature. |
| 51–65 | Mixed, with room to grow | Your score sits above the distress cutoff but below the clearly satisfied range. Plenty is working, and some things likely feel flat, strained, or unspoken. |
| 66–80 | A satisfied, connected relationship | You rated nearly every item as more than mostly true. Your answers describe a relationship that feels strong, rewarding, and worth choosing. |
Methodology & sources
This test reproduces the 16 items of the Couples Satisfaction Index (Funk & Rogge, 2007), a measure the authors make freely available and that was built by testing items from eight established relationship scales with item response theory, keeping the most informative ones. One honest adaptation: the original CSI-16 mixes several response formats (a 0 to 6 happiness ladder, frequency options, and adjective pairs). Our engine presents every item on the same 0 to 5 scale from Not at all true to Completely true, with the frequency and adjective items reworded as statements that keep their meaning. That makes the maximum score 80 instead of the original 81, so we scaled the published distress cutoff of 51.5 out of 81 proportionally to 51 out of 80. Scores of 50 and below fall in the distress range; we also flag 66 and above, the point where you are averaging better than mostly true across every item, as a clearly satisfied range.
This test is provided for education and self-reflection, not diagnosis or relationship advice. Satisfaction scores are a snapshot: they move with stress, seasons of life, and what happened this week. A low score describes strain, not a verdict on your partner or your future, and relationship distress is one of the most treatable problems in the mental-health literature.
References
- Funk JL, Rogge RD. Testing the ruler with item response theory: increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the Couples Satisfaction Index. J Fam Psychol. 2007;21(4):572–583. doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572
- Gottman JM, Levenson RW. The timing of divorce: predicting when a couple will divorce over a 14-year period. J Marriage Fam. 2000;62(3):737–745. doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00737.x
- Johnson SM, Hunsley J, Greenberg L, Schindler D. Emotionally focused couples therapy: status and challenges. Clin Psychol Sci Pract. 1999;6(1):67–79. doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.6.1.67
- Wiebe SA, Johnson SM. A review of the research in emotionally focused therapy for couples. Fam Process. 2016;55(3):390–407. doi.org/10.1111/famp.12229
Relationship Satisfaction Test FAQ
What is a good relationship satisfaction score?
On this version, scores run from 0 to 80 and higher means more satisfied. The research cutoff, scaled to this format, is about 51: scores of 51 and above fall in the satisfied range found in community samples, and 66 or above means you rated nearly every item as more than mostly true, which reflects a clearly satisfied, connected relationship. Scores of 50 or below fall in the range the instrument's authors associated with notable relationship distress.
Does a low score mean we should break up?
No. A low score means the relationship is under strain right now, and strain responds to attention. Satisfaction is not fixed: it moves with stress, life stages, and how conflict gets handled, and couples therapy research shows that most distressed couples who get evidence-based help improve meaningfully. What a low score is really telling you is that this deserves care, not that the story is over.
How accurate is this test?
The CSI-16 is one of the best-validated satisfaction measures available: it was built with item response theory to measure more precisely than older scales like the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and it distinguishes distressed from satisfied couples well. We adapted the response format slightly so the test runs cleanly online, which we explain in the methodology, and we scaled the cutoff to match. It is still a screening for self-reflection, not a clinical assessment of your relationship.
When should we consider couples therapy?
You do not need to wait for a crisis. Reasonable signals include a score in the distress range, the same fight repeating without repair, contempt or stonewalling creeping in, or one of you quietly withdrawing. Evidence-based approaches like emotionally focused therapy (EFT) and the Gottman method have strong outcome research, and couples who come in earlier tend to have more goodwill left to work with.
Is this test 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, and the optional PDF report is generated on your own device, so it is yours to share with your partner or a therapist only if you choose.
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