Selective Mutism Test (Adults & Teens): Screen Speech That Varies by Social Setting
This selective mutism test screens for difficulty speaking in some settings while speech is available in others. Adults and teens get an instant educational result from DSM-informed questions.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
Selective Mutism Test (Adults & Teens) is a free, confidential 16-question self-assessment, informed by DSM-5 selective mutism criteria. It takes about 8 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.
Not shyness, not choice: a consistent pattern
Selective mutism is a consistent failure to speak in specific situations despite speaking normally in others. This screener looks at the pattern from three angles, because the situational map is what separates it from general social anxiety or simply being quiet.
Where speech fails
Seven items map the situational picture: work or school, strangers, phone calls, groups, for a subscale worth up to 21 points. Selective mutism is defined by the contrast between settings where you speak freely and settings where words consistently will not come.
What it feels like
Four items capture the physical signature people describe: a throat that tightens or locks, a freeze response, a voice that will not engage even when you know exactly what you want to say, worth up to 12 points.
Impact and history
Five items, worth up to 15 points, cover whether the silence costs you opportunities and connection, how consistent it is, and whether it reaches back to childhood, which is where selective mutism almost always begins.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Built for adults and teens, not a parent questionnaire | Mostly child-focused | Yes, adult and teen wording |
| Maps specific situations where speech fails | Rarely | Yes, situation by situation |
| Separates SM from social anxiety and introversion | No | Yes, explained plainly |
| Covers the freeze response, not just fear | No | Yes, dedicated items |
| 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 0–48 in total. Your result falls into one of 4 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–11 | Unlikely to be selective mutism | You reported little of the situational speech shutdown that defines selective mutism. Feeling quieter in some settings than others is normal for nearly everyone. |
| 12–23 | Some situational speech shutdown | You reported a real amount of situational difficulty speaking, below the level of a strong selective mutism pattern. This often overlaps heavily with social anxiety, and it is very workable. |
| 24–35 | A pattern consistent with selective mutism features | You reported a consistent pattern: speech that works in safe settings and reliably shuts down in others, with real costs. That pattern deserves a professional look, and it responds to treatment. |
| 36–48 | A strong, consistent pattern | You reported speech shutting down across most situations outside your safe circle, with significant costs. Please know this has a name, it is not a character flaw, and it is treatable. |
How this test is scored
This test has 16 statements rated from never (0) to almost always (3). Seven statements map the situations where speech shuts down, for a subscale worth up to 21 points. Four statements cover the physical freeze response, worth up to 12 points. Five cover impact and history, worth up to 15 points.
Adding all three subscales together gives your total score out of 48, and the breakdown above shows which of the three areas carries the most weight for you personally.
The selective mutism test summarizes reported experiences; it cannot estimate your probability of a diagnosis. The result bands are educational groupings for this questionnaire, with no established diagnostic accuracy. Difficulty communicating your needs deserves attention even if your total falls in a lower band.
Selective mutism at work
Selective mutism does not disappear when school ends. In adulthood it often shows up at work: staying silent in meetings even when you have the answer, dreading phone calls that colleagues handle in seconds, or arranging your whole role around tasks that do not require speaking. Many adults with SM find that written channels, email, chat, and shared documents let their actual competence show through in a way real-time conversation does not.
If a role requires cold calls, live presentations, or spontaneous verbal contributions, it is worth talking with a manager or HR about built-in written alternatives. A therapist can help you build a structured exposure hierarchy so you can decide which speaking situations are worth working on first and which ones you can reasonably route around for now.
Selective mutism vs. autism
Selective mutism and autism are different conditions, but they can overlap and are sometimes confused with each other. Autism involves broader differences in social communication, sensory processing, and often restricted or repetitive interests, and these tend to show up across nearly all settings rather than shifting sharply by situation. Selective mutism, by contrast, is defined by the situational contrast itself: full speech in safe settings and no speech in specific others.
Some autistic people also experience selective mutism, and situational mutism can look similar to autistic shutdown or nonspeaking episodes, which is one reason a clinician who can assess both is more useful than guessing from a self-test alone. Our Autism Test (Adult) or the Autism Masking Test (CAT-Q) can help clarify whether autism traits are part of your picture as well.
The contrast between settings is useful information, but it cannot settle this distinction by itself. An assessment also considers developmental history, sensory demands, language skills, and whether anxiety is restricting speech. An autistic person may communicate very differently depending on the environment and available support.
How can I ask for an assessment if I cannot speak?
You can prepare a written note describing where speech is available, where it becomes difficult, and what happens when someone expects an answer. Ask the service whether you can submit it before the visit and use writing during the appointment. Include the communication method you would prefer if speech becomes unavailable.
Look in the Psychology.com therapist directory for clinicians with selective mutism experience, and ask how they work with people who cannot speak during appointments. A speech-language pathologist may also be part of the assessment team. The Social Anxiety Test can help you describe related fears, while the Exposure Hierarchy tool can organize situations to discuss with a clinician. Choose practice steps together rather than forcing a difficult speaking task. The Psychology.com tests hub offers other self-assessments if you want to explore a separate concern.
Methodology & sources
This is an honest educational screener, not a validated instrument; the main validated measure in this field, the Selective Mutism Questionnaire, is a parent-report tool for children, so we did not reproduce it. Instead, the items are built from the DSM-5 criteria for selective mutism: a consistent failure to speak in specific social situations where speaking is expected, despite speaking in other situations; lasting at least one month; interfering with education, work, or social communication; and not better explained by unfamiliarity with the language or by another disorder. Items cover the situational speaking map, the physical experience adults with SM describe, functional impact, and continuity since childhood, each rated on a 0 to 3 frequency scale.
The adult literature shapes the interpretation: selective mutism nearly always begins in early childhood, it is classified as an anxiety disorder, and it heavily overlaps with social anxiety disorder, which most people with SM also meet criteria for. In adults it is frequently missed, mislabeled as extreme shyness or rudeness, which is why an honest screening and a clear explanation of SM versus social anxiety versus introversion can be genuinely useful. A high score is a signal worth bringing to a professional who knows anxiety disorders, never a diagnosis. And a note for parents reading on behalf of a child: this test is written for adults and teens, so rather than adapting it, please seek a pediatric evaluation; childhood is exactly when intervention for SM works best.
ASHA's clinical guidance emphasizes assessment across settings and collaboration between speech-language and behavioral health professionals. Its guidance primarily concerns children and adolescents, with limited discussion of adulthood. That scope matters: evidence from childhood measures should not be treated as validation of this adult and teen questionnaire. Its total cannot distinguish anxiety from language, hearing, or developmental explanations on its own.
References
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). 2022.
- Bergman RL, Keller ML, Piacentini J, Bergman AJ. The development and psychometric properties of the Selective Mutism Questionnaire. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2008;37(2):456-464.
- Dummit ES 3rd, Klein RG, Tancer NK, et al. Systematic assessment of 50 children with selective mutism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1997;36(5):653-660.
- Muris P, Ollendick TH. Children who are anxious in silence: a review on selective mutism, the new anxiety disorder in DSM-5. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2015;18(2):151-169.
- Steinhausen HC, Juzi C. Elective mutism: an analysis of 100 cases. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1996;35(5):606-614.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Selective Mutism. Practice Portal. asha.org/Practice-Portal/Clinical-Topics/Selective-Mutism/
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 16). Selective Mutism Test (Adults & Teens). Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tests/selective-mutism
Selective Mutism Test (Adults & Teens) FAQ
What is selective mutism?
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder in which a person consistently cannot speak in specific social situations, such as at work, at school, or with strangers, despite speaking comfortably in others, usually at home with family or close friends. The silence is not defiance and not a choice; people with SM describe wanting to speak while their voice simply will not engage. It almost always begins in early childhood.
How is selective mutism different from social anxiety?
They are close relatives, and most people with SM also have social anxiety disorder. The difference is what the anxiety does: social anxiety makes speaking frightening and effortful, but speech usually remains possible; selective mutism shuts speech down entirely in specific settings while leaving it intact in others. If your struggle is fear of judgment while still managing to talk, our social anxiety test, based on the validated SPIN, is likely the better screen for you. Many people benefit from taking both.
How is it different from being an introvert or just quiet?
Introversion is a preference: quiet feels comfortable, and an introvert can speak up when it matters, like answering a direct question at work. Being quiet is a style. Selective mutism is an inability: in the affected situations the words do not come even when you urgently want them to, when staying silent costs you a grade, a job opportunity, or a friendship. Preference versus incapacity is the line that matters.
Can adults really have selective mutism?
Yes. SM usually starts in childhood and often improves, but for some people it persists into the teenage years and adulthood, or narrows to specific settings like the phone or authority figures. Adults with SM are frequently mislabeled as extremely shy, aloof, or rude, and many have never heard the term for what they experience. Recognition matters because SM in adults is treatable, usually with therapy built on gradual, structured speaking practice.
I think my child has selective mutism. Should they take this test?
This self-assessment is written for adults and teens, so a younger child needs a pediatric evaluation instead. If your child speaks at home but repeatedly cannot speak at school or with unfamiliar people, describe that pattern to their pediatrician. Ask about a child mental-health professional and a speech-language pathologist familiar with selective mutism. Share examples from home and school, and explain which languages your child understands and uses. You can request help as soon as communication difficulties affect their participation.
Is this test a diagnosis, and can selective mutism be treated?
It is a screening for education and self-reflection, never a diagnosis; only a licensed clinician can assess selective mutism, and they will also rule out other explanations such as language unfamiliarity, autism, or a communication disorder. Treatment exists and works: cognitive behavioral therapy with graded speaking practice, sometimes alongside medication for the underlying anxiety, helps teens and adults expand where their voice is available.
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