Social Anxiety Test: Measure Your Social Anxiety with a Validated Scale
This social anxiety test screens for fear, avoidance, and physical symptoms using the 17-item Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Get an instant score, a severity band, and an optional report to discuss with a therapist.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
Social Anxiety Test is a free, confidential 17-question self-assessment, based on the validated SPIN. It takes about 6 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.
Three sides of social anxiety, measured together
Social anxiety is fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations that can lead to distress and avoidance. The SPIN measures how much fear, avoidance, and physical symptoms have affected you over the past week.
Total SPIN score
The full Social Phobia Inventory score from 0 to 68, reflecting how much social anxiety symptoms have bothered you in the past week. The number the research validates against.
Fear, avoidance, physical
The SPIN spans the three core features of social anxiety: fear of social situations, avoidance of them, and the physical signs like blushing, sweating, or a racing heart.
Five severity bands
The result displays descriptive bands from none or minimal through very severe to help explain symptom burden. These labels organize the score for reflection; they cannot establish a diagnosis or determine which treatment you need.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Validated SPIN questions | Sometimes | Yes, all 17 items |
| Fear, avoidance & physical symptoms | Partial | Yes, all three covered |
| Research-based severity bands | Rarely | Yes, five calibrated bands |
| 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 0–68 in total. Your result falls into one of 5 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20 | None or minimal | Your total is in the none-to-minimal range. Social situations may bring some nerves, but on this measure they don't appear to rise to the level of social anxiety disorder. |
| 21–30 | Mild social anxiety | Your total is in the mild range. Social anxiety is likely affecting you in some situations, in a way that is very workable with support. |
| 31–40 | Moderate social anxiety | Your total is in the moderate range. Social anxiety is likely having a real effect on your daily life and relationships. |
| 41–50 | Severe social anxiety | Your total is in the severe range. Symptoms at this level are usually distressing and limiting, and they respond well to treatment. |
| 51–68 | Very severe social anxiety | Your total is in the very severe range. This level of social anxiety can be deeply limiting, and effective help is available. |
How the SPIN's three domains fit together
This Social Anxiety Test measures fear, avoidance, and physical symptoms through the SPIN. The 17 SPIN items were built around three domains identified in the original validation research: six items measure fear of social situations, seven measure avoidance of them, and four measure physiological symptoms such as blushing, sweating, or a racing heart. Each item is rated from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely), which is how the domains add up to the full 0 to 68 range used for your severity band.
Two people can land on the same total by very different routes: one driven mostly by anticipatory fear, another by avoiding situations outright, another by physical symptoms that make even attended situations uncomfortable. This test reports your total rather than a domain-by-domain score, so noticing which few statements felt most true for you is often the most useful detail to bring to a clinician.
Social anxiety vs panic disorder and agoraphobia
Social anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia can look alike from the outside, since all three can lead someone to avoid places or situations. The difference is what the fear is actually about. Social anxiety centers on being watched, judged, or embarrassed in front of others. Panic disorder centers on the panic attacks themselves and the fear of another one striking without warning. Agoraphobia centers on being trapped or unable to get help if something goes wrong, regardless of whether other people are around.
The three can overlap, and it is common to recognize more than one pattern in yourself. The Panic Disorder Test and the Agoraphobia Test use their own validated screens if either sounds closer to your experience than fear of judgment does.
Who this test is for
This screen is built for adults who want a clearer picture of social anxiety symptoms they already suspect, whether that is nerves before specific situations like public speaking or a broader pattern that touches most social contact. It works equally well as a first look for someone who has never spoken to a professional and as a way to put a number on symptoms before a therapy appointment.
If social discomfort feels tangled up with low self-worth more than fear of judgment specifically, the Self-Esteem Test may capture more of what is going on. If avoiding people is part of a wider pattern of avoiding closeness in general, the Avoidant Personality Disorder Test (AVPD) looks at that broader picture. Between sessions, a tool like the Fear Ladder can help you practice the kind of gradual exposure a CBT therapist would recommend.
You can return to the Psychology.com tests hub to explore related screening topics. If fear of judgment is limiting work, education, or relationships, the Psychology.com therapist directory can help you look for professional support. Before an appointment, write down a situation you avoided, what you expected others to think, and how the avoidance affected your day.
Methodology & sources
The 17 questions reproduce the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) developed by Connor and colleagues (2000), worded to stay faithful to the validated instrument while reading clearly. Each item asks how much a symptom has bothered you over the past week, rated from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely), for a maximum total of 68. The items span the three domains the SPIN was built to capture: fear, avoidance, and physiological arousal.
This test is provided for education and self-reflection, not diagnosis. Connor and colleagues found that a SPIN total of 19 distinguished their social phobia group from controls. A screening threshold is a prompt for assessment, and its performance depends on the population. The higher bands displayed here describe increasing symptom burden; the original screening threshold does not establish every displayed band as a separately validated clinical category. Scores can rise with ordinary stress or other conditions.
References
- Connor KM, Davidson JR, Churchill LE, et al. Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN): new self-rating scale. Br J Psychiatry. 2000;176:379-386.
- Antony MM, Coons MJ, McCabe RE, et al. Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory: further evaluation. Behav Res Ther. 2006;44(8):1177-1185.
- Ranta K, Kaltiala-Heino R, Rantanen P, et al. Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) in clinical and general population samples of adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2007;16(8):528-536.
- Connor et al. Original SPIN validation abstract and screening threshold. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10827888/
- National Institute of Mental Health. Social Anxiety Disorder: What You Need to Know. nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 16). Social Anxiety Test. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tests/social-anxiety
Social Anxiety Test FAQ
What is a social anxiety test based on the SPIN?
It is a short, research-based screening that measures how much fear, avoidance, and physical symptoms of social anxiety have bothered you over the past week. The Social Phobia Inventory is a widely validated self-report measure, but a questionnaire is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.
What SPIN score suggests social anxiety disorder?
In the original Connor and colleagues validation study, a SPIN score of 19 distinguished participants with social phobia from controls. That research finding supports a screening conversation rather than a diagnosis. Your daily difficulties, the situations you avoid, and how long the fear has persisted matter alongside the total, including when your score falls below a displayed band boundary.
Is social anxiety just shyness?
No. Shyness is a personality trait, while social anxiety disorder involves intense fear of judgment that leads to avoidance and distress strong enough to interfere with daily life. The SPIN measures that level of impact, not ordinary shyness. A useful question is whether fear makes you miss activities, relationships, or responsibilities that matter to you.
Is this test a diagnosis?
No. It is for education and self-reflection only. Only a licensed clinician can diagnose social anxiety disorder. If your results concern you, consider talking with a therapist who treats anxiety. Bring examples of situations you avoid and what you fear might happen, even if the total score seems low.
Is the test really confidential?
Yes. It 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.
Can social anxiety be treated?
Cognitive behavioral therapy, including gradual exposure to feared situations, is an evidence-based treatment for social anxiety disorder. Medication is another option to discuss with a prescribing clinician. A professional can help you consider your symptoms, preferences, and other health concerns when choosing care. This screening result can support that conversation, but it cannot predict your response to treatment.
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