AUDIT
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
The WHO's gold-standard screen for hazardous and harmful drinking.
10
4 min
adult
0–40
About the AUDIT
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a ten-item questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization to identify hazardous drinking, harmful drinking, and alcohol dependence. It was designed for international use and remains the most extensively validated alcohol screen available.
Items cover consumption (quantity and frequency), dependence symptoms, and alcohol-related problems. Each is scored 0–4, giving a total of 0 to 40. A score of 8 or more indicates hazardous or harmful use; higher bands suggest increasing likelihood of dependence and the need for brief intervention or specialist referral.
What it measures
- Alcohol consumption — frequency and typical quantity, and frequency of heavy episodic drinking
- Dependence symptoms — impaired control, salience, and morning drinking
- Harmful use — guilt, blackouts, injuries, and concern from others
AUDIT questions
- 1
How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
Never · Monthly or less · 2-4 times a month · 2-3 times a week · 4 or more times a week - 2
How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
1 or 2 · 3 or 4 · 5 or 6 · 7 to 9 · 10 or more - 3
How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?
Never · Less than monthly · Monthly · Weekly · Daily or almost daily - 4
How often during the last year have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?
Never · Less than monthly · Monthly · Weekly · Daily or almost daily - 5
How often during the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because of drinking?
Never · Less than monthly · Monthly · Weekly · Daily or almost daily - 6
How often during the last year have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?
Never · Less than monthly · Monthly · Weekly · Daily or almost daily - 7
How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?
Never · Less than monthly · Monthly · Weekly · Daily or almost daily - 8
How often during the last year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?
Never · Less than monthly · Monthly · Weekly · Daily or almost daily - 9
Have you or someone else been injured because of your drinking?
No · Yes, but not in the last year · Yes, during the last year - 10
Has a relative, friend, doctor, or other health care worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?
No · Yes, but not in the last year · Yes, during the last year
Items reproduced from a documented, freely usable source. Item wording is preserved exactly as published.
Scoring & interpretation
The AUDIT takes two to three minutes. Scores of 8–15 typically warrant simple advice on reducing drinking, 16–19 brief counselling and continued monitoring, and 20 or above referral for diagnostic evaluation of alcohol dependence.
Lower thresholds (e.g. 7 in women and people over 65) are sometimes used to improve sensitivity in groups more vulnerable to alcohol-related harm.
| Range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–7 | Low risk | Low-risk consumption. |
| 8–15 | Hazardous | Hazardous drinking — simple advice focused on the reduction of hazardous drinking. |
| 16–19 | Harmful | Harmful or hazardous drinking — brief counselling and continued monitoring. |
| 20–40 | Likely dependence | Possible alcohol dependence — referral to specialist for diagnostic evaluation and treatment. |
Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.
Clinical applications
- Routine screening for risky drinking in primary care and mental-health settings
- Triaging to brief intervention, extended counselling, or specialist treatment
- Public-health and workplace alcohol-screening programmes
Frequently asked questions
What AUDIT score indicates a problem?
A total of 8 or more indicates hazardous or harmful drinking. Scores of 16–19 suggest harmful use and 20+ possible dependence requiring further assessment.
Is the AUDIT free to use?
Yes. The AUDIT was developed by the World Health Organization and is freely available for clinical and research use.
Source & references
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