Autism assessment tools for adults: what each one is for

If you have searched for an autism test as an adult, you have probably met a confusing list of letters: AQ, AQ-10, RAADS-R, RAADS-14, CAT-Q, ADOS-2, ADI-R. They are not interchangeable. Some are ten-question checklists a family doctor might hand you. Some are long questionnaires used in research clinics. Some are structured sessions that only a trained clinician can run. This page sorts them by what they are actually built to do, so you know what a score from each one can and cannot tell you.

Three kinds of tools

Screeners are short self-report questionnaires. They were designed to help a professional decide whether to refer someone for a specialist assessment. A high score is a reason to look closer, not a result in itself. Diagnostic instruments are used inside a full assessment by people trained to administer them. They structure what the clinician observes or asks, and their output feeds into a wider clinical judgment. Self-reflection and research measures look at one slice of experience, such as camouflaging or reading emotions from faces. They help you describe yourself, but they were never meant to sort people into autistic and not autistic.

Screening questionnaires (the 10, 14, 50 and 80 question tests)

When people search for an autism test with 10 questions, they usually mean the AQ-10. The 50 question version is the full Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). The 80 question version is the RAADS-R, and the RAADS-14 Screen is a shorter set drawn from it. All four ask you to rate statements about yourself. All four have published cut-off scores, and all four have been studied in adults referred to real clinics, where they perform less well than in their original studies.

• The AQ-10 adult autism screenerThe AQ-10 explained: the 10-item adult autism screener from Cambridge, what NICE says about it, how it performs in clinics, and where the official form is.
• AQ-10 scoring and referral thresholdsHow AQ-10 scoring works: one point per statement, a range of 0 to 10, the referral threshold of 6, and what your AQ-10 score does and does not mean.
• The AQ test (Autism Spectrum Quotient), explainedThe AQ test explained: the 50-item Autism Spectrum Quotient from Baron-Cohen and colleagues at Cambridge, what it measures and its known limits.
• AQ test scoring and what scores meanHow AQ test scoring works: one point per item, a maximum of 50, the 32 cut-off, the clinic threshold of 26, and what scores like 32 or 35 actually mean.
• The RAADS-R test, explainedWhat the RAADS-R test is: the 80-item Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised, who made it, how long it takes and where the official version is.
• RAADS-R scoring and what scores meanHow RAADS-R scoring works: 0 to 3 points per item, a total range of 0 to 240, the published threshold of 65, and what the validation study scores show.
• How accurate is the RAADS-R?How accurate is the RAADS-R? Original validity and reliability figures, what later studies in real clinics found, and how to weigh a score you already got.
• RAADS-R and ADHD: what the overlap meansCan ADHD raise a RAADS-R score? What research shows about ADHD and autism questionnaires, why the overlap happens, and how clinicians tell the two apart.
• The RAADS-14 Screen, explainedThe RAADS-14 Screen explained: a 14-item autism screener built from the RAADS-R for adult psychiatric clinics, its scoring, cut-off of 14 and known limits.

Diagnostic instruments used by clinicians

The two names you will hear most in assessment clinics are the ADOS-2 and the ADI-R. The ADOS-2 is a semi-structured observation: a trained assessor sets up conversation and activities and codes what happens. The ADI-R is a long structured interview, usually with a parent or someone who knew you as a child, about your early development. Neither is a test you can take at home, and neither is required for a diagnosis.

• The ADOS-2 for adults: what to expectWhat the ADOS-2 involves for adults: Module 4, who can give it, how it is scored in general terms, what research says about accuracy and how to prepare.
• Why assessors ask about brushing your teeth (and other ADOS-2 activities)Why an autism assessment may ask how you brush your teeth, tell a story or talk about friendship, what ADOS-2 activities are for, and why none is failed.

Is there a gold standard autism test?

Not a single test. The phrase "gold standard" usually refers to a combination: a careful developmental history, an observation such as the ADOS-2, information from someone who knew you growing up, and an experienced clinician who weighs it all and rules out other explanations. The best test to diagnose autism, in practice, is a good comprehensive assessment rather than any one questionnaire.

Self-reflection and research measures

The CAT-Q measures social camouflaging: the effort some people put into hiding or compensating for differences in social situations. SpectrumFox hosts the official CAT-Q free under its open license. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test asks people to choose words for expressions shown only through the eyes. It is widely used in research but is not a diagnostic test, and recent studies question what it measures.

• CAT-Q: measuring autistic camouflagingThe CAT-Q explained: a free 25-item questionnaire measuring social camouflaging, who made it, its three factors, its limits and where to take it.
• CAT-Q scoring and score rangesHow CAT-Q scoring works: a 1 to 7 scale, five reverse-scored items, totals of 25 to 175, factor ranges and average scores from the 2019 study.
• Take the CAT-Q: the Camouflaging Autistic Traits QuestionnaireTake the official Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) free online: 25 items, the official scoring, your total and three factor scores.
• The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, explainedWhat the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test is, how it relates to autism, what research says about its validity, and why an eyes quiz cannot diagnose.

What doctors actually use

A family doctor might use a short screener such as the AQ-10, or simply listen and refer. A specialist team will usually combine interviews, questionnaires completed by you and sometimes a relative, an observation like the ADOS-2, and checks for conditions that can look similar, such as ADHD, anxiety or trauma. The questionnaire you took online is one small part of that picture.

How to use this section

Read the page for any tool you have taken or been offered. Each one explains who made it, how it is scored, what research says about its accuracy, and where to find the official version. We never reproduce or paraphrase the items of licensed instruments. If a screener score worries or intrigues you, the most useful next step is a conversation with a professional who can assess you properly.

• Autism test for adultsA free autism test for adults online: 56 statements across 7 areas of life, about 10 to 15 minutes, overall result free with no email. Not a diagnosis.
• How to get tested for autism as an adultYes, adults can be tested for autism. The practical steps: preparing notes, getting a referral, choosing an assessor, paying, and what the result means.
• AQ vs RAADS-R: Which Screener Fits?The AQ and RAADS-R are adult autism questionnaires with different lengths, scoring and research. What each measures, limits, and why neither diagnoses.