The AUDIT-10 is a free 10-question screening from the World Health Organization that flags hazardous, harmful, and dependent drinking. A score of 0–7 is low risk, 8–15 is hazardous, 16–19 is harmful, 20+ indicates likely dependence and may need medically supervised detox. It is a screening, not a diagnosis — only a licensed clinician can diagnose alcohol use disorder using DSM-5.
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What the AUDIT-10 measures and why WHO and NIAAA endorse it
The AUDIT-10 is a 10-question screening tool the World Health Organization validated across six countries in the late 1980s to identify hazardous, harmful, and dependent drinking in primary care. It has sensitivity in the 0.85–0.95 range and specificity 0.80–0.90 across adult populations — the single most widely cited alcohol screener in clinical practice. The current reference is the 2nd-edition WHO guidelines for primary care, published by Babor, Higgins-Biddle, Saunders, and Monteiro in 2001.
The 10 questions cover three domains: consumption (Q1–3 — how often, how much, heavy drinking), dependence symptoms (Q4–6 — loss of control, salience, morning drinking), and alcohol-related harms (Q7–10 — guilt, blackouts, injury, concern from others). Each domain has been tested against clinical interviews and against heavier instruments like the DSM-5 structured interview for alcohol use disorder.
The AUDIT is free to use and public-domain. The United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) references it in its Core Resource for clinicians, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommends validated screeners like AUDIT and AUDIT-C as the first step in the SBIRT workflow (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment).
What the 4 score bands mean in plain language
AUDIT-10 score interpretation comes from Babor et al.'s WHO 2001 guidelines: 0–7 is "low risk," 8–15 is "increasing or hazardous," 16–19 is "harmful," and 20+ is "likely dependence." Each band below explains what the score reflects clinically, what guidance the WHO attached to it, and how the band typically maps to ASAM levels of care + AUD medications in current US practice.
An AUDIT-10 score of 0 to 7 reflects drinking patterns unlikely to cause alcohol-related harm for most adults. By NIAAA's standard-drink definition, this typically means staying within ≤14 drinks per week and ≤4 in any single day for men, ≤7 per week and ≤3 per day for women. The instrument has documented sensitivity 0.51–0.97 across primary-care populations, so a low score is a meaningful negative signal — but AUDIT-10 is a screener, not a diagnosis. Pregnancy, prescription-medication interactions, family history of alcohol use disorder, and binge episodes can still warrant a clinical conversation even at a 0–7 score.
An AUDIT-10 score of 8 to 15 flags drinking at a level that increases risk of physical, mental, or social harm even if no harm has occurred yet. The WHO and SAMHSA's SBIRT workflow both trigger brief intervention at this band — a 5 to 15 minute structured conversation with a clinician about the specific relationship between current drinking and documented health risks. Treatment at this stage typically maps to ASAM Level 1.0 outpatient care without intensive structure. The 3-question AUDIT-C subset often pre-screens patients into this band in primary-care settings. Re-take AUDIT-10 in three to six months if drinking continues at this level.
An AUDIT-10 score of 16 to 19 indicates drinking already causing harm — physical (liver enzyme elevations, gastritis, sleep disruption), psychological (mood disturbance, anxiety, sleep), or social (relationships, work performance) — even if patterns have not yet escalated to clinical dependence. WHO guidelines recommend brief intervention plus structured outpatient care (ASAM Level 1.0 or Level 2.1 Intensive Outpatient, nine to nineteen hours of structured programming per week). A clinician will likely review medical complications via lab work (GGT, AST/ALT, CDT), screen for comorbid mental-health conditions, and discuss medication options (naltrexone, acamprosate). SAMHSA 1-800-662-4357 can place a referral.
An AUDIT-10 score of 20 or higher indicates patterns consistent with alcohol use disorder — a clinical interview and DSM-5 diagnostic assessment (eleven criteria graded mild / moderate / severe) are warranted. Depending on daily intake and time since last drink, medically supervised detox at ASAM Level 3.7-WM may be indicated before structured treatment can begin: stopping alcohol abruptly after heavy daily use can be life-threatening — seizures and delirium tremens are documented after ~48 to 96 hours of cessation in heavy daily users. Three FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder — naltrexone (oral or monthly injectable), acamprosate, disulfiram — combined with counselling reduce relapse rates substantially. Do not quit alone if you have been drinking heavily for weeks. Call SAMHSA 1-800-662-4357; immediate medical distress: 911.
From an AUDIT-10 score to a real next step: SAMHSA helpline, ASAM levels, and AUD medications
If your AUDIT score is 8 or higher, the WHO recommends a brief intervention with a clinician; 20 or higher may require medically supervised detox because alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. An AUDIT score alone is not a treatment plan, but it is a structured, evidence-based starting point. Here is how the WHO's recommendations translate into concrete actions a person can take in the United States today.
If you scored 8 or higher
- Call SAMHSA's free 24/7 helpline at 1-800-662-4357 (1-800-662-HELP). Counsellors provide information, insurance-navigation, and warm transfers to local treatment — there is no referral fee and no obligation. The helpline is free, confidential, and in English and Spanish.
- Talk to a primary-care clinician and bring your AUDIT-10 score to the appointment. AUDIT-10 appears in SBIRT screening as the standard alcohol instrument that clinicians administer routinely; a score of 10+ is a direct reason for longer conversation about drinking and treatment options including FDA-approved medications (naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram) and counselling.
- Search the SAMHSA treatment locator (findtreatment.gov) by ZIP code for licensed treatment providers near you, or browse our directory by state.
If you scored 20 or higher — read this first
If you have been drinking heavily for weeks or longer and plan to stop, do not detox alone. Alcohol withdrawal is one of the few substance withdrawals that can kill — severe withdrawal produces seizures and delirium tremens, with mortality rates around 1–5% without medical supervision. Safe options include:
- Hospital-based medically managed inpatient detox (ASAM Level 4.0) — appropriate when medical complications are present or heavy daily use has been prolonged. Covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and most commercial plans.
- Medically monitored inpatient detox (ASAM Level 3.7-WM) — a residential detox unit at a treatment facility with 24-hour nursing. Typical stay 3 to 10 days.
- Ambulatory detox with medical oversight (ASAM Level 1-WM or 2-WM) — for people with a lower-risk withdrawal profile and a supportive home setting, with daily or near-daily clinical visits.
Call SAMHSA 1-800-662-4357 and describe your recent daily intake honestly — they will help route you to the appropriate detox level. If you are in immediate medical distress, call 911.
If you scored 0 – 7 but are still worried
The AUDIT-10 is validated and widely used, but it is not infallible. Drinking can cause problems in a life below the 8-point threshold — for example, if you have a strong family history, pregnancy, a liver condition, or co-occurring mental-health concerns. The NIAAA Rethinking Drinking resource is specifically built for this case, with honest US-benchmark drink sizes and personalised feedback.
If AUDIT-10 is not the right fit: PHQ-9, DAST-10, GAD-7, and CAGE-4
AUDIT-10 screens for alcohol use over the past 12 months. If anxiety, drug use, or depression is a separate concern, the screeners below cover those distinct questions. Pair AUDIT-10 with PHQ-9 for the standard primary-care SBIRT alcohol-plus-depression workflow.
DAST-10 (Drug Abuse Screening Test)
10-question Skinner-1982 drug-use screener (excluding alcohol and tobacco). Pair with PHQ-9 if substance use other than alcohol is a concern.
PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9)
9-question Kroenke-2001 depression severity screener. Depression co-occurs with substance use disorder in 30–40% of cases — integrated treatment is best evidence.
GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
7-question anxiety severity screener (Spitzer 2006 — same author family as PHQ-9). Anxiety co-occurs with depression in roughly 50% of cases. At cutoff ≥10: 89% sensitivity, 82% specificity for GAD.
CAGE-4
4-question alcohol screener (Ewing JAMA 1984). Faster than AUDIT-10 but less sensitive. Public-domain. Cutoff ≥2 has 71% sensitivity / 90% specificity for AUD.
PHQ-2
2-item subset of PHQ-9 (anhedonia + depressed mood). Faster pre-screen used in primary care before triggering full PHQ-9.
ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
10-question retrospective measure of childhood adversity (Felitti / CDC 1998). Public-domain. ACE ≥4 increases adult substance use disorder risk by 7×. Trauma-informed counterpart to current-symptom screeners.
PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5)
20-question current-symptom screener developed by VA National Center for PTSD (Weathers 2013). Public-domain. DSM-5-aligned with 4 cluster sub-scores. Pairs with ACE (past exposure + current symptoms = standard trauma workup). Cutoff ≥31 for probable PTSD.
WHO ASSIST
Longer 8-item WHO instrument covering alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, stimulants, inhalants, sedatives, hallucinogens, opioids. For one-shot multi-substance screening. WHO ASSIST manual.
AUDIT-10 terms: ASAM, MAT, DSM-5, SBIRT, withdrawal management
Six terms appear repeatedly across this page — the instrument itself (AUDIT-10), the level-of-care framework that maps AUDIT scores to treatment intensity (ASAM), the FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder (MAT — naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram), the diagnostic standard a clinician uses after the screen (DSM-5), the public-health workflow AUDIT-10 fits inside (SBIRT), and the medical process behind detox (withdrawal management). Plain definitions follow.
- AUDIT-10
- The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, 10-question version. Developed by the World Health Organization and published in current form by Babor et al. (2001). Scores range 0–40 across 4 risk bands.
- ASAM level of care
- The American Society of Addiction Medicine framework that classifies treatment intensity from Level 0.5 (early intervention) through Level 4 (medically managed inpatient). A higher AUDIT score generally maps to a higher ASAM level of care. See our treatment types index for each level's corresponding programs.
- MAT / MOUD
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for alcohol use disorder includes naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. For opioid use disorder, clinicians call it medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD): buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone. See our MAT treatment page.
- DSM-5
- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association. DSM-5 is the clinical criteria set for diagnosing alcohol use disorder (11 criteria, severity mild / moderate / severe). AUDIT screens; DSM-5 diagnoses.
- SBIRT
- Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment — the SAMHSA-recommended public-health workflow. AUDIT-10 is the "S". Brief intervention is a short structured conversation (5–15 min). Referral happens when scores indicate harmful or dependent drinking.
- Brief intervention
- A 5–15 minute structured conversation with a clinician in which the patient's screening results are reviewed, risks are discussed, goals are set, and follow-up is planned. Evidence-based first-line response for AUDIT scores 8–19. Works without formal treatment enrollment for many patients.
AUDIT-10 FAQ: anonymity, scoring, alternatives, withdrawal safety
Common questions about AUDIT-10 — whether the quiz is truly anonymous, what specific scores mean clinically, how AUDIT-10 differs from DSM-5 alcohol use disorder diagnosis, when to use a different screener (AUDIT-C for fast pre-screen, DAST-10 for drug use, PHQ-9 for depression), and the alcohol-specific withdrawal safety facts that matter most at high scores.
Is this AUDIT quiz anonymous?
Yes. Answers and scores are computed entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers. No email required. No account. No tracking of individual responses.
Is the AUDIT-10 a diagnosis?
No. The AUDIT-10 is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A score of 8 or higher indicates drinking patterns worth discussing with a clinician. Only a licensed healthcare professional can diagnose alcohol use disorder using DSM-5 criteria and a full clinical interview.
Who developed the AUDIT-10?
The World Health Organization developed the AUDIT instrument and published the 2nd-edition guidelines in 2001 (Babor, Higgins-Biddle, Saunders, Monteiro). It has been validated in dozens of languages and clinical settings since then and is one of the most widely used alcohol screeners in primary care. See the WHO AUDIT guidelines.
What should I do if I score 16 or higher?
A score of 16–19 indicates harmful drinking; a score of 20 or higher indicates likely dependence. In either range, speak with a clinician or call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7). If you are considering stopping drinking and have been drinking heavily for weeks, do not quit alone — alcohol withdrawal can be medically dangerous and should be medically supervised.
Can this quiz replace a clinical assessment?
No. A clinician will use AUDIT results alongside a full clinical interview, medical history, and DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder. This screener is a useful starting point to bring into that conversation, not a substitute for it.
Is my data saved anywhere?
No. The quiz uses client-side JavaScript only. Questions and your answers never leave the page. You can take a screenshot of your results or print the page to share with a clinician, but nothing is stored on our servers and we do not track individual quiz responses.
How is AUDIT-10 different from the CAGE questionnaire?
CAGE is a 4-question alcohol screener in the public domain since 1984 (Ewing, JAMA). It is faster but less sensitive to hazardous drinking — it mostly flags dependent drinking. AUDIT-10 covers a wider spectrum (consumption, dependence, harm) and produces a continuous 0–40 score with four action bands. If AUDIT-10 takes too long, use AUDIT-C (the first 3 AUDIT questions, consumption-only); CAGE works when you need the shortest possible check.
Is there a version of AUDIT for pregnant women?
Yes. T-ACE and TWEAK are 4–5 item screeners validated for pregnancy. They adjust the "tolerance" cutoff lower because any alcohol exposure can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The NIAAA Core Resource describes both. If you are pregnant and concerned about drinking, call SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or your OB provider directly.
What if my AUDIT score is 6 or 7 — still below the 8-point threshold?
The AUDIT-10 is validated and widely used, but it is not infallible. Scores of 6–7 can still represent patterns worth addressing if you have a strong family history of alcohol use disorder, pregnancy, liver disease, or a co-occurring mental-health condition. The NIAAA Rethinking Drinking tool is designed for this borderline range; it offers honest US-benchmark drink sizes and tailored personal feedback. A brief conversation with a primary-care clinician is also reasonable at any AUDIT score.
Is this AUDIT the same tool my primary-care doctor might use?
Yes — exactly the same 10 items with the same scoring. AUDIT-10 lives inside the SAMHSA SBIRT toolkit and the US Preventive Services Task Force primary-care alcohol-screening recommendation. Your clinician will interpret your score alongside a clinical interview, medical history, and DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder. Bringing this page printout (or just your score) to the appointment shortens the conversation.
AUDIT-10 primary sources: Babor 2001, WHO, NIAAA, SAMHSA, USPSTF, ASAM
Every fact and threshold on this page traces to one of the 8 sources below: Babor's WHO 2001 publication of AUDIT-10 itself, the SAMHSA helpline and SBIRT workflow, the NIAAA Core Resource and Rethinking Drinking, ASAM's national practice guideline for alcohol withdrawal management, and the SAMHSA treatment locator.
- Babor, T. F., Higgins-Biddle, J. C., Saunders, J. B., & Monteiro, M. G. (2001). AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test — Guidelines for Use in Primary Care (2nd ed.). World Health Organization.
- SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357).
- SAMHSA — Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).
- NIAAA Core Resource on Alcohol.
- NIAAA Rethinking Drinking.
- SAMHSA treatment locator.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
- ASAM National Practice Guideline for Alcohol Withdrawal Management.
reviewedBy schema appears in the structured data, and this notice stays visible. We do not provide medical advice and we do not replace evaluation by a licensed clinician. Medical emergency: 911. Crisis: call or text 988. Free, confidential substance-use guidance 24/7: SAMHSA 1-800-662-4357. Alcohol-use-disorder treatment records are protected under 42 CFR Part 2.
