Alcoholism Test (AUDIT): Is Your Drinking a Problem?

Worried about your drinking? SAMHSA’s National Helpline is free, confidential and open 24/7 at 1-800-662-4357. If you drink heavily, don’t stop suddenly without talking to a doctor, because withdrawal can be dangerous. In a crisis, call or text 988 (US) or visit findahelpline.com.

This free alcoholism test uses the AUDIT, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test from the World Health Organization. It has 10 questions about how much you drink, whether you can control it, and how it affects your life. It takes a few minutes, your answers stay private, and your score places you in one of the four WHO risk zones. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.

What Is Alcoholism?

“Alcoholism” is the everyday word. Doctors call it alcohol use disorder (AUD): a medical condition in which you find it hard to stop or control your drinking, even when it causes problems (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [NIAAA], 2025).

The DSM-5 lists 11 criteria for AUD. Meeting any 2 of them within the same 12 months is enough for a diagnosis. AUD is then graded by how many criteria apply (NIAAA, 2021):

• Mild: 2 to 3 symptoms
• Moderate: 4 to 5 symptoms
• Severe: 6 or more symptoms

The DSM-5 also combined the older labels “alcohol abuse” and “alcohol dependence” into this one disorder (NIAAA, 2021).

AUD is common. In 2024, about 27.9 million people in the US aged 12 and older, or 9.7%, had AUD in the past year (NIAAA, 2025, citing the National Survey on Drug Use and Health). Many people with AUD do recover (NIAAA, 2025).

Signs of a Drinking Problem

These are the warning signs the AUDIT asks about. One or two on their own don’t mean you have AUD, but a pattern is worth talking through with a doctor.

You can’t stop once you start

You plan to have one or two, but often end up drinking much more than you meant to.

Drinking gets in the way of daily life

You miss work, school or family plans, or fail to do what’s expected of you, because of drinking.

You need a drink in the morning

After a heavy night, you need a drink to get going the next day.

You feel guilty after drinking

Drinking is often followed by guilt or regret about what you said or did.

You can’t remember the night before

You have gaps in your memory after drinking, also called blackouts.

Someone has been hurt

You or someone else has been injured because of your drinking.

Other people are worried

A relative, friend or doctor has said they are concerned about your drinking, or suggested you cut down.

What Counts as One Drink?

Questions 2 and 3 ask how many drinks you have, so it helps to know what one drink is. In the US, a standard drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol. That is about (NIAAA, 2025, What Is A Standard Drink?):

Many glasses, cans and cocktails hold more than one standard drink, so count carefully.

How This Alcoholism Test Works

This test is the AUDIT, developed by the World Health Organization and described in its guidelines for primary care (Babor et al., 2001). It is the full 10-question version, word for word, with the official answer options. As a WHO-approved instrument, the AUDIT is in the public domain.

• Questions 1 to 3 ask how often and how much you drink.
• Questions 4 to 6 ask about signs of dependence, such as not being able to stop.
• Questions 7 to 10 ask about harm from drinking, such as blackouts, injuries and other people’s concern.

Questions 1 to 8 score 0 to 4 points. Questions 9 and 10 score 0, 2 or 4 points. Your total is between 0 and 40 (AUDIT, n.d.).

Understanding Your Results

The WHO groups AUDIT scores into four zones, each with a recommended next step (Babor et al., 2001):

A score of 8 or more suggests hazardous or harmful drinking (AUDIT, n.d.). The WHO also advises moving up one zone if you scored 2 or more on questions 4, 5 or 6, or 4 on question 9 or 10. It notes that the cutoffs can vary a little with a country’s drinking patterns and the alcohol content of a standard drink (Babor et al., 2001). Only a doctor can diagnose alcohol use disorder.

Treatment and Getting Help

AUD can be treated, and many people recover. The main options are (NIAAA, 2025):

• Talk therapy. Behavioral treatments, also called alcohol counseling, help change drinking habits.
• Medicines. The FDA has approved three medicines to help people stop or reduce drinking: naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram. They are not addictive.
• Mutual-support groups. Peer groups give ongoing support for stopping or cutting back.

A safety note: people with severe AUD may need medical help to stop drinking safely, because alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous (NIAAA, 2025). If you drink heavily every day, talk to a doctor before you stop.

A good first step is your family doctor. SAMHSA’s National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is free, confidential and open 24/7 in English and Spanish, and can point you to local treatment and support (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], n.d.). Drinking often goes hand in hand with low mood or anxiety, so the Clinical Depression Test and Anxiety Test may also help.

Methodology & Sources

This page was researched and written by the PsyMed Editorial Team and last reviewed on 4 November 2026. The quiz is the WHO AUDIT, reproduced without changes from the self-report version and scored with the WHO’s published zones. As a WHO-approved instrument, the AUDIT is in the public domain, and no fee is charged to take it. Facts and figures come from the WHO, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and SAMHSA. Read more about how we build our tests.

References

1. 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. who.int
2. AUDIT. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions. auditscreen.org
3. AUDIT. (n.d.). Scoring the AUDIT. auditscreen.org
4. Oregon Health Authority. (n.d.). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Self-Report Version. oregon.gov
5. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2025). Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder. niaaa.nih.gov
6. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2021). Alcohol Use Disorder: A Comparison Between DSM–IV and DSM–5. niaaa.nih.gov
7. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2025). Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the United States: Age Groups and Demographic Characteristics. niaaa.nih.gov
8. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2025). What Is A Standard Drink? niaaa.nih.gov
9. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). National Helpline. samhsa.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an online alcoholism test diagnose me?

No. The AUDIT is a screening tool. It shows whether your drinking may be risky or harmful, but only a doctor can diagnose alcohol use disorder.

What is the AUDIT?

The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) is a 10-question screening questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Its scores are grouped into four risk zones, each with a recommended next step (Babor et al., 2001).

What AUDIT score is a problem?

A score of 8 or more suggests hazardous or harmful drinking (AUDIT, n.d.). In the WHO’s zones, 8–15 is Zone II, 16–19 is Zone III and 20–40 is Zone IV, where the WHO recommends seeing a specialist (Babor et al., 2001).

Is alcoholism the same as alcohol use disorder?

Yes, more or less. “Alcoholism” is the everyday word. Doctors use “alcohol use disorder”, which can be mild, moderate or severe (NIAAA, 2025).

Is it safe to just stop drinking?

Not always. People with severe AUD may need medical help to stop safely, because withdrawal can be dangerous (NIAAA, 2025). If you drink heavily, talk to a doctor first.

Where can I get help?

Start with your family doctor. In the US, SAMHSA’s National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is free, confidential and open 24/7. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988.

Related Tests

• Drug Addiction Test: if you also use other substances
• Clinical Depression Test: low mood and drinking often go together
• Anxiety Test: some people drink to cope with anxiety
• Impulse Control Disorder Quiz: for other urges that are hard to control

This alcoholism test is for information only and is not a diagnosis or medical advice. If you are worried about your drinking, please speak to a doctor. For support, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline on 1-800-662-4357. In a crisis, call or text 988 (US) or visit findahelpline.com.