ASRS v1.1 Adult ADHD Screener: Part A and Part B

What it measures

The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale v1.1 (ASRS) is an 18-item screening tool for adult ADHD, rated by how often each symptom occurred over the past 6 months. Each item has five responses: never, rarely, sometimes, often, or very often. Part A (items 1–6) is the primary screener. Part B (items 7–18) adds supplemental symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity to support the diagnostic assessment.

Scoring Part A

Part A is not a summed score. It counts how many of the six items fall in the shaded clinical range, and each item has its own threshold:

Items	Counts as clinical at
1–3 (finishing details, organizing, remembering appointments)	Sometimes or higher
4–6 (delaying tasks, fidgeting, feeling driven by a motor)	Often or higher

A count of 4 or more out of 6 is a positive screen, and further evaluation is warranted. A count of 0–3 is below threshold. The result appears only after all six Part A items are answered.

Part B

Part B has no clinical threshold. The tool reports how many of the 12 items were answered never, rarely, sometimes, often, and very often, which gives additional clinical cues alongside the screen.

What the report includes and limitations

The copyable report lists the date, every Part A and Part B response, the Part A count and result with a recommended action, the Part B frequency distribution, scoring notes, and the source (Kessler and colleagues, 2005). A positive Part A screen is not a diagnosis. It should be followed by a full ADHD assessment that includes functional impairment, developmental history, and the differential diagnosis.