AUDIT scoring: what your 0–40 score means
CareOps editorial team · · 5 min read
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Read our full editorial standards →The AUDIT is the World Health Organization’s 10-question check on drinking. It goes further than how much you drink: it also asks about control, mornings after, and whether drinking has hurt anyone. If you have just finished it and are looking at a number between 0 and 40, this guide explains how that number is built and what each range means.
At a glance
- The AUDIT has 10 questions about the past year. Eight are scored 0 to 4 and the last two 0, 2 or 4, so the total runs from 0 to 40.
- The WHO manual groups scores into four zones: 0–7, 8–15, 16–19 and 20–40. A total of 8 or more is the usual cut point for hazardous or harmful drinking.
- It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A higher zone means a closer look is worth it, not that a label applies.
What is the AUDIT?
AUDIT stands for Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. It was built in a World Health Organization project across six countries, and its 10 questions were chosen from a 150-question interview given to 1,888 people attending primary care. The goal was a short form that a clinic, or a person on their own, could use to spot risky drinking early.
The 10 questions fall into three groups, all looking back over the past year:
- Questions 1–3: how much and how often. How often you drink, how many drinks on a typical drinking day, and how often you have a heavy-drinking occasion. These three on their own form the AUDIT-C.
- Questions 4–6: signs of dependence. Not being able to stop once you start, failing to do what was expected because of drinking, and needing a drink in the morning.
- Questions 7–10: harm. Guilt or regret after drinking, not remembering the night before, someone being injured because of your drinking, and others being concerned about it.
How is the AUDIT scored?
Questions 1 to 8 each have five answers scored 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, with higher points for more often or more drinks. Questions 9 and 10 have only three answers: no (0), yes but not in the past year (2), and yes, during the past year (4). Add all ten together for a total from 0 to 40.
In the 1993 development study, 92% of people diagnosed with hazardous or harmful drinking scored 8 or more, and 94% of people without hazardous drinking scored below 8. That is why 8 became the standard cut point.
AUDIT score interpretation: the four zones
| Total score | WHO zone | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–7 | Zone I | Lower-risk drinking or not drinking |
| 8–15 | Zone II | Hazardous drinking: a pattern that raises the risk of harm |
| 16–19 | Zone III | Harmful drinking: harm may already be happening |
| 20–40 | Zone IV | Possible dependence; a fuller assessment is worth doing |
Our free check uses these same four ranges and 8 as its line. Two people with the same total can get there in very different ways, so look at where your points came from. Points mostly from questions 1–3 point to amount and frequency. Points from questions 4–6 point to control, and points from 7–10 to consequences.
Questions 9 and 10 jump straight to 2 or 4 points, so a single past injury or a single person voicing concern can move a total a long way. That is by design: those events matter even if they happened only once.
AUDIT vs AUDIT-C
The AUDIT-C is the first three questions alone, scored 0 to 12. It is quicker and works well for flagging heavy drinking, but it can’t see loss of control or alcohol-related harm. The full AUDIT adds those seven questions, which is why it is often the next step after a positive AUDIT-C. For the short version’s scoring and cut-offs, see AUDIT-C score explained.
Take the AUDIT now
You can take the full 10-question AUDIT here for free, without signing up. It takes about two minutes, and your total and zone appear right away.
Try a self-assessment without signing inAlcohol use (AUDIT)Drinking patterns and their effect on daily life. Answer the app’s questionnaire and see your result right away.Start the check →What to do with a higher score
A score of 8 or more is a prompt to look more closely, not a verdict. Start with the questions that scored highest. If they were about frequency, pick alcohol-free days and put them on the calendar. If they were about amount, decide your number before the first drink. If they were about control or mornings, that is worth talking over with a doctor. If you drink daily and feel shaky, sweaty or anxious when you stop, speak to a doctor before cutting back suddenly. For more practical ideas, see checking your drinking habits.
Drinking often has a job, such as winding down after a hard day. CareOps Maeumi is an AI counseling app that starts with short self-checks like this one and helps you work through what sits behind a habit. It remembers earlier sessions so you don’t start over, you can talk by voice or text. Sign-up and initial self-checks are free; check your account’s session offer and pricing before payment. You can use it alongside care from a licensed professional.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the AUDIT scored?
- Questions 1 to 8 are scored 0 to 4 each, and questions 9 and 10 are scored 0, 2 or 4. Add all ten answers for a total from 0 to 40.
- What is a normal AUDIT score?
- Scores from 0 to 7 fall in the WHO’s lowest zone, read as lower-risk drinking or not drinking. A score of 8 or more is the usual cut point for hazardous or harmful drinking.
- What does an AUDIT score of 20 or more mean?
- 20 to 40 is the WHO’s fourth zone. It suggests possible alcohol dependence and means a fuller assessment with a doctor or other professional is worth doing. The AUDIT itself does not diagnose dependence.
- What is the difference between the AUDIT and the AUDIT-C?
- The AUDIT-C is the first three AUDIT questions, about how often and how much you drink, scored 0 to 12. The full AUDIT adds seven questions about control and alcohol-related harm, scored together from 0 to 40.
Sources
- Saunders JB et al. (1993). Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO Collaborative Project on Early Detection of Persons with Harmful Alcohol Consumption-II. Addiction
- World Health Organization (2001). AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, guidelines for use in primary care
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