Brief drinking pattern check (AUDIT-C)
How often and how much you drink. Answer the app’s questionnaire and see your result right away.
Source · Bush K, Kivlahan DR, McDonell MB, Fihn SD, Bradley KA. The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C). Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(16):1789–1795. CareOps English translation of its existing Korean questionnaire. Wording, response choices and descriptive score ranges follow the CareOps version and have not been independently validated in English. CareOps retains its existing threshold of 4 and Korean drink-count wording. Screening thresholds may differ by population, including sex; a low score does not establish safe drinking.
Three questions about how much you drink
The AUDIT-C takes the first three items of the WHO’s 10-item AUDIT, the ones about alcohol consumption. Its use grew from a 1998 study by Bush and colleagues that examined whether these three questions alone could help identify risky drinking. It asks how often you drink, how much you drink at a time and how often you have a heavy-drinking occasion. You answer about the past year, and this page uses an English translation of the CareOps Korean version with drink counts that are not country-specific standard drinks.
Reading your results
The total ranges from 0 to 12. The result screen shows 0–3 as lower concern, 4–7 as increased concern and 8–12 as higher concern. Because all three items are about amount and frequency, this check does not show whether drinking has caused problems or feels hard to control. Screening thresholds can differ by population, including by sex, and a low score does not establish a safe level of drinking. A diagnosis is made in a clinical conversation; if you scored 4 or more, consider the full AUDIT or a talk with a professional.
| Score | Result range |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | Lower concern |
| 4–7 | Increased concern |
| 8–12 | Higher concern |
A question to reflect on
Look at which of the three items scored highest. If it was frequency, mark two alcohol-free days on this week’s calendar first. If it was the amount per occasion, decide before your next drink how many you will stop at.
Frequently asked questions
- How many questions are in Brief drinking pattern check (AUDIT-C), and how long does it take?
- There are 3 questions, and it usually takes about 1 minute. Each question has its own set of choices; pick the one closest to you. There are no right or wrong answers.
- How is the AUDIT-C different from the AUDIT?
- The AUDIT-C contains only AUDIT items 1–3, which ask about consumption. It is quicker, but questions about consequences such as memory gaps or missed responsibilities appear only in the 10-item AUDIT.
- Who is this check suited to?
- It works well when you want a quick sense of how much you drink. To look at what drinking has led to, try the AUDIT as well; to see whether drinking has worried you at any point in your life, try the CAGE.
- When should I retake it?
- It asks about a whole year, so retaking it after a few days will give almost the same result. If you decide to change your drinking, retake it after a few months and compare.
- What does my Brief drinking pattern check (AUDIT-C) score mean?
- On this Brief drinking pattern check (AUDIT-C) check, the result screen reads 0–3 lower concern, 4–7 increased concern, 8–12 higher concern. A score is a starting point for reflection and conversation, not a diagnosis.
- Do I need to sign in? Are my answers saved?
- You can see your results right away without signing in. Your answers are used only for scoring and are not stored on our servers.
- Can I bring these results into a counseling session?
- Use the analysis button at the bottom of the result screen to have a short conversation with Maeumi without signing in. After the conversation, you can continue in the app. The web conversation does not transfer automatically to the app.
- Can I share my results with a friend?
- Yes. Use Share at the top right of the result screen to send a friend the check itself, or share your result as a link or story image. A result link carries your scores inside the address only; it does not include your name or account, and nothing is saved on our side.