3-item brief version of AUDIT for quick alcohol screening in clinical settings. ≈ 1 min to complete. Free with attribution.
AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 3-item brief version of audit for quick alcohol screening in clinical settings.. It is most often used for 3-item brief version of audit for quick alcohol screening in clinical settings.. The instrument contains 3 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 1 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
3-item brief version of AUDIT for quick alcohol screening in clinical settings. AUDIT-C is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, AUDIT-C is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 3 items below to see your AUDIT-C score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 5-point scale (0–4). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Sum 3 items scored 0-4 (or 0-12 depending on gender for item 3). Total range 0-12. Women >= 4, Men >= 5 = hazardous.
Scoring notes: Sum 3 items scored 0-4 (or 0-12 depending on gender for item 3). Total range 0-12. Women >= 4, Men >= 5 = hazardous.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | Low risk | None |
| 4–5 | Hazardous (women) | Brief intervention |
| 5–12 | Hazardous (men) | Brief intervention |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How often do you have a drink containing alcohol? | 2-4 times a month | 2 |
| 2 | How many standard drinks on a typical day when you are drinking? | 3 or 4 | 1 |
| 3 | How often do you have 6 or more drinks on one occasion? | Monthly | 2 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
2 + 1 + 2 = 5
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 5 falls between 4 and 5 → Hazardous (women)
Hazardous (women). Brief intervention
A score is one input alongside history and examination. AUDIT-C supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If AUDIT-C doesn't fit your context, related instruments in addiction include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CAGE | Classic 4-item screening test for alcohol problems. | 4 | ≈ 1 min |
| DAST-10 | 10-item brief screener for drug use problems excluding alcohol and tobacco. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| FTND | 6-item measure of nicotine dependence severity for smoking cessation planning. | 6 | ≈ 2 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise) is a validated instrument that assesses 3-item brief version of audit for quick alcohol screening in clinical settings.. Its primary clinical use is 3-item brief version of audit for quick alcohol screening in clinical settings..
AUDIT-C typically takes ≈ 1 min to administer. Time can vary slightly depending on whether it is self-administered or clinician-led.
AUDIT-C contains 3 items. Items are summed to produce a total score.
Scores of 5–12 fall in the "Hazardous (men)" band. Brief intervention
Scores of 0–3 fall in the "Low risk" band. None
AUDIT-C has reported Cronbach's α of 0.8 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.78. Sensitivity 95% for heavy drinking and active alcohol use disorders.
AUDIT-C is free to use with attribution. Free to use with citation
Bush, K., Kivlahan, D. R., McDonell, M. B., Fihn, S. D., & Bradley, K. A. (1998). The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions. Archives of Internal Medicine, 158(16), 1789-1795.
No. AUDIT-C is a structured assessment aid. A score is one input alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
AUDIT-C is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: