21-item self-report inventory measuring severity of anxiety symptoms with focus on somatic symptoms. ≈ 5 min to complete. Free with attribution.
BAI (Beck Anxiety Inventory) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 21-item self-report inventory measuring severity of anxiety symptoms with focus on somatic symptoms.. It is most often used for 21-item self-report inventory measuring severity of anxiety symptoms with focus on somatic symptoms.. The instrument contains 21 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 5 min.
Source / attribution: Copyrighted; purchase from Pearson
21-item self-report inventory measuring severity of anxiety symptoms with focus on somatic symptoms. BAI 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, BAI 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 21 items below to see your BAI score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 4-point scale (0–3). 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 all 21 items scored 0-3. Total range 0-63.
Scoring notes: Sum all 21 items scored 0-3. Total range 0-63.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–7 | Minimal | None |
| 8–15 | Mild | Watchful waiting |
| 16–25 | Moderate | Consider treatment |
| 26–63 | Severe | Active treatment |
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 | Numbness or tingling | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 2 | Feeling hot | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 3 | Wobbliness in legs | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 4 | Unable to relax | Not at all | 0 |
| 5 | Fear of worst happening | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 6 | Dizzy or lightheaded | Not at all | 0 |
| 7 | Heart pounding or racing | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 8 | Unsteady | Not at all | 0 |
| 9 | Terrified or afraid | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 10 | Nervous | Not at all | 0 |
| 11 | Feeling of choking | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 12 | Hands trembling | Not at all | 0 |
| 13 | Shaky or unsteady | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 14 | Fear of losing control | Not at all | 0 |
| 15 | Difficulty in breathing | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 16 | Fear of passing away | Not at all | 0 |
| 17 | Scared | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 18 | Indigestion | Not at all | 0 |
| 19 | Faint or lightheaded | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
| 20 | Face flushed | Not at all | 0 |
| 21 | Hot or cold sweats | Mildly — but it didn't bother me much | 1 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
1 + 1 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 0 + … (items 9–21 sum to 7) = 12
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 12 falls between 8 and 15 → Mild
Mild. Watchful waiting
A score is one input alongside history and examination. BAI 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 BAI doesn't fit your context, related instruments in anxiety include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAD-2 | Ultra-brief anxiety screening based on first two GAD-7 items. | 2 | ≈ 1 min |
| STAI | Measures both temporary state anxiety and long-standing trait anxiety. | 20 | ≈ 10 min |
| HADS-A | 7-item anxiety subscale for hospital and clinical settings. | 7 | ≈ 2 min |
| PSWQ | 16-item measure of worry tendency as a stable personality trait. | 16 | ≈ 5 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
BAI (Beck Anxiety Inventory) is a validated instrument that assesses severity of anxiety symptoms with focus on somatic symptoms. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. It takes about 5 min to complete, and the 21 items are summed to produce a total score.
BAI typically takes about 5 min to administer. The exact duration varies a little depending on whether it is self-administered or completed with a clinician. Its brief format is part of what makes it practical for routine clinical use and for repeat administration when tracking change over time.
BAI contains 21 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 0 to 63, grouped into 4 interpretation bands from ‘Minimal’ up to ‘Severe’.
On the BAI (total score 0–63), scores of 26–63 fall in the ‘Severe’ band — interpreted as: Active treatment. The full ladder is: 0–7 — Minimal: None.; 8–15 — Mild: Watchful waiting.; 16–25 — Moderate: Consider treatment.; 26–63 — Severe: Active treatment. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 0–7 fall in the ‘Minimal’ band: None. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
BAI has reported Cronbach's α of 0.92 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.75. Distinguishes anxiety from depression; focuses on somatic symptoms. In practical terms, a Cronbach’s α around 0.92 indicates excellent internal consistency (the items hang together well), and a test–retest reliability of 0.75 means scores are well when the scale is repeated without real clinical change.
BAI is free to use with attribution — clinical, educational, and research use is permitted provided the original source is credited. If you publish results or reproduce the scale, include the citation to the source paper.
Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. A. (1993). Beck Anxiety Inventory Manual. Psychological Corporation. This is the original publication for the BAI — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. BAI is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of severity of anxiety symptoms with focus on somatic symptoms — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
BAI is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: