Brief 12-item version of SF-36 for large surveys and routine monitoring. ≈ 3 min to complete. Free with attribution.
SF-12 (12-Item Short Form Health Survey) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess brief 12-item version of sf-36 for large surveys and routine monitoring.. It is most often used for brief 12-item version of sf-36 for large surveys and routine monitoring.. The instrument contains 12 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 3 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
Brief 12-item version of SF-36 for large surveys and routine monitoring. SF-12 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, SF-12 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 12 items below to see your SF-12 score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 5-point scale (1–5). 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.
Two summary scores: Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). Standardized mean 50, SD 10.
Scoring notes: Two summary scores: Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). Standardized mean 50, SD 10.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | Poor health | Consider intervention |
| 26–50 | Fair health | Monitor |
| 51–100 | Good health | Maintain |
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 | In general, would you say your health is: | Good | 3 |
| 2 | Does your health now limit you in moderate activities, such as moving a table, pushing a vacuum cleaner, bowling, or playing golf? | No, not limited at all | 3 |
| 3 | Does your health now limit you in climbing several flights of stairs? | No, not limited at all | 3 |
| 4 | During the past 4 weeks, have you accomplished less than you would like as a result of your physical health? | Some of the time | 3 |
| 5 | During the past 4 weeks, were you limited in the kind of work or other regular daily activities as a result of your physical health? | Some of the time | 3 |
| 6 | During the past 4 weeks, have you accomplished less than you would like as a result of any emotional problems (such as feeling depressed or anxious)? | Some of the time | 3 |
| 7 | During the past 4 weeks, did you not do work or other activities as carefully as usual as a result of any emotional problems? | Some of the time | 3 |
| 8 | During the past 4 weeks, how much did pain interfere with your normal work (including both work outside the home and housework)? | Moderately | 3 |
| 9 | How much of the time during the past 4 weeks have you felt calm and peaceful? | Some of the time | 3 |
| 10 | How much of the time during the past 4 weeks did you have a lot of energy? | Most of the time | 4 |
| 11 | How much of the time during the past 4 weeks have you felt downhearted and depressed? | Some of the time | 3 |
| 12 | During the past 4 weeks, how much of the time has your physical health or emotional problems interfered with your social activities (like visiting friends, relatives, etc.)? | A little of the time | 4 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 4 = 38
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 38 falls between 26 and 50 → Fair health
Fair health. Monitor
A score is one input alongside history and examination. SF-12 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 SF-12 doesn't fit your context, related instruments in quality of life include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWLS | 5-item global measure of life satisfaction based on cognitive judgment. | 5 | ≈ 1 min |
| EQ-5D-5L | Generic health status measure with 5 dimensions and 5 levels each plus visual analog scale. | 5 | ≈ 2 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 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
| MELD-Na | 3-month mortality in advanced liver disease; transplant prioritization | 5 | — |
SF-12 (12-Item Short Form Health Survey) is a validated instrument that assesses brief 12-item version of sf-36 for large surveys and routine monitoring.. Its primary clinical use is brief 12-item version of sf-36 for large surveys and routine monitoring..
SF-12 typically takes ≈ 3 min to administer. Time can vary slightly depending on whether it is self-administered or clinician-led.
SF-12 contains 12 items. Items are summed to produce a total score.
Scores of 51–100 fall in the "Good health" band. Maintain
Scores of 0–25 fall in the "Poor health" band. Consider intervention
SF-12 has reported Cronbach's α of 0.89 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.82. Explains 90% of variance in SF-36 scales.
SF-12 is free to use with attribution. Free to use with citation
Ware, J. E., Kosinski, M., & Keller, S. D. (1996). A 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Medical Care, 34(3), 220-233.
No. SF-12 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.
SF-12 is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: