If you’re generally energetic, disorganized, and/or a little scatterbrained, you’ve probably been coined “ADHD” by friends or co-workers at some point. It’s easy to laugh off once or twice.

But if you hear that a lot—or if you’ve started to notice more symptoms that you think might actually point to a diagnosis—you may start wondering if it’s more than an inside joke about losing your keys all the time.

Everyone has trouble concentrating sometimes, and everyone can get restless occasionally, but real ADHD will eventually interrupt your life—at home, work, and school. The first step to managing ADHD is to figure out if you really have it, or if you just had too much coffee this morning.

ADHD Quiz

The nine questions below focus on the frequency of certain ADHD symptoms. Most people experience at least a couple of these symptoms from time to time, so remember to consider how often you have noticed these in the past month.

Note: This quiz is intended to help you recognize symptoms of ADHD, in order to better understand and manage your own experiences. It is not a complete or thorough diagnosis and does not replace a professional evaluation.

For each question, ask yourself if you feel that way never, occasionally, frequently, or pretty much all the time.

1. How often do you avoid or procrastinate on new tasks?

Everyone procrastinates sometimes. A big project looms in the distance and we really don’t want to do it … so we don’t.

But avoiding unpleasant tasks almost becomes a lifestyle in people who suffer from ADHD. Procrastination is partially a side-effect of other ADHD symptoms, like difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, etc.

Additionally, research has discovered that procrastination in general isn’t actually about poor time management skills as much as it is about an inability to regulate moods and emotion. When a task seems too big or challenging, fears and insecurities immediately creep in. Many people can manage those fears and get on with the task, but people who suffer from ADHD struggle to self-regulate anyway. The added pressure of a “big” task quickly becomes overwhelming and ADHD sufferers distract themselves from those emotions with other things.

2. How often do you feel fidgety or restless?

We tend to think of restless children as candidates for ADHD, but restlessness is a key symptom of adult ADHD as well.

How often do you find that you have a hard time staying seated—even in a meeting or other social situation in which you know you’re expected to stay seated?
Do you generally have a hard time with quiet activities, like watching a movie or reading a book?

Adults with hyperactivity may also frequently tap their hands or feet, or shift in their seats.

3. How often do you have a hard time concentrating?

Difficult concentrating is another symptom that is commonly brushed aside. Everyone gets distracted during a meeting-that-should-have-been-an-email, and everyone has days when they just can’t seem to focus.

For those who suffer from ADHD, however, trouble concentrating is not unusual or odd. Do you frequently find it difficult to concentrate when:

Someone is talking to you?
There is noise or activity around you?

A key symptom of ADHD is difficulty concentrating—even when someone is talking directly to you, in person—and/or being easily distracted by nearby activities and sounds.

4. How often do you make careless mistakes?

There are several subtypes of ADHD, one of which is known as “inattentive ADHD” (formerly referred to as “ADD”). This is where the “attention deficit” symptoms are especially predominant: easily distracted, trouble concentrating, etc.

It makes sense, then, that someone suffering from inattentive ADHD would be prone to making mistakes. The term “careless mistakes” is often used, because these are mistakes that the ADHD sufferer should know not to make. These frequent mistakes don’t, however, come from a lack of caring, but rather an inability to sustain focus—especially on a task that seems boring or repetitive.

Everyone makes mistakes, but these small, inattentive mistakes become a marker of inattentive ADHD when other symptoms are present and/or when they become a consistent pattern.

5. How often do you forget things?

Forgetting something from time to time is part of being human, and many adults find that their memories are not as sharp as they age, but recurring forgetfulness is also a key sign and symptom of ADHD. It can range from small things, like forgetting garbage day, to bigger issues, like forgetting work meetings and deadlines.

Forgetfulness often coexists with careless mistakes and difficulty concentrating, but it’s a distinct symptom of ADHD.

6. How often do you have difficulty relaxing?

Is it hard to unwind at the end of the day or over the weekend? Do you feel like you’re always “on the go”? There are a few reasons why people who suffer from ADHD have trouble relaxing.

First, the same parts of the brain that regulate attention also regulate alertness and sleep. If you have consistent problems with concentration, it’s likely that your ADHD will also make it difficult to wind down.

Secondly, many adults with ADHD are plagued by stress and anxiety because of their ADHD. If you’re constantly misplacing things, making mistakes at work, and/or procrastinating on important tasks, you’re also constantly tense. Many adult ADHD sufferers feel guilty about how their ADHD affects others, and are always working to make up for it somehow.

Living with ADHD can feel like a constant fight, and it’s difficult to relax on a battlefield.

7. How often do you misplace things?

Everyone loses their keys sometimes, but if you feel like you’re always searching for something—keys, phone, that utensil that was just in your hand—you may be dealing with ADHD.

In fact, frequently losing things is sometimes the first clue that an adult is suffering from ADHD. It is the product of a combination of other symptoms that sometimes go undiagnosed: inattention and forgetfulness may not seem severe or out of hand until the frustration of losing your phone three times per day—every day—sets in.

8. How often do you find that you avoid waiting in line?

No one likes to wait in lines, but sometimes it’s just necessary: the grocery store checkout, the DMV, a tourist attraction, etc. Many people will grumble about a long line, but endure it because they need to—or because the payoff is worth it.

People suffering from ADHD more frequently avoid the line altogether. They’ll come back to the store at another time or miss out on the event or attraction they wanted to see—just to avoid the line. In many cases, people with ADHD are seen as aggressive drivers, because they will avoid waiting in traffic lines as well.

9. How often do you find yourself interrupting others?

Many times, people with ADHD are classified as “talkers,” and they have a very difficult time not interrupting someone when they are speaking. This is driven by the inability to pay attention and/or that hurried, restless need to just get to the point already.

ADHD Quiz: Scoring

Reviewing the nine questions above, give yourself:

One “point” for every time you would answer “occasionally.”
Two “points” for every time you would answer “frequently.”
Three “points” for every time you would answer “all the time.”

If your total is below 10, and you mostly answered “never” or “occasionally,” you’re showing few signs of ADHD. You might be in a stressful season of life, or you might want to review your diet to cut out some sugar and caffeine.

If your total is between 10 and 18, you may be experiencing symptoms of ADHD. If your total is higher than 18, or you answered “all the time” to four or more symptoms, you should consider a professional diagnosis.

Most importantly, no matter what your “score” is, remember that any kind of disruptive mental health concern is worth talking to someone about. If forgetfulness, careless mistakes, inattentiveness, etc., are having a negative impact on any area of your life, there are strategies that can help you manage those symptoms.

Stress and anxiety, for example, often present similar symptoms, and counseling can help. An experienced therapist can share strategies for managing symptoms and regaining control of your life, while also helping you process what may be at the root of your anxiety.

If you are a student struggling to balance responsibilities, manage your schedule, and/or fulfill academic expectations, our NeemaStudy program can help. Our academic coach provides virtual study sessions and private coaching to help students learn study and time management skills that will help them succeed for decades to come.

ADHD FAQs

As our counselors and therapists talk with clients about the possibility of an ADHD diagnosis, several questions usually come up.

What exactly is ADHD?

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is a mental health disorder that is often evident in childhood and continues into adulthood. ADHD is commonly marked by an inability to concentrate or pay attention and/or chronic restlessness. It can be very disruptive to work and social relationships, leading to poor self-esteem and difficult relationships.

The condition traditionally referred to as ADD is now classified as a subtype of ADHD, called “inattentive ADHD.”

How do you get tested for ADHD?

Any experienced mental health professional or medical doctor can conduct an evaluation for an ADHD diagnosis. There are no physical symptoms to test for, but a medical professional will compare behaviors and symptoms with the diagnostic criteria detailed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

How do I cope with ADHD?

If you’re still experiencing ADHD symptoms as an adult, it is likely to be a life-long companion. Symptoms can be managed, though, and there are a lot of great strategies that help people overcome the difficulties of living with ADHD.

There is no shortage of internet content that lists dozens of possible coping strategies, but the best strategy is usually to work with a counselor or therapist. Getting to know someone who has experience managing ADHD symptoms can help you understand your unique experiences. They can put together a specific set of strategies to help, and continue to review your progress with you.

Can adults have ADHD?

Yes. In fact, 4.4% of adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD, and the condition is slightly more common in men than women. ADHD in adults is referred to as “adult ADHD,” though it is usually evident in childhood and continues into adulthood. Hyperactivity is less common in adult ADHD than in childhood, but other symptoms can linger through a person’s entire life.

Can ADHD go away?

Sometimes ADHD in children “goes away” on its own. One-third to half of children diagnosed with ADHD grow out of their symptoms eventually. If ADHD symptoms continue into adulthood, however, it’s extremely rare that they would go away in middle- or later life.

Is ADHD a disability?

Yes, ADHD is a legal disability.

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 consider ADHD a disability, although there are restrictions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists ADHD as a developmental disability in children.

However, even though ADHD presents a variety of symptoms that can interfere with learning, the Learning Disabilities Association of America does not consider ADHD a learning disability.

What causes ADHD?

The cause of ADHD is still unknown, but the latest research indicates that genetics may hold the key.

Other causes and risk factors are also being studied, including early exposure to environmental toxins (such as lead), brain injury, maternal drug or alcohol use during pregnancy, and premature birth.

Do I have ADHD?

This simple self-diagnostic ADHD quiz can give you a good idea whether or not you have ADHD, but a professional evaluation is the only way to know for sure. If you scored high on this test, contact a local therapist for an evaluation and some help managing your symptoms.

If you scored low on the quiz, but feel like you need some help—it’s still okay to reach out. Even if you wouldn’t qualify for an ADHD diagnosis, symptoms that interrupt your life and cause personal and professional difficulties are worth getting help for.

If you’re in Texas, the team at Neema would be happy to meet with you. Our offices are in Austin and Houston, but we offer telehealth for clients across the state. If you’re a student anywhere in the U.S. who has trouble focusing or managing your work, the NeemaStudy program was designed just for you.

ADHD Test: Self-Assessment for Adults and Teenagers