ADHD Tests For Adults and Adolescents

There is no one test that can tell whether someone is suffering from ADHD. To diagnose ADHD, healthcare professionals have be aware of how symptoms affect daily functioning and rule out any other physical and mental disorders that cause similar issues.

The doctor will also inquire with you about your symptoms prior to the age of 12. According to current diagnostic guidelines for being diagnosed, you have to be suffering from symptoms since childhood.

Conners Adults ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS)

In the context of clinical care they are usually designed to differentiate adult patients suffering from ADHD from those without symptoms. It is difficult to achieve satisfactory differentiation rates especially when patients with different diagnoses have overlapping symptoms in the emotional regulation and impulse control domains. For instance, anxiety disorders often co-occur with symptoms of impulsivity and disinhibition. In such instances the use of rating scales could result in overdiagnosis and excessive treatment.

To help address this problem To address this issue, the original CAARS was updated in 1999 to include an observer form to provide an accurate assessment of symptom severity. Numerous studies have looked into the psychometric features of this revised version. In particular the convergent and simultaneous validity of the measure has been proven to be satisfactory (Smyth and Meier Citation2019). However, some complaints have been made about the measure's sensitivity to untruthful reporting, a problem that is commonplace on ADHD rating scales.

The CAARS-S:O has been utilized in a variety of clinical samples and in many diagnostic conditions. The psychometric properties of the shorter self-report and observer versions have been examined including metric and configural invariance. These results have given the instrument a high degree of confidence in its ability to recognize ADHD symptoms in adults.

In a recent study, the authors of the CAARS-S:O evaluated the factor structure of this instrument using a sample of nonclinical adult patients using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that the four-factor model fit the data and was in line with previous research (Conners, Erhardt, Epstein et al. Citation 1999). The scalar-invariance of this model was also confirmed. Finally, the scalar as well as configural invariance was also determined by gender which allows scores to be attributed to differences in underlying dimensions.

Recently the authors of CAARS:S:O extended the findings to a nonclinical adult Japanese population. 786 participants completed both the CAARS S:S and CAARS Observer forms. The same four-factor model was shown to be valid in the North American population with satisfactory metric invariance and configural invariance. This study extends the validation of the CAARS S:O to a brand new population and confirms its usefulness in identifying ADHD symptoms in emerging adulthood.

Barkley Adults ADHD Scales – IV (BAARSIV)

The BAARS-IV assesses current ADHD symptoms, domains of impairment and childhood symptoms. It is designed to provide a complete assessment of an individual's functioning, including their school, social and work areas. It is simple to administer and takes about 5-7 minutes to complete. The BAARS-IV contains both self-reporting items and other report items (e.g., spouse/partner/parent). This increases the reliability of the test.


Compared to age-based norms, the BAARS-IV indicates whether symptoms are "Clinically Significant," suggesting that the person has more severe symptoms than others their same age, and could require further investigation. A score of "Not clinically significant" indicates that the symptoms are not affecting functioning and are more representative of the typical spectrum of symptoms that people who are their age.

This study involved 124 adults between the ages of 18 and 67. The participants were referred by a physician or self-referred to an outpatient clinic in a medical center to be evaluated for ADHD. All participants completed the BAARS-IV SCT subscales (self and other versions of reports) and ADHD symptom severity measures. Collateral reporters were spouses/partners, parents or friends, as well as siblings The total of 51 collateral reports were obtained.

Results support the validity of a three-factor model for SCT, and show that the test can be reliably used to identify clinically meaningful differences between those who have an ADHD diagnosis. SCT symptom intensity is additionally associated with collateral reporters' endorsements of impairments at schools, at home and in community activity functions regardless of ADHD symptom intensity.

These findings complement an increasing body of literature that suggests SCT is a significant and distinct concept that merits attention in adults presenting for evaluation of psychiatric disorders. SCT symptoms can also be confirmed and reliable when measured by using the BAARS IV in the clinical setting and are associated with functional impairment. Further research is needed to examine the impact of SCT on functioning in other life domains such as stress from parenting and offspring psychopathology. SCT is a crucial factor in understanding and addressing the effects of ADHD as adults.

Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive function - Adult Version (BRIEF A)

The BRIEF-A measures adult executive function. It contains 63 items in nine clinical scales that have been validated and drawn from theory and empirical research. They measure executive functioning domains commonly agreed on Inhibit (self-monitoring) and Shift (emotional control), Initiate (working memory) Plan/Organize and Initiate. It is available as a self-report or informant version, and a parent/teacher sheet that is included. The test takes about 10 minutes to administer, and 15-20 minutes to be scored. On the reverse of the sheet that summarizes scoring you can calculate T-scores, or percentiles. The BRIEF is a tool for adolescents and adults, ages 18-90. It is particularly useful for those who suffer from cognitive, behavioral and academic issues that are difficult to describe using other measures such as autism or pervasive development disorders.

The instrument can be utilized in research and clinical situations by psychologists and neuropsychologists. The instrument was standardized using a sample of women, men, and children aged between 18 and 90 whose data were matched with the 2002 US Census. The normative sample was representative of the United States population in terms of race/ethnicity and educational background and geographic region. The scales in the Behavioral Regulation and Metacognition Indexes were standardized for both self-report and informant reporting and three validity scales (Negativity Inconsistency, Negativity, and Infrequency) that were used to determine the validity of the measurement.

adult add adhd test -A does not just provide standardization of the individual scales but also includes the profile and base rates for the elevation of scales for various mental disorders, including ADHD, PTSD and depression as in schizophrenia spectrum disorders including traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia. It also offers reliable change indexes that can be used to evaluate the severity of symptoms over time, such as after the administration of medication.

The authors of the BRIEF-A have published extensively on its application to a variety of mental disorders, focusing on those that affect executive function. The instrument can also be used to evaluate the effects of traumatic brain injuries as well as dementia, Tourette's Disorder and Parkinson's Disease. These studies showed that the BRIEF-A was a reliable and sensitive measure of daily executive functions among the populations. This is particularly true for the Inhibit and Emotional Control subscales.

Understood Assistant

Many people with ADHD are hesitant to seek treatment and diagnosis due to the stigma associated with this condition. If you're constantly losing your keys, are unable to complete work tasks, or have relationships that suffer due to the inability to focus and impulsivity, receiving a diagnosis is the first step towards being able to manage your symptoms. Fortunately, there's no need for brain scans or blood tests for a diagnosis of adult ADHD requires a one-on-one conversation with an experienced professional and the use of rating scales that consider how your symptoms affect your daily routine.

For a thorough assessment, your evaluator is going to be looking for details about your history--how you got through school, how your relationships with family and friends, what's going on at work, home or at school, and more. You should be prepared to share your medical information, like the weight of your baby, milestones like walking or speaking hospitalizations, and any ongoing health issues.

The SNAP IV rating scale is comprised of nine questions regarding hyperactivity and impulsivity, and nine questions about inattention. You'll then assess how often you experience these symptoms. The SNAP IV is a great method to determine if you have inattention ADHD or a mixed form of ADHD. It can also be used to detect co-existing conditions like depression or anxiety.

You'll be asked about other people who are in your life, specifically relatives, since ADHD can run in the family. A family history of ADHD can also indicate if you have the inattentive or impulsive-hyperactivity subtypes of ADHD.

Your assessment may include neuropsychological and cognitive tests. These aren't diagnostic tests but they can provide important information about the ways ADHD affects your thinking, memory, and learning capabilities.

The Trail-Making Test measures your ability to switch between tasks and follow a pattern of letters or numbers. This test can be taken with children and adults of all ages and abilities and can be used to screen for ADHD as along with other disorders that affect memory and learning.