An ADHD Test Made For Adults

This is an informal test with 33 items designed for adult ADHD – that focuses on the way the condition manifests specifically in adults.

What distinguishes it from most ADHD tests is that a) it is written for adults b) it is behaviorally based.  That means it asks if you have behaviors associated with ADHD.

The limitation to this approach is that it may miss something or that some behaviors may not be restricted to ADHD.

That said, as you read each item, mentally note if, “yes, that’s me.”  If you think “yes” more than a few times, then you may have ADHD.

1)         You sit down to study something you don’t want to.  Five minutes later, you’ve decided that it isn’t worth doing, that it’s not important, that you’re not interested in it – whatever.  You come up with a reason so you don’t have to study.

2)         Someone can be talking directly to you, but you get either really irritated – you want to talk about something else – or start to zone out and not really hear what they’re saying.

3)         Is something boring? If something is boring, then doing it feels like your mind was put into a blender and then sucked through a straw. If something is interesting, however, you can do it for hours without getting tired or losing interest.

4)         You tend to get lost while driving. Additionally, you tend to lose your temper or get frustrated with the other people on the road.  Why do they drive so fast?  Or so close to your car?

5)         You are really excited about a new idea until someone points out a flaw in it.  Then you lose enthusiasm like a deflated balloon.  Many of your great ideas die when they turn out to take more work than expected.

6)         Over the course of a day, you may go from one extreme mood to another.  You may feel like things are great, lose excitement, get bored, get excited and so on – all in the course of a day.

7)         You can watch television, talk on instant message, and do crossword puzzles – all at the same time.  You actually find it relaxing, or that you focus better.

8)        People can sit at the dinner table and talk for hours.  Say it’s just a plain old dinner and not on one of your favorite topics do you leave the dinner as fast as possible?

9)         Are there periods where you get really excited about something and just slip into a zone where that is all you think about? Hours go by like seconds.

It’s called hyperfocus, and if that name “clicks” with you, than it’s likely you have it.

10)       You’re playing video games or doing something fun, when someone you know starts talking to you.  “Why don’t you take out the garbage, please?”

“I said I’ll do it – after I finish doing what I’m doing.  Why don’t you trust me?”

“Because I need it right now.  Please!  You’re not even doing anything right now!”

A fight ensues.

Sound familiar?

11)       You’re in math class.  The teacher is talking: “So if you add 3 + 4 and..”

“it’s 7!” you call out.

The teacher coughs, gives you a black look, and goes on -“So if you add 3 + 4 and multiply by 2…”

12)       Sometimes you can just zone out.  Time flies by, you’re deeply relaxed and thinking about things that have absolutely nothing to do with what or where you are – like life in general.

13)       You’re in Paris with some friends, and deciding what to do.  “Okay, first we’ll see the Louvre, then hit the National Museum, then see a juggling show, then…”

Sound like you?  When you’re in the groove, you’re a powerhouse of energy.

14)       Sometimes you get really angry for no reason, or shout at someone for stupid reasons.  The anger doesn’t make that much sense and it goes away really quickly too.

15)       You’re supposed to do something, but you forgot or lost the things you need to do it.

16)       You notice things all over the room that are extremely random or irrelevant.  Like, for instance, in a meeting, you may notice the clicking of pens, the leaves falling outside, and so on – all while you should be paying attention.

17)       You are wondering if you could be doing something more interesting than reading this list.

18)       When  you start getting bored, you have to move physically or do something different.  Now!  And if you sit still for too long, you almost feel physical pain in your head.  It’s hard to describe.

19) Hitchhiking through the amazons while writing a book and making new friends with the natives – does that sound like an ideal trip?

20)       You’re at the coffee shop with a friend, and you’re ordering.   “That’ll be a triple shot espresso, please!”

Your friend looks at you.  “How are you going to fall asleep?  And…umm, aren’t you a little hyper already?”

You smile.  “It actually makes me think better.”  (Friend in the back of her mind mumbles, It makes everyone think better…)

You down the coffee and feel calmer.  Then you have an hour long conversation about the new dynamics at work, take a walk and really connect.

21)       You are the first to start new things, like wearing multicolored socks. When things start to become cool, you can be among those who make it so – adopting them before everyone else.  You might find yourself ahead of trends because you’re always looking for something new.

22)       When you love someone, you think nothing of spending hours on them, noticing what’s really important to them, and being very romantic.  Your ability to focus can make you an irresistible charmer – when you’re interested.

23)       “We’re going to have to start using this new program.”  One week later, you’ve pretty much figured everything about it, while everyone else is complaining about the change.  When you have to update all your files to the new format, however, you don’t get round to doing it for a long, long time.

24)       You’re always interested in making new friends.  Frankly, they’re usually more interesting than your old friends!

25)       Since you’ve gotten lost so many times, as long as nothing important is happening, you just enjoy getting to see something new.  It sometimes is fun.

26)       You can be very loyal, sticking with someone when everyone else abandons them

27)       When you find something interesting, you can learn everything about it.  When someone tells you something about it, you don’t forget it, either.  For that one thing, you are a supergenius.

28)       You just finished a lecture and you are the first to start clapping.  Are you among the first to react to things?

29)       Someone walks up behind you, shouts “boo!” You hardly flinch.  You just have a feel for what’s going on in a room, and aren’t easily caught off guard.

30)       Do you quickly forget what happened or the past, or not feel like it’s important?  Are you always doing something new?

31)        Your new boss wants to try a marketing method you feel is highly immoral.

Everyone else in the office tells you to wait, that the approval process for sure will make it cleaner and more appropriate  But you feel you have to do something right away.

When you next bump into your new boss, you blurt out how you feel.

32)       You’re in a meeting when you can’t wait anymore.  You blurt out,  “But why don’t we try doing this?  Am I the only one who noticed we don’t have a real marketing plan?”

Sometimes you seem to notice things others don’t.  That said, sometimes you might say something impulsively that everyone kind of laughs at.  It can be embarrassing.  Because even if you have a good point, if not delivered the right way, it can be taken the wrong way.

33)       When you want to get something done, you get it done.  The way you get there might be totally bizarre, strange, exotic – whatever.  But you get there.

Wow, that described me pretty accurately!

Some people read this test and are amazed at how accurate it is.  They wonder, maybe I have ADHD – what are the next steps, or how can I improve my life?

Click here for more.

You may also be interested in the 4 Secrets to Success with ADHD, which tells you the 4 things you just need to know if you have ADHD.

Life with ADHD

What Sucks & What Rocks About ADHD – what is good about having ADHD, and what is bad?

Medications

In 70-80% of people, when combined with therapy, medication works fairly well to treat ADHD.  See a Full List of ADHD Medications to learn what the most commonly used treatments are and how well they work.

Ritalin: What it is, How it Works – What is Ritalin and how does it work?

ADHD and ADD Online Diagnostic Test

ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report

Overcoming ADHD: A Guide For Parents