Free Online Test
Free PTSD Test (PCL-5)
This free PTSD test is the PCL-5, a 20-question self-report screener developed by the VA National Center for PTSD. It measures all 20 PTSD symptoms over the past month, scores from 0 to 80, and returns an instant result. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis - PTSD is diagnosed through a clinical interview.
- Questions
- 20
- Time
- ~5 min
- Instrument
- PCL-5
- Cost
- Free
Anonymous and scored entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us, saved, or stored anywhere. No email or sign-up required.
Before you begin
This questionnaire asks directly about a stressful or traumatic experience and the symptoms that follow it. Some people find these questions upsetting to answer. You can stop at any point, and nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere. If you would rather not do this alone, consider taking it with a therapist instead.
What this measures
PTSD symptoms over the past month. Time frame: in the past month.
This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. It can tell you how your answers compare to established ranges. It cannot tell you what is causing them, whether something else explains them, or what you should do next. Only a licensed clinician can do that, in a conversation.
Please check the box above to continue.
0 of 20 answered
In the past month
Below is a list of problems that people sometimes have in response to a very stressful experience. Keeping your worst event in mind, please read each problem carefully and indicate how much you have been bothered by that problem in the past month.
Answer every question to see your result.
Your result
0
out of 0-80
Breakdown by area
- Intrusion0
- Avoidance0
- Mood and thinking0
- Arousal0
A score around 31 to 33 is the range commonly used as a cutoff suggesting a fuller PTSD evaluation is warranted. It is not a diagnosis.
What this result is not
This is a screening score, not a diagnosis, and not medical advice. It reflects how you answered today. It cannot account for your history, your circumstances, a medical condition, a medication, or anything else that might explain these answers. If the result matches what you have been experiencing, the useful next step is a conversation with a licensed professional - not a second test.
Your score is not saved. Leaving or refreshing this page clears it.
About the PCL-5
The PCL-5 is the standard self-report PTSD measure, developed by staff at the VA's National Center for PTSD. It covers all 20 symptoms across the four areas clinicians assess: intrusion, avoidance, negative changes in mood and thinking, and changes in arousal and reactivity.
You answer each item with one stressful experience in mind, rating how much it bothered you over the past month. Items score 0 to 4, so totals range from 0 to 80.
A cutoff around 31 to 33 is commonly cited as the point where a full evaluation makes sense. That number comes from research on group averages and should be read as a signal, not a line between having and not having PTSD.
PTSD is not a life sentence and it is not untreatable. Trauma-focused therapies have some of the strongest evidence in the field. If this test resonated, that is a reason for hope rather than dread.
PTSD Test questions
Can this PTSD test diagnose PTSD?
No. PTSD is diagnosed through a structured clinical interview that establishes what happened, how long symptoms have lasted, and how much they interfere with your life. The PCL-5 measures symptom severity and indicates whether that fuller evaluation is worth having.
How we treat traumaWhat is a high score on the PCL-5?
Scores range from 0 to 80. A score around 31 to 33 or above is the range commonly used to suggest that a full PTSD evaluation is warranted. Higher scores indicate more severe symptoms across more areas.
Do I need to have been through something extreme for this to apply?
No. People often assume PTSD requires combat or a disaster. It can follow a car accident, an assault, a medical emergency, sudden loss, or sustained harm in a relationship. What matters is how your mind and body responded, not how the event compares to anyone else's.
What if I have been through more than one traumatic event?
The PCL-5 asks you to keep one event in mind - usually the one that troubles you most. If several events feel equally present, that is worth mentioning to a clinician, since it can change how treatment is approached.
Is this test free and private?
Yes. It is free, requires no sign-up, and your answers never leave your device. Nothing is transmitted, saved, or stored by us.
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If this is something you are dealing with, here is how we treat it: Trauma.
Instrument and attribution
PCL-5 developed by staff at the VA's National Center for PTSD. The PCL-5 is in the public domain and is not copyrighted. Intended for use by qualified health professionals and researchers.
- Weathers, F. W., Litz, B. T., Keane, T. M., Palmieri, P. A., Marx, B. P., & Schnurr, P. P. (2013). The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). National Center for PTSD.
Reviewed by the MindView Therapy Team · July 30, 2026
A score is a starting point, not an answer
If something on this page matched what you have been feeling, talk it through with a licensed therapist. We respond within one business day.