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Free Stress Test (DASS-21)

This free mental health stress test is the DASS-21, a 21-question scale that measures three related states at once: stress, anxiety, and depression. It asks about the past week and returns a separate score for each. Stress here means chronic tension, agitation, and difficulty relaxing, not a single stressful event.

Questions
21
Time
~4 min
Instrument
DASS-21
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.

What this measures

Stress, anxiety, and depression over the past week. Time frame: over the past week.

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.

About the DASS-21

The DASS-21 measures three related but distinct negative emotional states. Its Stress subscale is what makes it unusual: most free tests measure depression or anxiety, and very few measure chronic stress in a validated way.

Stress here does not mean having a stressful week. It means persistent non-specific arousal - difficulty relaxing, being easily upset or agitated, irritability, over-reacting, and impatience. That is a distinct thing from worry, and a distinct thing from low mood.

Because the DASS-21 is a half-length version of the original 42-item scale, each subscale total is doubled before comparing it against the published severity ranges. This page does that automatically.

You get all three subscale scores. The severity labels describe where a score sits relative to the general population. They are descriptive ranges, not diagnoses.

Stress Test questions

What is the difference between stress and anxiety on this test?

The Stress subscale measures chronic tension, agitation, irritability, and difficulty relaxing. The Anxiety subscale measures physical arousal and fear - trembling, racing heart, breathing difficulty, feeling close to panic. They often occur together but are separate patterns, which is why the DASS separates them.

Why are the scores doubled?

The DASS-21 is the short form of a 42-item scale, and the published severity ranges were calibrated on the longer version. Doubling each subscale total makes your score comparable to those ranges. This page handles that automatically.

Do the severity labels mean I have a disorder?

No. The labels describe where your score falls relative to the general population, not whether you meet criteria for anything. The DASS-21 was explicitly designed as a dimensional measure rather than a diagnostic instrument.

Which score should I pay most attention to?

Whichever is highest, and whichever matches what you actually notice in your life. If all three are elevated, that is common - these states cluster together. If one is much higher than the others, that is useful information about where to focus.

How we treat anxiety and stress

Is this test free and anonymous?

Yes. Free, no sign-up, and your answers never leave your device. Nothing is transmitted, saved, or stored by us.

Other free tests

If this is something you are dealing with, here is how we treat it: Anxiety.

Instrument and attribution

DASS-21. Lovibond, S. H. & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Sydney: Psychology Foundation of Australia. The DASS is in the public domain and free to reproduce and use.

  • Lovibond, S. H. & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Sydney: Psychology Foundation of Australia.

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.

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