Autism Self-Screening
CAT-Q Test

Complete the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) here for free, no sign up required

This test is one of the 2 free screening steps, explained in full here. Fill out this test and make note of your score so you can interpret what it means with the instructions on the screening page.

The CAT-Q measures social “masking” strategies, also known as “social camouflaging.” Masking is often a central characteristic of neurodiverse adults’ social compensation strategies. Adults who appeared to function socially well enough into adulthood without being diagnosed as autistic earlier in life are almost certainly masking a fair amount, so screening for that masking behaviour in adult assessments makes sense. Notably, a high CAT-Q score might “merely” indicate social anxiety in an neurotypical person, which is an example of why no single test should be used for any diagnostic decision.

Please read each statement below and choose the answer that best fits your experiences during social interactions.

Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)
1. When I am interacting with someone, I deliberately copy their body language or facial expressions
2. I monitor my body language or facial expressions so that I appear relaxed
3. I rarely feel the need to put on an act in order to get through a social situation
4. I have developed a script to follow in social situations (for example, a list of questions or topics of conversation)
5. I will repeat phrases that I have heard others say in the exact same way that I first heard them
6. I adjust my body language or facial expressions so that I appear interested by the person I am interacting with
7. In social situations, I feel like I’m ‘performing’ rather than being myself
8. In my own social interactions, I use behaviours that I have learned from watching other people interacting
9. I always think about the impression I make on other people
10. I need the support of other people in order to socialise
11. I practice my facial expressions and body language to make sure they look natural
12. I don’t feel the need to make eye contact with other people if I don’t want to
13. I have to force myself to interact with people when I am in social situations
14. I have tried to improve my understanding of social skills by watching other people
15. I monitor my body language or facial expressions so that I appear interested by the person I am interacting with
16. When in social situations, I try to find ways to avoid interacting with others
17. I have researched the rules of social interactions (for example, by studying psychology or reading books on human behaviour) to improve my own social skills
18. I am always aware of the impression I make on other people
19. I feel free to be myself when I am with other people
20. I learn how people use their bodies and faces to interact by watching television or films, or by reading fiction
21. I adjust my body language or facial expressions so that I appear relaxed
22. When talking to other people, I feel like the conversation flows naturally
23. I have spent time learning social skills from television shows and films, and try to use these in my interactions
24. In social interactions, I do not pay attention to what my face or body are doing
25. In social situations, I feel like I am pretending to be ‘normal’






You left one or more questions unanswered. Please answer the highlighted / missed questions and click 'score test' again

    Your Result:



    Make note of your final score on this test (the CATQ) and compare it to the threshold as discussed on the screening page.

    The CAT-Q was first studied by: Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, MC. et al. Development and Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). J Autism Dev Disord 49, 819–833 (2019). Shareable under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.