Drinking Habits Self-Check
Answer eight questions and your drinking pattern type and risk level appear straight away. It combines the three WHO AUDIT-C questions with four questions about how and why you drink, plus your sex, since the cut-off differs for men and women.
This is a self-check to help you reflect on your drinking, not a medical diagnosis. Everything is calculated in your browser — your answers are never sent to a server.
1 / 8
0 of 8 answered — your result appears once all of them are done
Your result
Closest drinking pattern
Risk level
AUDIT-C score
/ 12
What to try next
There are places you can turn to
If you want to cut down but it is not going the way you hoped, a primary care doctor, an alcohol treatment service, a helpline or a peer support group can help. You do not have to wait until things get worse to ask.
Where to Get Help for Drinking: Doctors, Hotlines, and Support Groups
This is a self-check to help you reflect on your drinking, not a medical diagnosis. Use the result as a starting point for thinking about your habits.
Turn the result into a daily record
SoberNow tracks your alcohol-free days, the money you keep, and how your body recovers — all in one place.
About the AUDIT-C
The AUDIT-C is a short version of the WHO's 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), keeping only questions 1–3, which cover how often and how much you drink. Each question scores 0–4, for a maximum of 12.
The screening cut-off is 4 or more for men and 3 or more for women; scores at or above it are said to suggest a drinking pattern that may carry risk.
About the four bands: The only officially defined AUDIT-C threshold is the screening cut-off (4+ for men, 3+ for women). There is no official four-level classification — the bands below are our own, built around that cut-off.
| Band | Men | Women | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower risk | 0–3 | 0–2 | Your frequency and quantity are both on the lower side. Worth remembering this as your baseline so you notice if it starts to climb. |
| Worth keeping an eye on | 4–6 | 3–5 | You are at or above the screening cut-off. That does not mean there is a problem, but tracking what you drink for a few weeks would show whether the amount is creeping up. |
| Worth cutting back | 7–8 | 6–7 | Your frequency and quantity are both high. If cutting back on your own has not worked, talking to a doctor or an alcohol service is one option people are encouraged to consider. |
| Worth talking to someone | 9–12 | 8–12 | This is at the high end of the AUDIT-C range. If stopping or cutting down feels difficult, speaking with a healthcare professional is generally recommended. |
Sources: WHO, "AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test" / Bush K. et al., "The AUDIT Alcohol Consumption Questions (AUDIT-C)", Archives of Internal Medicine, 1998 / U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, "Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults: Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions"
The six drinking patterns
The four questions about when you drink, what triggers it, how well you stick to a limit and how it affects your life sort you into one of six patterns using our own rules.
Weekend Reset
You hold back on weekdays but make up for it on weekends. Single sessions tend to run long, and the weekly total often adds up to more than expected.
Stress Drinker
You reach for a drink on the days that wear you down. Using alcohol to manage stress is a pattern that tends to escalate over time, research suggests.
Daily Routine
Drinking has become the way you close out the day. Even at modest amounts, drinking every day leaves your body no time to recover.
Social Drinker
You drink mainly when you are with other people. It is easy to match the pace of the group rather than your own, and saying no can feel awkward.
Nightcap
You drink to fall asleep more easily. Alcohol may shorten the time it takes to drop off, but it is said to fragment the second half of the night — and the amount needed tends to creep up.
Moderate
Both your amount and frequency are currently in check. Drinking habits tend to drift when life changes, so knowing your current baseline makes it easier to return to it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the AUDIT-C?
The AUDIT-C is the first three questions of the WHO Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), covering how often and how much you drink. Each question scores 0–4, for a total of 0–12.
What score is considered positive?
The only officially defined threshold is the screening cut-off: 4 or more for men and 3 or more for women. Scores at or above it suggest a drinking pattern that may carry risk. The four bands shown on this page are our own, built around that cut-off.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. This is a self-check to help you reflect on your drinking, not a medical diagnosis. Only a clinician can diagnose an alcohol use disorder. If something here concerns you, please talk to a doctor.
Are my answers stored anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser — your answers are never sent to or stored on a server. Reloading the page clears them.
What should I do if my score is high?
A common first step is to work out how many grams of pure alcohol you actually drink in a week, so you have a number to work from. If cutting down on your own is hard, a doctor, an alcohol service or a support group can help.
Can I take this if I rarely drink?
Yes. "Never" and "monthly or less" are both options, so the check works whether you drink daily or only occasionally.