🔎 Guide
Do I have ADHD? Am I ADHD? How to tell
Short answer
You might recognise ADHD traits, but only a qualified specialist can diagnose ADHD after a full assessment. An online ADHD test or quiz is a screening check, not a diagnosis.
How do I know if I have ADHD?
Wondering “do I have ADHD?” or “am I ADHD?” is a reasonable starting point. Look for patterns, not just one difficult day. The NHS describes problems with attention, high energy or restlessness, and acting on impulse. Some people mainly have attention difficulties.
Examples include often losing things, forgetting plans, struggling to organise time, interrupting or making quick decisions. Symptoms usually start before age 12. If they affect your studies, work or relationships, the NHS advises making a GP appointment.
Source: NHS: ADHD in adults
Try a free ADHD test for adults — screening only
If you searched for a “do I have ADHD test” or “do I have ADHD quiz”, use an online check as a way to reflect on your experiences. It cannot confirm or exclude ADHD. NICE says a diagnosis must not be made solely from rating scales.
Try our free adult screening check. For parents or carers worried about a child, use the child screening check instead. You can bring your answers to a GP conversation; they do not replace an assessment.
Try the free adult ADHD screening check
For parents: free child screening check
Source: NICE NG87: Recommendations
What to take to your GP
Write down specific examples from daily life and how they affect you. Include what you remember from childhood. A specialist assessment looks at your history and different parts of your life, not just your current checklist score.
Other conditions can cause similar difficulties or occur alongside ADHD. The GP may consider other explanations, and may refer you to a mental health professional specialising in ADHD. You deserve help with the difficulties themselves, whatever the eventual diagnosis.
Source: NHS: ADHD in adults
What a diagnosis involves
Only a psychiatrist, specialist paediatrician or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in ADHD diagnosis should diagnose ADHD. NICE calls for a full clinical and psychosocial assessment, developmental and psychiatric history, and observer reports.
The specialist considers symptoms and impairment in different settings. That is why recognising yourself in a video or scoring highly on a quiz is not enough on its own. Be honest about what is difficult and what is going well.
Source: NICE NG87: Recommendations
❓ Related questions
Does a high online score mean I have ADHD?
No. Rating scales can help an assessment, but NICE says they must not be the sole basis of diagnosis.
Source: NICE NG87: Recommendations
Can adults be assessed even if nobody noticed ADHD in childhood?
Yes. NICE recommends specialist referral for adults with typical symptoms that began in childhood, persisted and cause significant difficulties, when not better explained by another diagnosis.
Source: NICE NG87: Recommendations
What if I am mainly forgetful, not hyperactive?
Some people have mainly inattentive symptoms. The NHS lists forgetfulness, losing things and trouble organising time among these signs.
Source: NHS: ADHD in adults
Sources
Last reviewed: