Alcohol check
AUDIT-C alcohol screening test
Three questions about how often and how much you drink. Doctors use them to spot drinking that may be harming health. Your answers stay on your device.
Your answers
One drink means one US standard drink: a 12 oz regular beer, a 5 oz glass of wine or a 1.5 oz shot of spirits. Nothing you choose leaves this page.
What you will see
Your AUDIT-C score out of 12 and whether it reaches the screening line.
Educational only, not medical advice. A screening score, not a diagnosis.
Source
Questions 1 to 3 of the WHO Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Short form validated by Bush K et al., Archives of Internal Medicine 1998.
Validated in
First validated in US primary care patients (Bush 1998). Named by the USPSTF as a brief screening tool with good accuracy.
Limits
Screens, does not diagnose. Not for people under 18. Honest answers matter; the score only reflects what you enter.
How the AUDIT-C is scored
Each answer is worth 0 to 4 points, from the first option to the last, for a total of 0 to 12 (WHO 2001).
| Question | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How often do you drink? | Never | Monthly or less | 2 to 4 times a month | 2 to 3 times a week | 4+ times a week |
| Drinks on a typical drinking day | 1 or 2 | 3 or 4 | 5 or 6 | 7 to 9 | 10+ |
| How often 6+ drinks at once? | Never | Less than monthly | Monthly | Weekly | Daily or almost daily |
What the score means
The USPSTF describes the AUDIT-C as one of the brief tools with good accuracy, using a positive cut point of 4 or more for men and 3 or more for women (USPSTF 2018). A positive screen flags drinking that may be risky, or a possible alcohol use disorder. It does not diagnose either.
The USPSTF recommends that adults 18 and older be screened for unhealthy alcohol use in primary care, and that people with risky drinking be offered brief counseling (grade B, 2018) (USPSTF 2018). A positive score is a reason for that conversation.
What counts as a drink
In the United States, one standard drink has about 14 grams of pure alcohol (NIAAA):
- 12 oz of regular beer at about 5% alcohol
- 5 oz of wine at about 12%
- 1.5 oz of distilled spirits at about 40%
- 8 to 10 oz of malt liquor at about 7%
A large glass of wine or a strong craft beer can be two drinks or more, so count by size and strength, not by glass (NIAAA).
Getting help
SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, confidential and open every day of the year, with referrals to local treatment and support (SAMHSA). If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911. If you also feel low, the PHQ-9 depression screening is a short, private check. For drugs other than alcohol, see the drug use screening check.
Common questions
What is a normal AUDIT-C score?
There is no "normal" score, but scores under the cut point (under 4 for men, under 3 for women) are not flagged as a positive screen (USPSTF 2018).
Is the AUDIT-C the same as the AUDIT?
The full AUDIT from the World Health Organization has 10 questions. The AUDIT-C is its first three, which ask only about how much and how often you drink (WHO 2001) (Bush 1998).
Why is the line lower for women?
The USPSTF lists separate cut points for men and women (USPSTF 2018).
Sources
- Babor TF, Higgins-Biddle JC, Saunders JB, Monteiro MG. AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Guidelines for Use in Primary Care. 2nd ed. World Health Organization; 2001. www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-MSD-MSB-01.6a
- Bush K, Kivlahan DR, McDonell MB, Fihn SD, Bradley KA. The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): an effective brief screening test for problem drinking. Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(16):1789-1795. doi.org/10.1001/archinte.158.16.1789
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults: Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2018;320(18):1899-1909. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/unhealthy-alcohol-use-in-adolescents-and-adults-screening-and-behavioral-counseling-interventions
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH). What Is A Standard Drink? www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA's National Helpline. www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-29. Spotted an error? See About.