Explainer
The type 2 diabetes risk test, explained
A short questionnaire, a few points per answer, and a cut point of 5. Here is where that comes from and how much it can tell you.
Where the score comes from
Researchers at Weill Cornell and other US centers built the score from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2004 and checked it in NHANES 2005 to 2006 and two community studies, ARIC and CHS (Bang 2009). They looked for the simplest set of questions that flag adults with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, defined as a fasting glucose of 126 mg/dL or higher without a known diagnosis (Bang 2009).
Six things made the cut: age, sex, family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, physical activity and weight for height (BMI) (Bang 2009). The American Diabetes Association's risk test uses these points and adds one for women who have had gestational diabetes (ADA).
The points
| Question | Points |
|---|---|
| Age | Under 40: 0. 40 to 49: 1. 50 to 59: 2. 60 or older: 3 |
| Sex | Male: 1. Female: 0 |
| Gestational diabetes (women) | Yes: 1 (ADA version) |
| Parent or sibling with diabetes | Yes: 1 |
| High blood pressure | Yes: 1 |
| Physically active | No: 1 |
| BMI | Under 25: 0. 25 to 29.9: 1. 30 to 39.9: 2. 40 or more: 3 |
How accurate is it?
At 5 points or more, the score caught 79% of people with undiagnosed diabetes in NHANES and 72% in the community studies, and correctly cleared 67% and 62% of people without it (Bang 2009). Only about 10% of people scoring 5 or more actually had undiagnosed diabetes (Bang 2009). That is expected for a screening question: its job is to decide who should get a blood test, not to diagnose.
What it does not cover
- It is about undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. It was not built to detect prediabetes, although many people with a high score have prediabetes too.
- The study had no data on pregnancy (Bang 2009).
- It does not ask about race or ethnicity, fatty liver disease or a baby born over 9 pounds, which CDC lists as additional risk factors (CDC).
- BMI can over- or under-state risk. The ADA uses a lower BMI line (23) when deciding to test Asian American adults (ADA Standards 2026).
Who should be tested anyway
The USPSTF recommends screening adults aged 35 to 70 who have overweight or obesity (USPSTF 2021). The ADA recommends testing all adults from age 35, and earlier for adults with overweight or obesity plus another risk factor (ADA Standards 2026). About 11.0 million US adults have diabetes and do not know it (CDC).
Got a blood test result? See prediabetes ranges for A1C and fasting glucose. Or take the diabetes risk test.
Sources
- Bang H, Edwards AM, Bomback AS, et al. Development and validation of a patient self-assessment score for diabetes risk. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151(11):775-783. doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-11-200912010-00005
- American Diabetes Association. Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test. diabetes.org/diabetes-risk-test
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;326(8):736-743. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-for-prediabetes-and-type-2-diabetes
- American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. 2. Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes 2026. Diabetes Care. 2026;49(Suppl 1):S27-S49. doi.org/10.2337/dc26-S002
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes Risk Factors. www.cdc.gov/diabetes/risk-factors/index.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report (2023 data). www.cdc.gov/diabetes/php/data-research/index.html
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: 2026-10-27. Spotted an error? See About.