The PCL-5 has 20 questions about problems people sometimes have after a very stressful experience, such as an accident, assault, war, disaster, abuse or the sudden death of someone close. Before you start, think of your worst stressful event and keep it in mind. You don't need to write it down.
- One question per screen. Tap an answer to move on (or use the number keys on a keyboard).
- Your score, what it means, and the next step, straight away.
- Your answers stay on your device. Nothing is saved or sent.
This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call your local emergency number now (911 in Saudi Arabia, 1122 in Pakistan).
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How this test is scored
Each of the 20 questions is scored 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Extremely), for a total of 0 to 80. The U.S. National Center for PTSD states that a total of 31 to 33 or higher indicates probable PTSD. We also show the DSM-5 symptom pattern rule described by the PCL-5 authors (an item counts if rated 2 "Moderately" or higher: at least 1 intrusion item (1-5), 1 avoidance item (6-7), 2 mood and thinking items (8-14) and 2 arousal items (15-20)).
Source
Weathers FW, Litz BT, Keane TM, Palmieri PA, Marx BP, Schnurr PP. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). 2013. Available from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD (www.ptsd.va.gov). Public domain. Cut-off (31 to 33 indicates probable PTSD) as recommended by the National Center for PTSD.