Quick 3-item check-in for unhealthy alcohol use over the past year.

  • Answer based on your usual pattern across the last 12 months.
  • Question 3 keeps the original 6 or more drinks on one occasion wording.
  • If item 1 is Never, items 2 and 3 are set to 0 automatically for a past-year non-drinker pattern.
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AUDIT-C screening summary
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This changes which common cutoff is highlighted in the report. Item scoring stays the same.
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AUDIT-C score lane chart
What this result suggests

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Reference cutoffs and score context
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                            Tags:
                                                            
                                    Diagnostics
                                
                                ,                                                             
                                    Psychology
                                
                                ,                                                             
                                    Psychometrics
                                
                                                                                    

                        

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Unhealthy alcohol use is easy to miss when the only question is whether someone drinks "a lot." AUDIT-C narrows that down to three past-year signals that matter in everyday care: how often alcohol is used, how much is typical on a drinking day, and how often a heavier occasion happens. That makes it useful when the real question is not diagnosis yet, but whether alcohol deserves a closer conversation.

  
The same total can come from very different patterns. A score built mostly from frequent lower-volume drinking is not the same as a score carried by repeated heavy occasions. This page keeps those patterns visible, then places the total against a selected common positive-screen reference, the current VA 5+ documentation threshold, and a high-end 8 to 12 band so the result reads like a follow-up cue instead of a floating number.

  
That distinction matters because AUDIT-C is a screen, not a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder. In adult primary care, brief alcohol screening is recommended because many people who screen positive benefit from brief counseling or fuller assessment even when they do not meet criteria for alcohol use disorder. A lower score still does not rule out risk when alcohol is interacting with pregnancy, liver disease, pancreatitis, medication use, injuries, blackouts, sleep problems, or repeated concern from other people.

  
Routine scoring stays in the browser. Even so, the result can become sensitive once it appears in saved links, copied tables, or downloaded files, so it should be handled like personal health information if you plan to keep or share it.






  
Technical Details:

  
AUDIT-C is the three-question consumption section of the broader Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Each answer is scored from 0 to 4, so the total ranges from 0 to 12. The three questions cover past-year drinking frequency, usual quantity on drinking days, and how often a heavier occasion occurs. In the United States, those counts only make sense if a drink is counted as a standard drink, because large wine pours, strong cocktails, and high-alcohol beers can turn "one drink" into more than one standard serving.

  
The third question needs careful reading. AUDIT-C keeps its original 6 or more drinks on one occasion wording, while other U.S. screening guidance often uses 4 drinks for women and 5 for men when defining a heavy drinking day. This page keeps the AUDIT-C question fixed and uses the selected men or women reference only after scoring. Changing the reference alters the comparison line, not the question wording and not the raw total.


  

    Three AUDIT-C questions feeding a 0 to 12 total with common and VA reference cutoffs.
  


  
The score itself is a simple sum of the three item values.

  

    
      
        Total
        =
        q1
        +
        q2
        +
        q3
      
    
  

  
Because each question can contribute up to 4 points, moving up one answer level on any item adds one point to the final score.


  

    

      
      
        

          Item
          What it measures
          0-point anchor
          4-point anchor
        

      
      
        

          Question 1
          How often alcohol was used in the past year
          Never
          4 or more times per week
        

        

          Question 2
          Typical number of drinks on drinking days
          0, 1, or 2 drinks
          10 or more drinks
        

        

          Question 3
          How often 6 or more drinks occurred on one occasion
          Never
          Daily or almost daily
        

      
    

  


  

    

      
      
        

          Reference line
          Score threshold
          How to read it here
        

      
      
        

          Selected common positive screen
          3+ for women or 4+ for men
          The selected reference marks whether the total crosses a common past-year screen-positive cutoff for unhealthy alcohol use.
        

        

          Current VA implementation
          5+ for both men and women
          This higher line is shown because VA guidance uses it for documentation and follow-up workflow, while leaving lower positive scores to clinician judgment.
        

        

          High-end VA card band
          8 to 12
          This top band signals a result that deserves more caution and a fuller alcohol review rather than a quick reassurance.
        

      
    

  


  
Those reference lines are not separate diagnoses. They are comparison points. A score of 3 can already be screen-positive under one common reference, a score of 4 meets both common references but not the VA 5+ line, and a score of 8 or more falls into the highest band shown on VA scoring cards. The number only becomes useful when it is read together with the pattern that produced it.






  
Everyday Use & Decision Guide:

  
This screen is most useful when you need a quick check that still separates frequency, usual quantity, and heavier drinking occasions. That includes a self-check before a clinic visit, a primary-care conversation about sleep or blood pressure, a medication review, a liver-health discussion, or a follow-up after someone else has raised concern about drinking.

  
Start by counting actual standard drinks, not glasses or containers. A large restaurant wine pour, a tall craft beer, or a mixed drink with multiple shots can change Question 2 enough to shift the final score. Once the result appears, read it in this order: total score, selected common cutoff, whether the VA 5+ line is also met, and which question scored highest. That order keeps a borderline result from being overread or dismissed too quickly.

  
The strongest item often changes the conversation. A score driven by frequent drinking suggests a different follow-up from a score driven by repeated 6-or-more-drink occasions. A lower total can also matter more than it looks if alcohol is affecting safety, driving, pregnancy, mood, liver health, relationships, or the ability to cut down.

  
    
    
  • Use the selected men or women reference as a comparison choice, not as a new scoring system.
    • 
    
  • Check the answer review table whenever the total feels surprising, because the item pattern often explains the number better than the total alone.
    • 
    
  • Treat 5+ as a stronger prompt for follow-up, and treat 8 to 12 as a sign not to stop at a brief screen.
    • 
    
  • Keep exported summaries only if you genuinely need a record, because copied tables, JSON, chart files, and saved links can all reveal sensitive answers.
    • 
  






  
Step-by-Step Guide:

  
    
    
  1. Answer all three questions using your usual pattern across the last 12 months, not just a recent weekend or holiday period.
    2. 
    
  2. If you had no alcohol in the past year, choose Never for the first question. If you did drink, continue through the full set and count standard drinks as carefully as you can.
    3. 
    
  3. Review the total score together with the selected common positive-screen reference, the VA 5+ line, and the highest-scoring question.
    4. 
    
  4. Switch between the men and women reference choices only if you want to compare how the same three answers sit against those common cutoffs.
    5. 
    
  5. Use the score lane chart for threshold context, the answered-question review for detail, and the summary export options only when you need a follow-up record.
    6. 
  






  
Interpreting Results:

  
AUDIT-C works best when the total and the pattern stay together. The total shows how much concern the screen is picking up overall, while the item pattern shows whether that concern comes from frequent use, larger typical quantities, or repeated heavier occasions. The page also shows how many of its reference lines are met, which helps separate a borderline positive score from a broader follow-up cue.


  

    

      
      
        

          What you see
          Best first reading
          What to check next
        

      
      
        

          0/12
          No alcohol use was reported in the past year on this screen.
          Confirm that the first answer really should be Never and not a mistaken click.
        

        

          Above 0, below the selected common cutoff
          Alcohol use is present, but the selected screen-positive line is not crossed.
          Notice whether alcohol is still affecting health, safety, or functioning despite the lower total.
        

        

          Meets the selected common cutoff, below 5
          The score is positive under the chosen common reference but does not reach the current VA implementation threshold.
          Check which question drove the score and decide whether brief advice, monitoring, or fuller review fits the situation.
        

        

          5 to 7
          The result meets both the selected common cutoff and the VA 5+ line.
          Treat it as a stronger reason for a more complete alcohol assessment instead of relying on the short screen alone.
        

        

          8 to 12
          The score sits in the highest band shown on the page.
          Move follow-up sooner, especially if alcohol is already affecting safety, work, relationships, medical care, or the ability to cut down.
        

        

          Question 3 is the top scorer
          Heavier occasions are carrying the result more than steady everyday drinking.
          Do not reduce the discussion to weekly averages alone; the pattern of heavy occasions matters on its own.
        

      
    

  


  
A positive screen is a reason to look deeper, not a verdict. The next step may be a brief intervention, a fuller alcohol history, a longer questionnaire, or formal treatment assessment, depending on what the score, the pattern, and the wider health picture show together.






  
Worked Examples:

  

    
A score of 3 can be borderline or positive depending on the reference

    
Suppose the answers add up to 3/12. Under the women 3+ reference, that is already a positive screen. Under the men 4+ reference, it stays below the selected common cutoff. Either way, it does not reach the VA 5+ line, so the next question is whether the item pattern and the wider health picture make brief follow-up important now.

  

  

    
A score of 6 points toward broader follow-up

    
Imagine drinking 2 to 4 times per month, usually having 5 or 6 drinks, and having 6 or more drinks monthly. That produces 2 + 2 + 2 = 6. The result crosses both common positive-screen references and the VA 5+ line. That does not diagnose alcohol use disorder, but it is strong enough that a fuller review makes more sense than simple reassurance.

  

  

    
The screen ends at 0 after choosing Never

    
If the first answer is Never, the page finishes the remaining items at zero because a past-year non-drinking pattern makes the later questions irrelevant. If that happened by mistake, go back to the first question, choose the real past-year frequency, and run the screen again. A wrong first click can otherwise hide the real score.

  






  
FAQ:

  

    Does a positive AUDIT-C mean I have alcohol use disorder?
    
No. A positive AUDIT-C means the screen found enough concern to justify follow-up. Diagnosis needs a fuller clinical assessment, because risky drinking, harmful drinking, and alcohol use disorder are not the same thing.

  

  

    Why does the third question still say 6 or more drinks when the women reference is selected?
    
Because the questionnaire itself stays fixed. The women or men reference changes the comparison line after scoring, but the AUDIT-C item remains the original question about 6 or more drinks on one occasion.

  

  

    Why did the questionnaire jump straight to a result after I answered Never?
    
A past-year answer of Never means Questions 2 and 3 should score 0, so the page completes them automatically. If that was not your intended answer, go back to Question 1 and choose the actual drinking frequency.

  

  

    Are my answers sent to a server?
    
Routine scoring happens in the browser. The privacy risk comes later if you copy the JSON record, export a chart or summary file, or share a saved link that still carries your current answer state.

  

  

    What if I am not sure what counts as one drink?
    
Use standard-drink estimates before trusting the score. In the United States, one standard drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is roughly 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits. If your pours are larger or stronger than that, recalculate and screen again.

  






  
Glossary:

  

    
AUDIT-C

    
A three-question alcohol consumption screen used to flag possible unhealthy alcohol use.


    
Positive screen

    
A score that crosses the selected comparison cutoff and suggests follow-up is warranted.


    
Standard drink

    
A drink containing about 14 grams of pure alcohol in U.S. guidance.


    
Brief intervention

    
A short counseling conversation aimed at reducing risky or hazardous drinking after a positive screen.


    
6 or more drinking occasion

    
An AUDIT-C item about how often heavier single-occasion drinking happens in the past year.

  






  
References: