Free self-tests · 4 min · 16 questions
Worry test: the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ)
Some people worry about specific things now and then. Others find that worry is almost always running in the background, moving from one topic to the next. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire measures that second kind: how much, how often and how hard it is to stop.
It is widely used in research on anxiety. It cannot diagnose generalised anxiety disorder or any other condition, and it doesn't ask what you worry about.
Your answers stay on your device. Nothing is saved or sent.
Free, no sign-up. Your progress is saved only in this browser on this device, so you can stop and come back later. Nothing is sent to anyone.
Rate each of the following statements on a scale of 1 (“not at all typical of me”) to 5 (“very typical of me”). Please do not leave any items blank.
Your results
This is a self-report questionnaire, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can assess you properly.
Talk it through: book a session
The PDF is created on your device. Your saved answers stay in this browser until you start again or clear them.
The PSWQ measures the habit of worry: how strong it is and how hard it is to switch off. It doesn't tell you why you worry, and the cut-offs come from research groups that may not look like you. A German study found the questionnaire picked out generalised anxiety much less reliably among psychosomatic hospital inpatients, so treat any number as a starting point.
If your score was 45 or more, please talk to a GP or another qualified health professional, particularly if worry is affecting your sleep, concentration or relationships. The GAD-7 anxiety questionnaire on this site gives a two-week snapshot of anxiety symptoms, if you want a second view.
Worry often has a history. For many women it began as being the responsible one, the person who thinks ahead so others don't have to. Living far from family can add a constant low hum of 'what if'. In person-centred counselling you can look at what the worry is protecting, without being told to simply stop. I am a trainee counsellor working under supervision. You can read more about anxiety and people-pleasing, or see the helplines page if you need support today.
How the PSWQ score works
16 questions, scored by adding up your answers; 5 are reverse-scored. These are the score ranges this page uses to describe your result. Where the questionnaire's authors publish official cut-offs, the ranges follow them; the sources are listed below.
| Score | Range |
|---|---|
| Below the research cut-off | 16 to 44 |
| Raised worry | 45 to 61 |
| High worry | 62 to 80 |
About this questionnaire
Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) by Thomas J. Meyer, Mark L. Miller, Richard L. Metzger and Thomas D. Borkovec (1990).
Meyer, T. J., Miller, M. L., Metzger, R. L., & Borkovec, T. D. (1990). Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28(6), 487–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(90)90135-6
Used in line with the published terms of use.
Questions people ask
What is a normal score on the Penn State Worry Questionnaire?
Scores run from 16 to 80. In Behar and colleagues' 2003 study, 45 best separated people diagnosed with generalised anxiety from people without anxiety, and 62 worked best in a large unselected student sample. There is no single 'normal', because worry varies a lot between people and situations.
Why are some questions reverse scored?
Five statements describe not worrying, such as 'I never worry about anything'. For those, the scoring is flipped so that a higher total always means more worry. This stops people from simply agreeing with everything and getting a misleading result.
Is a high PSWQ score the same as generalised anxiety disorder?
No. A high score means worry is strong and frequent for you, which is one important part of generalised anxiety. A diagnosis also depends on how long it has lasted, other symptoms and how much it affects your life, which only a qualified professional can assess.
Are my answers private?
Yes. Everything is scored in your browser and nothing is stored or sent. Closing or refreshing the page clears your answers. Take a screenshot if you want to remember the result.
Sources
- CamCOPS documentation: Penn State Worry Questionnaire (wording, scoring and public-domain status)
- Meyer, Miller, Metzger and Borkovec (1990), Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire
- Psychosocial Medicine (2009): PSWQ as a screening tool for GAD, reporting the Behar et al. (2003) cut-offs