Three standard questions about drinking in the past year, with an instant score.
The AUDIT-C is a brief, 3-question alcohol screen used in doctors’ offices and the VA. It helps show whether drinking may be affecting health and safety, including balance and fall risk. It takes about a minute.
One drink is 12 oz of regular beer, 5 oz of wine or 1.5 oz of liquor. If you answer “Never” to question 1, you can skip questions 2 and 3.
This is a screening, not a diagnosis. A positive AUDIT-C means drinking may be affecting health or safety and is worth talking about with a doctor. It can’t diagnose an alcohol use disorder.
Scores run from 0 to 12. In men, a score of 4 or more is considered positive; in women, 3 or more. Generally, the higher the score, the more likely drinking is affecting health and safety. When all the points come from question 1 alone, drinking is likely below recommended limits. The VA and Department of Defense use 5 or more as positive for everyone.
Sources. Questions from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, AUDIT-C (Version 3.0). Scoring and public-domain status: NIDA Clinical Trials Network, AUDIT-C Questionnaire. VA/DoD threshold: VA, AUDIT-C. Bush K, et al. The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C). Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(16):1789-1795. Bradley KA, et al. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007;31(7):1208-1217. Holsman Physical Therapy is not affiliated with these organizations, and they do not endorse this website.
Next step: Share this result with your doctor or another licensed health care provider. You can print it or save it as a PDF with the button above.
The AUDIT-C is a 3-question alcohol screen taken from the World Health Organization’s 10-question AUDIT. It helps identify drinking that may be risky to health and safety. It is in the public domain.
Each answer scores 0 to 4, for a total of 0 to 12. In men, 4 or more is considered positive. In women, 3 or more is considered positive. The VA and Department of Defense use 5 or more as positive for everyone.
Alcohol can affect balance, falls, healing, bone health and how medicines work, so it is a standard part of a health history.
No. Everything runs in your web browser. Nothing is sent to us or stored.
The SAMHSA National Helpline is free, confidential and open 24/7 at 1-800-662-4357. You can also talk with your doctor.
Physical therapists at 17 locations across NJ & NYC, plus in-home visits. Same-week appointments available.
📞 Call 1-855-465-7626