Screening threshold
Short answer
A screening threshold, or cutoff, is the point at which a screener's result switches from negative to positive. The ASRS v1.1 Screener's own published rule is four or more answers in the shaded boxes. Crossing it suggests a fuller evaluation may help; falling short does not rule anything out. Where any line is drawn involves a choice about who gets flagged.
Screeners need a rule for deciding when to say, this may be worth a closer look. That rule is the threshold. It turns a range of possible answers into a simple yes or no.
How the rule works on the ASRS v1.1
Each of the six questions has five answer options, and for each question some options are shaded. The screener's scoring instruction counts how many of your answers land in shaded boxes. Four or more is a positive screen. Three or fewer is below the threshold. That is the instrument's scoring rule, and nothing on this page is a claim about how well it performs.
That is why ADHDFalcon applies the published rule exactly as written, rather than adjusting it for different audiences or moods.
Why a line has to be drawn somewhere
Put simply, in screening generally, a lower bar flags more people and a higher bar flags fewer. Where to set it is a design decision made by the people who build a screener, not something a user should change.
Living near the line
Hypothetically, someone with exactly three shaded answers and someone with four might have very similar lives. The threshold puts them on different sides, but it does not mean their experiences are meaningfully different. If you are close to the line in either direction, your examples and concerns matter more than the count.
What crossing it does not mean
- It is not a diagnosis.
- It does not measure how severe anything is.
- More shaded answers do not mean "more ADHD".
- Being below it does not mean you are fine if life still feels hard.
The Attention Profile in Part 2 of the ADHDFalcon screener has no threshold at all. Its 0 to 100 area scores are descriptive, have no norms and do not produce a positive or negative result.
If your count is close to the line, mention that when you share the outcome, along with the concerns that brought you to the screener.
A starting point for your next step.
See where you fall on the screenerFrequently asked questions
What is the ASRS v1.1 screening threshold?
The screener's published scoring rule treats four or more answers in the shaded boxes as a positive screen.
Does scoring just above the threshold mean mild ADHD?
No. The screener does not measure severity or diagnose. A positive screen only suggests a fuller evaluation may help.
Can I change the threshold to suit me?
No. The license does not allow changes to the screener, and moving the line would not make the result any more meaningful for you.
Sources
Source check: 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.
- NYU Langone TOV, ASRS v1.1 6-Question Screener license page
- Trevethan R. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values: foundations, pliabilities, and pitfalls in research and practice. Frontiers in Public Health. 2017;5:307.
Published 2026-10-28. Factual source check: ADHDFalcon editorial team, factual source check, 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.