The T.O.V.A. (Test of Variables of Attention)
Short answer
The T.O.V.A., or Test of Variables of Attention, is a computerized attention test from The TOVA Company in Washington State. Healthcare professionals use it to measure attention and inhibitory control, with visual and auditory formats. It is FDA-cleared as an aid in assessment, and research reviews say task tests like it should never be used alone to diagnose ADHD.
You may hear about the T.O.V.A. from a psychologist, a pediatric clinic or a friend who took it years ago. It belongs to a group of computer tasks often called continuous performance tests, which measure how you respond over a stretch of time rather than asking you questions.
Who makes it and what it is cleared for
Two phrases in that description are worth slowing down for. "Aids in the assessment" means it is a helper inside an evaluation, not the evaluation itself. And "attention deficits, including ADHD" means it measures attention in general; many things besides ADHD can affect attention on a given day.
Visual and auditory versions
The company offers separate visual and auditory formats so each can be measured on its own. It publishes different age ranges for each format and a short version for preschoolers. The clinician chooses which to use, and the test is scored by the company's software against its reference data. We do not describe the task itself here.
What research reviews say about tests like this in adults
Reasons a single session can mislead
- Sleep, illness, hunger and anxiety on test day can all change performance.
- Some people focus well in a quiet, novel setting and struggle in ordinary life, or the reverse.
- A task measures attention in one narrow situation; daily life asks for many kinds of attention at once.
- Other conditions, including mood and learning differences, can affect results.
This is why clinicians interpret a T.O.V.A. report together with what you tell them, what others report, and your history. The company itself frames the test as adding information that an interview or behavior ratings do not provide, which is another way of saying it complements them rather than replacing them.
If you have taken a T.O.V.A. before, perhaps as a child, tell your clinician. Earlier results can be part of your history, though they reflect who you were at that age and the setting you were tested in
Self-description and performance sample
The ASRS v1.1 screener on this site is a six-question self-report about the past six months. It reflects how you see your own experience across many situations. The T.O.V.A. records how you respond on a computer task during one session. One is a self-description; the other is a performance sample. Both are partial views, and we do not rank them.
The T.O.V.A. is sold to healthcare professionals and runs on the company's system. It is not something you take at home, and an online game that resembles it is not the same thing.
- If I took a computer attention test, what else about that day might affect how I did?
- Where in my life does attention seem hardest to sustain, and does a quiet test room resemble that setting?
A starting point for your next step.
For a self-report starting point, try the free six-question ASRS v1.1 screener and see the official outcome.Frequently asked questions
Is the T.O.V.A. a diagnosis?
No. The company describes it as an aid in assessment, and a 2024 review of these tests in adults concluded they should not be used in isolation to diagnose ADHD.
Who can give the T.O.V.A.?
Healthcare professionals who use the company's system. It is not available as a home or online test from the maker.
Is the T.O.V.A. a continuous performance test?
It is commonly grouped with them. The 2024 systematic review of continuous performance tests in adults included the T.O.V.A. among the commercially available tests it examined.
Sources
Source check: 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.
- The TOVA Company, "T.O.V.A. Test of Variables of Attention" home page, tovatest.com
- Varela JL, Magnante AT, Miskey HM, Ord AS, Eldridge A, Shura RD. A systematic review of the utility of continuous performance tests among adults with ADHD. The Clinical Neuropsychologist. 2024;38(7):1524-1585.
- NIMH, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: What You Need to Know
Published 2026-10-28. Factual source check: ADHDFalcon editorial team, factual source check, 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.