What does a shaded box mean on the ASRS?
Short answer
On the self-scoring version of the ASRS v1.1 screener, each of the six questions has some answer boxes shaded. A shaded box marks an answer that counts toward the result. If four or more of your answers land in shaded boxes, the result is a positive screen, meaning further evaluation is worth considering. It is not a diagnosis.
If you have seen a paper copy of the ASRS v1.1 screener, you may have noticed that some answer boxes are darker than others. The shading is the scoring key, built right into the form so a person can score it without a separate sheet.
How the form is laid out
The screener has six questions about the past six months. Each question has five answer choices, running from Never through Rarely, Sometimes, and Often to Very Often. For each question, some of those boxes are shaded. The shaded boxes sit toward the more frequent end of the scale, and where the shading begins is not the same for every question.
How shaded answers are counted
- Answer each of the six questions by choosing one box.
- Count how many of your chosen boxes are shaded.
- If the count is four or more, the result is a positive screen.
- If the count is three or fewer, the result is a negative screen.
Our electronic version does this counting for you. It uses the official questions, answer choices, and scoring without changes.
What a positive screen means
A positive screen means your answers match a pattern that the screener's authors set as a signal that a fuller evaluation is worth considering. It does not mean ADHD is present. A negative screen does not rule it out either.
What a shaded box does not mean
- One shaded answer is not a symptom confirmed. It is one response that counts toward a threshold.
- Shaded answers are not weighted. Each counts the same.
- The count does not measure severity. Six shaded answers do not mean more ADHD than four.
- Unshaded answers are not proof that an area is fine. They simply fall below that question's threshold.
If your count is right at the line
A count of three or four can feel like a coin toss, and in a sense it is close. One answer moving one box could flip the outcome. That is not a flaw in your answers. It is how any cut-off works. If you land near the line, the most useful next step is the same either way: think about whether these difficulties are affecting your life, and if they are, talk with a professional.
Paper and electronic versions
On paper, you see the shading as you answer. In an electronic version, the shading is usually hidden and the counting is done for you, so the boxes look the same. The scoring is identical. Seeing the shading in advance can tempt people to aim for or away from certain boxes, so it is best to answer based on how often things actually happen.
Because the screener covers only six questions and the past six months, it is a narrow snapshot. It says nothing about childhood, other possible explanations, or how much difficulties affect your life, all of which a clinician would explore.
- Which of your answers were you least sure about?
- Did any answer depend heavily on a recent unusual month?
- Which everyday examples would you share with a clinician to explain your answers?
A starting point for your next step.
Take the free electronic screener. It counts shaded answers for you and shows the official outcome right away.Our results explained page covers what to do with either outcome, and our methodology page explains how the electronic version follows the official form. The screener is © New York University and the President and Fellows of Harvard College.
Frequently asked questions
How many shaded boxes mean a positive ASRS screen?
Four or more answers in shaded boxes across the six questions is a positive screen. It means further evaluation is worth considering, not that ADHD is present.
Why are different boxes shaded on different questions?
The screener's authors set the threshold for each question separately. That is part of the official scoring and is not something to adjust.
Does the shading show how severe my symptoms are?
No. The count is used only to decide whether the screen is positive or negative. It is not a severity measure.
Sources
Source check: 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.
Published 2026-10-28. Factual source check: ADHDFalcon editorial team, factual source check, 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.