Validated self-report OCD test

Map your OCD symptoms with BOCS

BOCS is a validated self-report test that maps OCD symptoms, avoidance and their impact on daily life. The fillable PDF is in English.

Get the test Understand the result

The BOCS test combines a symptom checklist with six questions that assess the severity of your symptoms and their impact on daily life. You can complete the English PDF on your own device.

What does the test examine?

The first part maps different forms of obsessions and compulsions. You mark symptoms that affect you now, symptoms you have experienced in the past and symptoms you have never had.

The final part assesses six areas during the past seven days:

• how much time OCD occupies
• how long you remain free from symptoms
• how much OCD interferes with daily life
• how distressed you feel
• how difficult it is to resist or redirect the symptoms
• how much you avoid in order to prevent OCD situations

Together, the answers produce a BOCS score from 0 to 24. The score summarises symptom severity and shows which areas are most affected.

How to complete the test

1. Focus on the past week

Answer according to the past seven days, including today. The test covers both visible actions and mental rituals that other people may not see.

2. Mark the symptoms

Select symptoms that affect you now or have affected you in the past. If something important is not included, the PDF provides space for you to describe it in your own words.

3. Answer the six questions

Choose the response that fits best. You do not need a perfect answer. A reasonable first estimate is usually more useful than analysing each question at length.

4. Add up the result

Add the points from the six questions. You may want to save the test if you plan to compare results over time or use it as the basis for a conversation.

Understanding the result

A higher score means that the symptoms have a greater impact. Two people with the same score may still be affected in different ways, so consider both the number and the symptoms and situations behind it.

Use the result to get an overview of:

• Which symptoms affect you?
• How much time and energy do they take?
• What do you avoid?
• How do they affect education, work, relationships and leisure?

If your answers concern you or the symptoms restrict your daily life, you can take the completed test to a doctor or psychologist. You may also book directly with OCD Klinikken; you do not need a referral or prior approval.

About BOCS

BOCS stands for Brief Obsessive Compulsive Scale. It was developed by psychiatrist Susanne Bejerot and colleagues, drawing on the established Y-BOCS and CY-BOCS scales.

BOCS combines symptom mapping and severity assessment in one tool. It can be used as a self-report test, as the starting point for a clinical conversation and to track changes over time.

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