Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI) Test

Understand how an athlete handles pressure in sport in about 6 minutes. Get a clear coping profile to guide training, competition prep, and recovery support.
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Questions286 minutes
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08:30
October 2, 2025
October 2, 2025
Material has been updated
21,769 views
2,400 completions
2,065 likes
Verified by Daniel Hall
Psychologist with 25 years of experience
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How the Scales are Structured

example score
45/84
Overall Coping Skills Score (OCSS)
This scale summarizes the athlete’s overall coping resources and resilience when facing sport-related stress and pressure.
Low
Moderate
High
044Low4565Moderate6684High
A score of 45 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting average overall coping resources that may be reliable in some stressful situations but can vary under higher pressure.
example score
4/12
Freedom From Worry (FFW)
Measures how well an athlete stays free from worry and self-criticism after mistakes and how much concern they have about others’ judgments when performing poorly.
High negative emotion impact
Moderate negative emotion impact
Low negative emotion impact
02High negative emotion impact3Moderate negative emotion impact412Low negative emotion impact
A score of 4 suggests relatively low impact of negative emotions, with the athlete generally able to move past mistakes without excessive worry about performance or others’ opinions.
example score
5/12
Peaking Under Pressure (PUP)
Measures how strongly the athlete treats pressure as a challenge and maintains performance under stress.
Low under-pressure performance
Moderate under-pressure performance
High under-pressure performance
03Low under-pressure performance4Moderate under-pressure performance512High under-pressure performance
A score of 5 suggests the athlete is generally able to view pressure as a challenge and deliver solid results in stressful situations.
example score
6/12
Goal Setting and Mental Preparation (GSaMP)
Measures how clearly the athlete sets performance goals and mentally plans and prepares for upcoming competition or events.
Needs structure
Developing
Well-prepared
04Needs structure5Developing612Well-prepared
A score of 6 suggests generally strong goal-setting and mental preparation, with a reasonably clear plan and performance focus before events.
example score
8/12
Confidence and Achievement Motivation (CaAM)
Assesses an athlete’s confidence and achievement-oriented motivation to sustain effort and persist in skill development under pressure.
Low
Moderate
High
06Low7Moderate812High
A score of 8 indicates a high level of self-confidence and achievement motivation, suggesting consistent effort and a strong drive to improve during training and competition.
example score
6/12
Concentration (C)
Measures how well the athlete can maintain focus on training or competition tasks despite distractions, unpleasant events, or unexpected situations.
Low focus stability
Moderate focus stability
High focus stability
05Low focus stability6Moderate focus stability712High focus stability
A score of 6 indicates moderate focus stability, suggesting the athlete can usually stay on task but may still be noticeably affected by distractions under pressure.
example score
3/12
Coachability (C)
Measures how open an athlete is to learning and instruction and how calmly they accept constructive feedback without taking it personally.
Low
Moderate
High
06Low7Moderate812High
A score of 3 indicates low learnability, suggesting the athlete may be less receptive to instruction or may react more sensitively to criticism under pressure.
example score
4/12
Coping With Adversity (CWA)
Measures how well an athlete stays positive, calm, and able to quickly regain control after mistakes or setbacks.
Low resilience
Moderate resilience
04Low resilience512Moderate resilience
A score of 4 indicates low resilience on this scale, suggesting setbacks may more often disrupt composure and make it harder to quickly bounce back.
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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Competitive athletes under pressure
46%OF USERS
Athletes preparing for important events take it to see how they handle stress, stay focused, and keep confidence in high-stakes situations.
Coaches and sport psychologists
34%OF USERS
Support staff use it to spot weak coping skills in athletes and tailor mental training or readiness plans over a season.
Injured or returning athletes
20%OF USERS
Athletes in rehab or coming back after a break take it to track emotion control, motivation, and adaptability during recovery.
BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.
RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly
Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.
AI-Powered
Interpretation
You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.
Statistical
Comparison
See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.
Practical
Recommendations
You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.
AI-Powered
Insights
Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.
Discuss with
an AI Therapist
Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.
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Used in 52+ countries
Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.
Overall coping skills score (Ocss)
Average
62.5
Normal range
5174
min.
0
max.
84
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Freedom from Negative Emotions (FfNE)
Average
5.7
Normal range
3.87.6
min.
0
max.
12
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
The highest achievement under stress (Thaus)
Average
8.8
Normal range
6.611
min.
0
max.
12
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Goal Setting and Mental Preparation (GSaMP)
Average
3.2
Normal range
15.3
min.
0
max.
12
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Self-Confidence and Achievement Motivation (SaAM)
Average
4
Normal range
1.96.1
min.
0
max.
12
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Concentration (C)
Average
3.7
Normal range
1.65.7
min.
0
max.
12
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Learnability (L)
Average
3.1
Normal range
15.3
min.
0
max.
12
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Coping with Difficulties (CwD)
Average
6.5
Normal range
4.78.2
min.
0
max.
12
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this assessment measure?
It measures coping skills used to manage sport-related pressure and challenges. It provides scores for key areas such as confidence, concentration, positive thinking, emotion regulation, and adaptability.
Who is this assessment intended for?
It is intended for athletes in organized sport settings, including training, competition, and rehabilitation contexts. It may be used by coaches and sport psychology staff to inform support plans.
How is the assessment completed?
A series of statements is presented, and each statement is rated by level of agreement. Responses should reflect typical behavior and reactions in sport situations.
How long does it take, and how many items are included?
Completion time is about 6 minutes. The questionnaire includes 28 items.
How should results be interpreted and used?
Results indicate relative strengths and areas for development across coping skills. They can support decisions about mental skills training, readiness monitoring, and recovery planning.
WHAT THE TEST MEASURES
About This Assessment
Athlete Coping Skills Test, ACSI

Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI) Test - Symptoms and Signs

This measure assesses coping-related skills relevant to managing sport-related stress and performance demands. The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI) is a brief self-report questionnaire intended to characterize how an athlete typically responds to pressure and challenge.

It consists of 28 items and typically requires about 6 minutes to complete. Item responses are used to summarize patterns across coping domains commonly linked to behavioral, emotional, and cognitive regulation in sport contexts (e.g., confidence, concentration, emotional control, and adaptation to change). The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI) was developed by Frank L. Smoll, Sean P. Cumming, and Ronald E. Smith and is commonly used to inform case formulation, guide skills-focused intervention planning, and monitor change over time in training, competition, or rehabilitation settings.

Author: Frank L. Smoll, Ronald E. Smith, Sean P. Cumming
Literature: Smith, R. E., Smoll, F. L., & Schutz, R. W. Measurement and correlates of sport-specific cognitive and somatic trait anxiety: The Sport Anxiety Scale. Anxiety Research. 1990.
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