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Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11)3

Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) Test

This six-minute questionnaire contains 30 questions. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) Test highlights patterns in acting quickly, attention, planning, and self-control, helping you reflect on everyday decisions and understand which areas may deserve closer attention.

Questions: 306 minutes

Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11): situation and reply bubbles

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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4,535 completions

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Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Attentional DistractionAD

This scale measures how well a person can sustain focus and resist distraction during tasks.

example score59/100

59/100Moderate distractibilityexample score

0 – 39Low distractibility

40 – 69Moderate distractibility

70 – 100High distractibility

A score of 59 falls in the Moderate distractibility range, suggesting attention may drift at times and refocusing can require extra effort.

InconsistencyI

Inconsistency measures motor impulsivity, reflecting how likely a person is to act quickly without thinking and to struggle with behavioral consistency.

example score44/100

44/100Moderateexample score

0 – 33Low

34 – 66Moderate

67 – 100High

A score of 44 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional tendencies toward hasty actions and some inconsistency in behavior, especially under pressure or distraction.

Lack of Self-ControlLoSC

Measures the tendency to act impulsively and experience difficulty with planning and self-regulation.

example score93/100

93/100Low self-controlexample score

0 – 33Strong self-control

34 – 66Mixed self-control

67 – 100Low self-control

A score of 93 falls in the Low self-control range, suggesting a strong present-focused style with frequent difficulty inhibiting impulses and planning ahead.

ImpulsivityI

This scale measures overall impulsivity, including tendencies toward spontaneous actions, limited planning, and reduced self-control.

example score92/120

92/120Highexample score

30 – 51Low

52 – 71Moderate

72 – 120High

A score of 92 falls in the High range, suggesting a stronger tendency toward acting quickly, planning less, and finding it harder to pause before decisions compared with typical levels.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Self-improvement seekers

41%OF USERS

People who notice impulsive spending, snacking, procrastination, or emotional outbursts and want a clearer picture of their self-control patterns.

Therapy and coaching clients

34%OF USERS

Clients working on ADHD-like symptoms, addiction, mood issues, or risky behavior who take the test to guide goals and track change over time.

Students and researchers

25%OF USERS

Psychology students and researchers who use a validated questionnaire to measure attentional, motor, and planning impulsivity in studies or training.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Distraction of attentionDoa

You?

Average62.7

Typical rangeTypical45.9 – 79.6

Possible0 – 100

InconsistencyI

You?

Average71

Typical rangeTypical53.8 – 88.1

Possible0 – 100

Lack of self-controlLos

You?

Average36.2

Typical rangeTypical19.3 – 53

Possible0 – 100

ImpulsivityI

You?

Average58.1

Typical rangeTypical43.4 – 72.8

Possible30 – 120

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Rarely or never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always or almost always
- Rarely or never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always or almost always
- Rarely or never
- Occasionally
- Often
- Always or almost always

These are 3 of the 30 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) Test - Description and methodology of the test

impulsivity

People who want to examine patterns of quick action, divided attention, or difficulty with planning can use the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) Test as a structured self-report exercise. This BIS-11 impulsivity test turns everyday observations about decisions, concentration, and self-control into a profile across several dimensions. It suits personal reflection when the aim is to notice recurring tendencies rather than seek a single explanation.

What This Assessment Explores

Acting quickly here extends beyond simple haste. Items address restlessness, distractibility, racing thoughts, spending, unplanned speech, future planning, saving, self-control, and changes in work, residence, or hobbies. Together, they show how attention, present-focused choices, motor activity, and planning shape decisions.

The impulsivity profile covers four dimensions. This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with the published BIS-11, while its displayed scales and scoring belong to this online form.

The displayed dimensions are:

Inconsistency (0-100) measures motor impulsivity and hasty action; higher scores suggest weaker behavioral consistency. Low 0-33, Moderate 34-66, High 67-100.
Attentional Distraction (0-100) measures sustained attention and distractibility. Low distractibility 0-39, Moderate distractibility 40-69, High distractibility 70-100.
Lack of Self-Control (0-100) measures spur-of-the-moment action and planning difficulty. Strong self-control 0-33, Mixed self-control 34-66, Low self-control 67-100.
Impulsivity (30-120) measures spontaneous action, planning, and self-control. Low 30-51, Moderate 52-71, High 72-120.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Each item is a first-person statement about behavior, thought, or decision style. Four frequency choices run from Rarely or never to Always or almost always, with wording variants such as Sometimes or Occasionally. The respondent chooses the option that best reflects usual experience rather than an isolated moment.

The result combines responses into the displayed profile, but the online questionnaire does not specify how many points each answer contributes. Its score ranges therefore cannot reconstruct an unlisted formula; interpretation should focus on the pattern across dimensions.

Conceptually, the questionnaire aligns with Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11; Patton et al., 1995). Stanford et al. (2009) reviewed the measure’s development and applications, while Reise et al. (2013) reassessed its factor structure in a community sample. The published studies do not establish norms or psychometric properties for this online scoring form, so its profile should be interpreted as a description of current tendencies rather than a published BIS-11 norm. Compare the pattern across dimensions in the online impulsivity assessment to see what stands out; current context, memory, self-awareness, and response style can influence answers.

Author: Ernest S. Barratt

Literature:

Patton, Jim H., Matthew S. Stanford, and Ernest S. Barratt. “Factor structure of the Barratt impulsiveness scale.” Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51(6), 768-774 (1995). 10.1002/1097-4679%28199511%2951%3A6%3C768%3A%3AAID-JCLP2270510607%3E3.0.CO%3B2-1
Stanford, Matthew S., Charles W. Mathias, Donald M. Dougherty, Sarah L. Lake, Nathaniel E. Anderson, and Jim H. Patton. “Fifty years of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale: An update and review.” Personality and Individual Differences, 47(5), 385-395 (2009). 10.1016/j.paid.2009.04.008
Reise, Steven P., Tyler M. Moore, Fred W. Sabb, Amira K. Brown, and Edythe D. London. “The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11: Reassessment of its structure in a community sample.” Psychological Assessment, 25(2), 631-642 (2013). 10.1037/a0032161

Updated: 2025-10-02