Home
Psychological tests
Basic Psychological Needs in School Questionnaire

Basic Psychological Needs in School Questionnaire Test

See in 4 minutes how supported students feel at school through autonomy, competence, and connection. A quick 17 item snapshot that helps pinpoint needs, boost engagement, and guide targeted support.

Start Online Test

Questions: 174 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

22847 views

2555 completions

2239 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

3/4

Relatedness With Classmates (RWC)

Measures how strongly a student feels belonging, friendship, and peer support among classmates.

Low connectedness

Moderate connectedness

High connectedness

1 – 2.2: Low connectedness | 2.21 – 3.7: Moderate connectedness | 3.71 – 4: High connectedness

A score of 3 indicates a moderate sense of connectedness with classmates, suggesting generally positive peer relations with some room for greater support or closeness.

example score

2/4

Relatedness With Teachers (RWT)

Measures how supported, accepted, and trusted a student feels in their relationships with teachers at school.

Low connectedness

Moderate connectedness

High connectedness

1 – 2.2: Low connectedness | 2.21 – 3.69: Moderate connectedness | 3.7 – 4: High connectedness

A score of 2 indicates low connectedness with teachers, suggesting the student may experience limited support or trust from educators.

example score

3/4

Competence (C)

Measures how capable and successful a student feels in handling academic tasks and progressing in learning.

Low competence

Moderate competence

High competence

1 – 2.24: Low competence | 2.25 – 3.58: Moderate competence | 3.59 – 4: High competence

A score of 3.00 falls in the moderate competence range, suggesting the student generally feels capable at school but may still have some doubts or inconsistent confidence with certain tasks.

example score

2/4

Autonomy Frustration (AF)

Measures how strongly a student feels their independence and freedom of choice are restricted at school.

Low frustration

Moderate frustration

High frustration

1 – 1.9: Low frustration | 1.91 – 3.36: Moderate frustration | 3.37 – 4: High frustration

A score of 2 indicates moderate autonomy frustration, suggesting the student sometimes feels pressured or constrained but not consistently.

example score

2/4

Autonomy Satisfaction (AS)

Measures how much a student feels freedom of choice and independence in their schoolwork.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 1.87: Low | 1.88 – 3.33: Moderate | 3.34 – 4: High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of autonomy satisfaction, suggesting the student sometimes feels able to make choices but may also experience some external pressure or control.

Start Online Test

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Curious high school students

46%OF USERS

Teens take it to see whether school helps them feel independent, capable, and supported.

School psychologists and counselors

33%OF USERS

Support staff use it to screen a class or individual student and spot which basic needs need attention.

Teachers and school leaders

21%OF USERS

Educators use it to evaluate the learning climate and plan changes that improve motivation and well-being.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

What You’ll See After You Finish the Test

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.

Practical
Recommendations

Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Detected
Insights

Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Psychologist

Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.

Start Online Test

Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.

Connectedness, classmates (Cc)

Average

2.7

Normal range

2.3 — 3.1

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Connectivity, teachers (Ct)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.9 — 2.6

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Competence (C)

Average

2.9

Normal range

2.3 — 3.4

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Autonomy, frustration (Af)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.8 — 2.8

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Autonomy, satisfaction (As)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.8 — 2.8

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Start Online Test

Featured On

Rated 4.8/5 by Our Customers

“Freudly really helped me discover parts of my personality I hadn’t noticed before. It strengthened the areas where I needed to grow and made me feel more grounded and confident in the parts that already worked well.”

— Emma C., US

“I wanted to understand how serious my ADHD is, and now I finally do. I also realized I need to work on my self-esteem. It has been low for a long time, and that makes daily life harder than it should be.”

— Mateo R., CA

“Reading each question felt like someone really understood me. Even though I’ve already dealt with much of this, reflecting still helped me learn something new about myself.”

— Caroline F., US

“The process is simple. The test covers everything you need, and you’ll get a clear breakdown of your results. For just a few dollars, it’s a great value.”

— Klara N., CZ

“I kept thinking there might be a small chance, but now I know for sure. The questions were easy to understand, and the whole process was straightforward.”

— Bruno M., BR

“I really enjoyed this experience. I learned a lot, and it helped me make sense of my thoughts and the feeling I’ve had for a long time that I may have grown up with undiagnosed ADHD.”

— Alice B., FR

“Great platform — the insights were genuinely meaningful!”

— Daniel W., DE

“Everything was easy to follow. The tools you get at the end are genuinely helpful for self-growth, and the price is very reasonable. I really appreciate that.”

— Sofia M., ES

“Surprisingly accurate — honestly didn’t expect it to nail things so well.”

— Adir B., IL

“There are lots of different tests to pick from, and the price is surprisingly low for how much insight you get.”

— Olivia W., CA

“I was pleasantly surprised when I read the results. It was as if someone had sorted out my messy thoughts and given me useful tips to help me speak with more confidence.”

— Grace O., IE

“It was really solid, very detailed, and it actually helped me make sense of a lot of things.”

— Carla T., TT

“I was really impressed with the report. It was clear, thoughtful, and it reflected things I’ve been noticing about myself.”

— Jade H., US

“The questions made me think deeply and helped me become more self-aware.”

— Brooke S., US

“Reading through most of the questions made me feel understood. Although I’ve already worked through some of these issues, the questions still gave me useful insights and helped me learn more about myself.”

— Ryan M., US

“I usually take one or two tests each month, and this has become a good way for me to see how I’m doing.”

— Lucas W., US

“Most of the time, my results are in the 90 to 98th percentile compared to others. It really makes me feel like there’s something unique about me.”

— Ethan C., US

“I tried out some of the AI’s suggestions, and to be honest, they worked much better than I thought they would. Maybe this thing really is smarter than me.”

— Reece D., AU

Trusted by 22k+ Users Worldwide

CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire measure?

It assesses perceived satisfaction of three basic psychological needs in the school setting: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Who is the questionnaire intended for?

It is designed for adolescent students in school contexts. It may be used for group screening or individual assessment.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion typically takes about 4 minutes. The questionnaire includes 17 items.

How should items be answered?

Each item should be answered based on typical experiences at school rather than a single event. Responses should reflect the option that best matches usual feelings or perceptions.

How should results be interpreted?

Higher scores generally indicate stronger perceived support for the relevant need, and lower scores indicate potential unmet needs in that area. Results are descriptive and should be considered alongside other available information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Basic Needs Questionnaire at School, BNQS Test

Basic Psychological Needs in School Questionnaire Test

self-determination

This measure is designed to assess how students perceive support for their core psychological needs within the school environment. The Basic Psychological Needs in School Questionnaire is commonly used to capture students’ perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in educational settings.

Developed within a self-determination theory framework (Deci & Ryan), it consists of 17 items and typically takes about 4 minutes to complete. Scores may be used to describe perceived need support and to inform research or school-based evaluation efforts; results should be interpreted in the context of other relevant information.

The Basic Psychological Needs in School Questionnaire is intended for use with adolescent school populations and may be administered in group or individual formats consistent with standard questionnaire procedures.

Author: Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan

Literature: Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry. 2000.

Test Question Form