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Basic Psychological Needs in School Questionnaire3

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.

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Questions: 174 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

26,341 view

2,856 completions

2,491 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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.

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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.

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.

Connectedness, classmates (Cc)

Average

2.7

Normal range

2.3 — 3.1

min.

max.

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.

Connectivity, teachers (Ct)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.9 — 2.6

min.

max.

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.

Competence (C)

Average

2.9

Normal range

2.3 — 3.4

min.

max.

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.

Autonomy, frustration (Af)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.8 — 2.8

min.

max.

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.

Autonomy, satisfaction (As)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.8 — 2.8

min.

max.

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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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Not true
- Rather not true
- Rather true
- True
- Untrue
- Mostly untrue
- Mostly true
- True
- Untrue
- Mostly untrue
- Mostly true
- True

These are 3 of the 17 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Basic Needs Questionnaire at School, BNQS Test

Basic Psychological Needs in School Questionnaire Test - Symptoms and Signs

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.