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Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI)3

Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI) Test

Designed for focused self-reflection, the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI) Test presents 51 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Its results outline symptom severity across identity, reality testing, psychological defenses, relationship boundaries, and screening-level likelihood, helping you understand your individual profile.

Questions: 5110 minutes

Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI) Test: sample question card

September 1, 2026September 1, 2026Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Total ScoreTS

This scale measures the overall severity of traits associated with borderline personality organization.

example score23/51

23/51Moderateexample score

0 – 17Low

18 – 34Moderate

35 – 51High

A score of 23 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a mid-level overall severity of borderline-associated traits on this screening measure.

Fear of EnmeshmentFoE

Measures fear of losing individuality and anxiety about being emotionally engulfed in close relationships.

example score6/8

6/8Highexample score

0 – 2Low

3 – 5Moderate

6 – 8High

A score of 6 falls in the High range, suggesting a stronger tendency to feel anxious about closeness and to struggle with maintaining clear interpersonal boundaries.

Impaired Reality TestingIRT

Measures the tendency toward distorted perception of reality and difficulty accurately evaluating what is real.

example score2/5

2/5Moderateexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3Moderate

4 – 5High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional or situational difficulties in reality testing rather than pronounced distortion.

Primitive DefensesPD

Assesses how strongly a person relies on primitive defense mechanisms such as denial or projection when managing internal distress.

example score2/8

2/8Low useexample score

0 – 2Low use

3 – 5Moderate use

6 – 8High use

A score of 2 falls in the Low use range, suggesting relatively limited reliance on primitive defenses in the situations reflected by the items.

Identity DiffusionID

Measures how stable and clearly defined a person’s sense of self and personal identity feels over time.

example score6/10

6/10Some identity uncertaintyexample score

0 – 3Clear identity

4 – 6Some identity uncertainty

7 – 10Marked identity diffusion

A score of 6 falls in the “Some identity uncertainty” range, suggesting noticeable but not extreme fluctuations in self-definition and inner coherence.

Cut-20C2

The Cut-20 scale provides an empirical estimate of the likelihood of borderline personality disorder features based on a brief screening score.

example score6/20

6/20Lower likelihoodexample score

0 – 9Lower likelihood

10 – 20Higher likelihood

A score of 6 falls in the 0–9 range, suggesting a lower likelihood of BPD features on this auxiliary screening scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Mental health clinicians

44%OF USERS

Psychologists and psychiatrists use it as a quick screen to support differential diagnosis when BPD traits are suspected.

People seeking clarity

34%OF USERS

Individuals who recognize intense mood swings, unstable relationships, or impulsivity take it to understand whether their symptoms resemble BPD.

Students and researchers

22%OF USERS

Graduate students and clinical researchers take it for training, study projects, or to compare borderline features with neurotic or psychotic symptoms.

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

Overall scoreOs

You?

Average19

Typical rangeTypical10.6 – 27.4

Possible0 – 51

Fear of MergingFoM

You?

Average5.6

Typical rangeTypical4.5 – 6.6

Possible0 – 8

Checking Distorted RealityCDR

You?

Average2.4

Typical rangeTypical1.6 – 3.2

Possible0 – 5

Primitive DefensesPD

You?

Average5.7

Typical rangeTypical4.4 – 7.1

Possible0 – 8

Blurred IdentityBI

You?

Average4.4

Typical rangeTypical2.5 – 6.2

Possible0 – 10

Cut-20C

You?

Average12.8

Typical rangeTypical9.8 – 15.8

Possible0 – 20

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No

These are 3 of the 51 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI) Test - Description and methodology of the test

borderline disorder

psychopathology

People who want to examine whether recurring experiences affect their sense of self, relationships, or behavior may use this questionnaire as a structured starting point. The Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI) Test presents a profile rather than reducing responses to one label. In this borderline personality test, answers are most informative when they reflect recurring patterns rather than only a particularly difficult day.

What This Assessment Explores

Items cover identity, relationship boundaries, unusual perceptions, dissociation-like experiences, impulsivity, self-harm, substance use, and behavioral shifts. The result shows which domains shape the profile for self-reflection.

The profile reflects patterns associated with borderline personality traits rather than defining a person.

The displayed dimensions and bands are:

Total Score (0-51) reflects overall severity: Low 0-17; Moderate 18-34; High 35-51.
Fear of Enmeshment (0-8) reflects fear of losing individuality: Low 0-2; Moderate 3-5; High 6-8.
Impaired Reality Testing (0-5) reflects distorted reality evaluation: Low 0-1; Moderate 2-3; High 4-5.
Primitive Defenses (0-8) reflects reliance on primitive defenses: Low use 0-2; Moderate use 3-5; High use 6-8.
Identity Diffusion (0-10) reflects unstable self-definition: Clear identity 0-3; Some identity uncertainty 4-6; Marked identity diffusion 7-10.
Cut-20 (0-20) estimates screening-level likelihood: Lower likelihood 0-9; Higher likelihood 10-20.

Methodology and Evidence Base

Responses use Yes/No self-report statements, and some items offer an additional response or follow-up choice. They are combined into the displayed dimensions, but the item-level scoring rule is not documented, so interpretation should follow the reported scales rather than an assumed formula.

Leichsenring’s Borderline Personality Inventory is the closest conceptual reference for this questionnaire. Chabrol’s 2004 factor-structure study adds context, while Kernberg’s model supports concepts such as identity diffusion and primitive defenses. The online version is not established as the published instrument or a validated adaptation, so these sources do not directly validate its scores.

The Cut-20 is an empirical borderline personality screening measure that lacks a theoretical foundation and is intended for adjunctive use; its result is a screening estimate rather than a diagnosis, while the catalogue bands are categories whose clinical interpretation has not been established for this questionnaire.

Self-report makes interpretation sensitive to current stress, self-awareness, and honesty about experiences. Comparing the dimensions with personal history and functioning can make the profile more meaningful, while a response pattern may reflect context as well as enduring tendencies.

Literature:

Leichsenring, F. (1999). Development and first results of the Borderline Personality Inventory: A self-report instrument for assessing borderline personality organization. Journal of Personality Assessment, 73(1), 45-63. 10.1207/S15327752JPA730104
Chabrol, H., Montovany, A., Ducongé, E., Kallmeyer, A., Mullet, E., & Leichsenring, F. (2004). Factor Structure of the Borderline Personality Inventory in Adolescents. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 20(1), 59-65. 10.1027/1015-5759.20.1.59
Kernberg, O. F. (1984). Severe Personality Disorders: Psychotherapeutic Strategies. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Updated: 2026-09-01