Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) Test

With 32 questions, the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) Test takes about 20 minutes to complete. Your result profiles exhaustion, work-related distance, thinking and emotional difficulties, and psychological or physical stress complaints, helping you reflect on current work experiences and identify areas that may need attention.

Questions: 3220 minutes

Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) Test: agreement scale card

June 16, 2025June 16, 2025Material has been updatedJune 16, 2025Material has been published

34,956 views

4,091 completion

2,777 likes

Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

2,777 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

ExhaustionE

Measures the intensity of physical and mental fatigue linked to sustained work-related stress and overwork.

example score26/40

26/40Moderateexample score

8 – 18Low

19 – 29Moderate

30 – 40High

A score of 26 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable level of work-related exhaustion that may be affecting energy and recovery.

Mental DistanceMD

This scale measures how detached, disinterested, or cynical a person feels toward their work and professional activities.

example score6/20

6/20Lowexample score

4 – 8Low

9 – 14Moderate

15 – 20High

A score of 6 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively little inner distancing with generally maintained interest and engagement in work.

Cognitive ImpairmentCI

Measures difficulties with concentration, memory, and mental clarity that can be associated with burnout.

example score15/25

15/25Moderateexample score

5 – 11Low

12 – 18Moderate

19 – 25High

A score of 15 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting noticeable but not severe cognitive difficulties such as lapses in focus or mental clarity.

Emotional DifficultiesED

Measures work-related difficulties in regulating emotions, including irritability and heightened emotional reactivity.

example score13/25

13/25Moderateexample score

5 – 11Low

12 – 18Moderate

19 – 25High

A score of 13 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting some noticeable emotional reactivity or irritability at work while generally remaining manageable.

Psychological ComplaintsPC

Measures the frequency and intensity of psychological complaints such as sleep problems, anxiety, tension, worry, and panic-like symptoms.

example score12/25

12/25Moderateexample score

5 – 11Low

12 – 18Moderate

19 – 25High

A score of 12 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not severe level of psychological complaints.

Psychosomatic ComplaintsPC

This scale measures the extent of physical symptoms that may be associated with psychological stress, such as headaches, digestive discomfort, chest sensations, or muscle pain.

example score9/25

9/25Lowexample score

5 – 11Low

12 – 18Moderate

19 – 25High

A score of 9 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively few psychosomatic stress-related physical complaints are currently reported.

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Overworked professionals

41%OF USERS

People juggling heavy workloads and long hours who want to understand whether chronic stress is turning into burnout symptoms.

Care and service workers

34%OF USERS

Those in people-facing roles (e.g., healthcare, education, customer support) checking for emotional exhaustion, distancing, and compassion fatigue.

People in major transitions

25%OF USERS

Individuals changing jobs, returning from leave, or facing life upheavals who notice reduced focus, irritability, and stress-related physical complaints.

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

ExhaustionE

You?

Average26.9

Typical rangeTypical22 – 31.7

Possible8 – 40

Inner distancingId

You?

Average9.1

Typical rangeTypical6.6 – 11.6

Possible4 – 20

Cognitive difficultiesCd

You?

Average12.5

Typical rangeTypical9.7 – 15.3

Possible5 – 25

Emotional DifficultiesED

You?

Average17.6

Typical rangeTypical14.7 – 20.5

Possible5 – 25

Psychological ComplaintsPC

You?

Average14.1

Typical rangeTypical11 – 17.2

Possible5 – 25

Psychosomatic ComplaintsPC

You?

Average12.5

Typical rangeTypical9.6 – 15.3

Possible5 – 25

Featured On

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always

These are 3 of the 32 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) Test - Description and methodology of the test

burnout

For people who feel worn down by sustained work demands, the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) Test offers a structured way to examine how strain is affecting energy, thinking, emotions, and the body. This burnout symptom assessment is intended for people reflecting on current work experiences and can show which areas appear more prominent, helping them decide what deserves closer attention in daily life or a broader professional conversation.

What This Assessment Explores

People using this work burnout test can see whether strain is most evident in energy, detachment, thinking, emotions, psychological symptoms, or physical symptoms. The profile separates these areas and shows where current difficulties appear more pronounced. The displayed scales are:

Mental Distance (4-20) measures detachment, lost interest, and cynicism: Low 4-8; Moderate 9-14; High 15-20.
Cognitive Impairment (5-25) measures attention, concentration, memory, and clear thinking: Low 5-11; Moderate 12-18; High 19-25.
Emotional Difficulties (5-25) measures emotion-regulation difficulties, irritability, and reactivity: Low 5-11; Moderate 12-18; High 19-25.
Psychological Complaints (5-25) measures sleep problems, worry, tension, anxiety, and panic: Low 5-11; Moderate 12-18; High 19-25.
Psychosomatic Complaints (5-25) measures stress-attributed physical symptoms, including pain, digestive problems, headaches, and palpitations: Low 5-11; Moderate 12-18; High 19-25.
Exhaustion (8-40) measures physical and mental fatigue: Low 8-18; Moderate 19-29; High 30-40.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

The BAT self-assessment uses first-person statements about work-related experiences and symptoms. Respondents choose an ordered frequency option, generally Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, or Always; some items use Constantly at the highest frequency. The tool displays a score range and result band for each domain, but the exact rule converting responses into points is not specified.

Published BAT development and Rasch studies provide measurement evidence for the instrument, while a European study provides severe-burnout cutoff evidence. This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with that published BAT work, but the online 32-question version is not documented as a reproduction or adaptation of the validated instrument. Separate norms or standardization for this questionnaire are not documented; the displayed result bands are this tool’s categories.

Interpretation works best as a pattern across domains. Workload, sleep, physical health, mood, self-awareness, and response style can affect answers, so the profile is a snapshot rather than a complete account of functioning. It does not establish a clinical diagnosis; interpretation should combine the profile with broader personal and occupational information.

Author: Desart, S., De Witte, H., Schaufeli, W. B.

Literature:

Schaufeli, W. B., Desart, S., & De Witte, H. (2020). Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)-Development, Validity, and Reliability. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9495. 10.3390/ijerph17249495
Schaufeli, W. B., De Witte, H., & Desart, S. (2020). Manual Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)-Version 2.0. KU Leuven, Belgium: Unpublished internal report.
Hadžibajramović, E., Schaufeli, W., & De Witte, H. (2020). A Rasch analysis of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). PLOS ONE, 15(11), e0242241. 10.1371/journal.pone.0242241
Schaufeli, W. B., De Witte, H., Hakanen, J. J., Kaltiainen, J., & Kok, R. (2023). How to assess severe burnout? Cutoff points for the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) based on three European samples. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 49(4), 293-302. 10.5271/sjweh.4093

Updated: 2025-06-16