Home1
Psychological tests2
Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ)3

Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) Test

Understand which thinking traps may be shaping your mood and decisions in about 9 minutes. Get clear, targeted insights to guide therapy focus and track progress over time.

Start Online Test

Questions: 459 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

19,565 views

1,638 completions

1,322 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

3/4

Catastrophizing (C)

Measures the tendency to magnify problems and anticipate the worst possible outcomes when interpreting situations.

Low

Elevated

1 – 1.8: Low | 1.9 – 4: Elevated

A score of 3 falls in the Elevated range, suggesting a stronger-than-average tendency to interpret difficulties as likely to lead to severe negative outcomes.

example score

2/4

Hypernormativity (H)

Measures the tendency to rigidly follow social norms and rules without critically evaluating their relevance or flexibility across situations.

Low

Elevated

1 – 2.5: Low | 2.6 – 4: Elevated

A score of 2 falls in the Low range, suggesting generally flexible use of social norms with limited rigid rule-following.

example score

3/4

Perfectionism (P)

Measures the tendency toward all-or-nothing, perfectionistic judgments and unrealistic standards for oneself or others.

Low

Elevated

1 – 1.8: Low | 1.81 – 4: Elevated

A score of 3 falls in the Elevated range, suggesting a noticeable pattern of perfectionistic, extreme standards that may amplify dissatisfaction when outcomes are less than ideal.

example score

3/4

Learned Helplessness (LH)

Assesses the tendency to devalue one’s own abilities and respond to setbacks with passivity and reduced personal responsibility.

Low

Elevated

1 – 1.7: Low | 1.8 – 4: Elevated

A score of 3 falls in the Elevated range, suggesting a stronger tendency toward pessimistic expectations, reduced self-efficacy, and withdrawal of effort after difficulties.

example score

3/4

Moralizing (M)

Measures the tendency to interpret people and events through moral judgments and a desire for moral control over others.

Low

High

1 – 2.6: Low | 2.7 – 4: High

A score of 3 falls in the High range, suggesting moral evaluations may frequently shape your interpretations and could add tension in relationships through increased criticism.

example score

2/4

Stubbornness (S)

Measures the tendency to defend self-esteem rigidly and remain inflexible in judgments, often arguing on principle and discounting alternative viewpoints.

Low

High

1 – 2.4: Low | 2.5 – 4: High

A score of 2 falls in the Low range, suggesting generally flexible thinking with only occasional principled defensiveness or stubborn insistence.

example score

3/4

Mind Reading (MR)

Measures the tendency to assume what others think or intend without sufficient evidence.

Low

Elevated

1 – 1.8: Low | 1.8 – 4: Elevated

A score of 3 indicates an elevated tendency to interpret others’ thoughts or intentions without clear evidence, which may contribute to negatively biased judgments.

example score

2/4

Personalization (P)

Measures the tendency to interpret others’ disagreement or neutral reactions as personally hostile, rejecting, or humiliating toward oneself.

Low

Elevated

1 – 1.2: Low | 1.3 – 4: Elevated

A score of 2 falls in the Elevated range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to take others’ reactions personally and anticipate negative attitudes toward oneself.

example score

3/4

Catastrophizing (C)

Measures the tendency to overestimate threats and perceive situations as more dangerous than they are, leading to excessive caution and avoidance.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 1.9: Low | 2 – 2.9: Moderate | 3 – 4: High

A score of 3 indicates a high tendency to exaggerate danger, so risks and responsibilities may feel more threatening than warranted and prompt avoidant choices.

example score

139/180

Cognitive Errors Scale (CES)

Measures the overall intensity of maladaptive cognitive distortions that can bias interpretation of situations and influence emotional responses.

Low

High

45 – 93: Low | 94 – 180: High

A score of 139 falls in the High range, indicating a pronounced tendency toward cognitive distortions that may amplify negative interpretations of events.

Start Online Test

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Anxiety and low mood

41%OF USERS

People who feel anxious, down, or overwhelmed and want to see which thinking patterns may be intensifying their emotions.

Therapy starters and trackers

34%OF USERS

Clients in cognitive-behavioral therapy who use the questionnaire to identify core distortions and monitor changes over time.

Self-reflection and decisions

25%OF USERS

Individuals curious about their judgment style who want a quick check for common mental shortcuts affecting daily choices and relationships.

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.

Catastrophizing (C)

Average

2.9

Normal range

2.4 — 3.5

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.

Hypernormality (H)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.7 — 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.

Maximalism (M)

Average

1.9

Normal range

1.5 — 2.3

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.

Learned Helplessness (LH)

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.

Moralizing (M)

Average

2.5

Normal range

2 — 3

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.

Stubbornness (S)

Average

2.7

Normal range

2.3 — 3

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.

Mind Reading (MR)

Average

2.1

Normal range

1.7 — 2.5

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.

Personalization (P)

Average

3.1

Normal range

2.7 — 3.6

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.

Exaggerating Danger (ED)

Average

2.7

Normal range

2.1 — 3.2

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.

Cognitive Distortions Scale (CDS)

Average

79.3

Normal range

55 — 103.6

min.

max.

180

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.

Start Online Test

Featured On

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

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

These are 3 of the 45 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

Start Online Test

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Cognitive Errors Questionnaire, CMQ Test

Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) Test - Symptoms and Signs

cognitive therapy

cognitive distortions

cbt

This questionnaire is designed to assess common cognitive distortions that may influence how an individual interprets situations and responds emotionally. The Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) is typically used to identify patterns of biased or inaccurate thinking that can be clinically relevant in presentations involving anxiety and depressive symptoms.

It consists of 45 items and generally takes about 9 minutes to complete. Results are usually interpreted as an index of the types and relative prominence of cognitive errors endorsed, and may be used to inform case formulation and treatment planning, as well as to monitor change over time. The Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) was originally described by A. Freeman and R. DeWolf (1992).

Author: Aaron T. Beck, David A. Clark

Literature: Beck, J. S. Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. Guilford Press. 2011.; Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practice. Guilford Press. 2010.