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Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ)3

Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) Test

With 45 questions and an estimated completion time of 9 minutes, the Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) Test examines recurring thinking patterns such as catastrophizing, perfectionism, self-devaluation, passivity, and assumptions about others. Your result highlights cognitive tendencies that may support clearer self-reflection and a more informed understanding of your personal profile.

Questions: 459 minutes

Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) Test: sample question card

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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2,062 completions

1,687 likes

Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

HypernormativityH

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

example score2/4

2/4Lowexample score

1 – 2.5Low

2.6 – 4Elevated

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

CatastrophizingC

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

example score3/4

3/4Highexample score

1 – 1.9Low

2 – 2.9Moderate

3 – 4High

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.

PerfectionismP

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

example score3/4

3/4Elevatedexample score

1 – 1.8Low

1.81 – 4Elevated

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.

Learned HelplessnessLH

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

example score3/4

3/4Elevatedexample score

1 – 1.7Low

1.8 – 4Elevated

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.

CatastrophizingC

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

example score3/4

3/4Elevatedexample score

1 – 1.8Low

1.9 – 4Elevated

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.

MoralizingM

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

example score3/4

3/4Highexample score

1 – 2.6Low

2.7 – 4High

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.

StubbornnessS

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

example score2/4

2/4Lowexample score

1 – 2.4Low

2.5 – 4High

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

Mind ReadingMR

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

example score3/4

3/4Elevatedexample score

1 – 1.8Low

1.8 – 4Elevated

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

PersonalizationP

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

example score2/4

2/4Elevatedexample score

1 – 1.2Low

1.3 – 4Elevated

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

Cognitive Errors ScaleCES

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

example score139/180

139/180Highexample score

45 – 93Low

94 – 180High

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

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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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

HypernormalityH

You?

Average2.3

Typical rangeTypical1.7 – 2.8

Possible1 – 4

Exaggerating DangerED

You?

Average2.7

Typical rangeTypical2.1 – 3.2

Possible1 – 4

MaximalismM

You?

Average1.9

Typical rangeTypical1.5 – 2.3

Possible1 – 4

Learned HelplessnessLH

You?

Average2.9

Typical rangeTypical2.3 – 3.4

Possible1 – 4

CatastrophizingC

You?

Average2.9

Typical rangeTypical2.4 – 3.5

Possible1 – 4

MoralizingM

You?

Average2.5

Typical rangeTypical2 – 3

Possible1 – 4

StubbornnessS

You?

Average2.7

Typical rangeTypical2.3 – 3

Possible1 – 4

Mind ReadingMR

You?

Average2.1

Typical rangeTypical1.7 – 2.5

Possible1 – 4

PersonalizationP

You?

Average3.1

Typical rangeTypical2.7 – 3.6

Possible1 – 4

Cognitive Distortions ScaleCDS

You?

Average79.3

Typical rangeTypical55 – 103.6

Possible45 – 180

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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.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) Test - Description and methodology of the test

cognitive therapy

cognitive distortions

cbt

People who notice worry, self-criticism, rigid standards, or assumptions about others may use this questionnaire to examine decisions and situations where those reactions arise. The Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) Test helps readers examine how habitual interpretations shape emotional reactions, judgments, and decisions. By organizing these themes, the CMQ self-assessment supports focused reflection about situations in which these tendencies appear.

What This Assessment Explores

The questions examine interpretations of setbacks, responsibility, criticism, social rules, personal standards, and other people's intentions. Examples include overreacting to small problems, expecting failure, assuming that others share unspoken thoughts, treating mistakes as ruinous, or reading disagreement as rejection. These situations connect emotional responses with patterns of judgment rather than measuring a single mood.

For someone examining habits in self-description, this questionnaire functions as a cognitive errors test by organizing reflection and showing how context may affect these patterns. The result indicates which tendencies are more prominent. It can highlight areas for reflection, but a higher score indicates stronger endorsement of that tendency at the time of answering, not that the pattern appears in every situation or relationship.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Responses are Never, Sometimes, Often, Always. Scores show dimension and overall; answer-to-score formula and normative status are unspecified. CMQ assessment shows dimensions and bands:

Catastrophizing (1-4) captures exaggeration; Low 1-1.8, Elevated 1.9-4.
Hypernormativity (1-4) reflects rules; Low 1-2.5, Elevated 2.6-4. Perfectionism (1-4) reflects flawlessness; Low 1-1.8, Elevated 1.81-4.
Learned Helplessness (1-4) reflects devaluation/passivity; Low 1-1.7, Elevated 1.8-4. Moralizing (1-4) reflects moral control; Low 1-2.6, High 2.7-4.
Stubbornness (1-4) reflects rigidity; Low 1-2.4, High 2.5-4. Mind Reading (1-4) reflects inference; Low 1-1.8, Elevated 1.8-4.
Personalization (1-4) reflects rejection; Low 1-1.2, Elevated 1.3-4. Cognitive Errors Scale (45-180) summarizes maladaptive strategies; Low 45-93, High 94-180.

Conceptually, this questionnaire aligns with Bobrov and Faizrakhmanova's study; it remains separate. Freeman and DeWolf (1992) discuss cognitive mistakes; Beck and Clark describe automatic and strategic anxiety. Context, awareness, response bias affect self-report; bands indicate tendencies.

Author: Aaron T. Beck, David A. Clark

Literature:

Bobrov, A. E., and E. V. Faizrakhmanova. The Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire as a Tool for Assessing Components of Pathological Anxiety.. Neurology and Psychiatry, no. 8 (137), 2017, pp. 59-65.
Freeman, Arthur M., and Rose DeWolf. The 10 Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make and How to Avoid Them: Simple and Sure Techniques for Gaining Greater Control of Your Life. HarperCollins, 1992.
Beck, Aaron T., and David A. Clark. An Information Processing Model of Anxiety: Automatic and Strategic Processes. Behaviour Research and Therapy 35, no. 1 (1997): 49-58. 10.1016/S0005-7967(96)00069-1.

Updated: 2025-10-02