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Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30)

Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) Test

Understand how you relate to your thoughts and feelings in about 6 minutes. This 30 item measure supports anxiety and mood care by tracking key beliefs that can drive distress over time.

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Questions: 306 minutes

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08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

15126 views

1790 completions

1494 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

17/24

Cognitive Self-Consciousness (CSC) (CS()

Measures how much you monitor and pay attention to your own thoughts and thinking processes.

Lower monitoring

Moderate monitoring

Higher monitoring

6 – 12: Lower monitoring | 13 – 18: Moderate monitoring | 19 – 24: Higher monitoring

A score of 17 falls in the Moderate monitoring range, suggesting you pay noticeable attention to your thoughts without it being at the highest level on this scale.

example score

17/24

Need to Control Thoughts (NtCT)

Assesses how strongly a person believes they must control their thoughts to prevent negative outcomes.

Low

Moderate

High

6 – 12: Low | 13 – 18: Moderate | 19 – 24: High

A score of 17 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to feel that controlling thoughts is important, which may relate to efforts to suppress or avoid certain thoughts.

example score

13/24

Cognitive Confidence (CC)

Assesses the degree of confidence in one’s cognitive abilities such as attention and memory.

Low doubts

Moderate doubts

High doubts

6 – 11: Low doubts | 12 – 17: Moderate doubts | 18 – 24: High doubts

A score of 13 falls in the Moderate doubts range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme tendency to question your attention and memory.

example score

13/24

Negative Beliefs (NEG) (NB()

Measures negative beliefs about worry and anxiety being uncontrollable and potentially dangerous.

Low

Moderate

High

6 – 11: Low | 12 – 17: Moderate | 18 – 24: High

A score of 13 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme tendency to view worry as hard to control or potentially harmful.

example score

16/24

Positive Beliefs About Worry (POS) (PBAW()

Measures the extent to which a person believes worry is useful or beneficial for coping and problem-solving.

Low

Moderate

High

6 – 11: Low | 12 – 18: Moderate | 19 – 24: High

A score of 16 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting you somewhat endorse the idea that worrying can be helpful or motivating.

example score

85/120

Total Score (TS)

This scale measures the overall intensity of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs about thinking, worry, and control of thoughts.

Lower

Moderate

Higher

30 – 59: Lower | 60 – 89: Moderate | 90 – 120: Higher

A score of 85 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a notable but not extreme level of maladaptive beliefs about thoughts and their controllability.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People with chronic worry

41%OF USERS

They take it to understand beliefs that make worry feel dangerous, uncontrollable, or necessary, and how that fuels anxiety.

Therapy clients tracking progress

35%OF USERS

They use it before, during, or after therapy to pinpoint metacognitive patterns and see whether they are changing over time.

Clinicians and researchers

24%OF USERS

They administer it to assess metacognitive beliefs linked to anxiety and mood problems and to support case formulation or studies.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

What You’ll See After You Finish the Test

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.

Practical
Recommendations

Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Detected
Insights

Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Psychologist

Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.

Mindfulness of Thinking, CSC (MoTC)

Average

17.8

Normal range

14.4 — 21.1

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Thought Control, NC (TCN)

Average

16.2

Normal range

13.4 — 18.9

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Cognitive Incompetence, CI (CIC)

Average

Normal range

16.3 — 21.7

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Negative Beliefs, NEG (NBN)

Average

15.9

Normal range

12.9 — 19

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Positive Beliefs, POS (PBP)

Average

12.1

Normal range

9.7 — 14.5

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Overall Score (OS)

Average

53.5

Normal range

41.3 — 65.7

min.

max.

120

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire measure?

It assesses beliefs about thinking, including views about worry, thought control, and attention to internal experiences. These beliefs can influence anxiety, mood symptoms, and coping patterns.

How is the questionnaire structured?

It contains 30 statements rated by level of agreement. Items cover negative beliefs about worry, positive beliefs about worry, perceived uncontrollability, need for thought control, and self-focused attention.

How long does it take to complete?

Most respondents finish in about 6 minutes. Time may vary depending on reading speed and response style.

How should responses be selected?

Choose the option that best reflects typical beliefs rather than a single recent situation. Answer all items using the same rating scale.

How are results commonly used?

Scores are used to identify metacognitive beliefs that may maintain distress and to track change over time. Results are interpreted in the context of other clinical or research information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Metacognitive Beliefs Questionnaire, MCQ-30 Test

Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) Test

irrational beliefs cbt metacognition

This self-report measure is used to assess metacognitive beliefs associated with worry and related emotional difficulties. The Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) provides a brief profile of how individuals appraise, monitor, and attempt to regulate their thoughts and feelings.

The instrument includes 30 items and typically requires about 6 minutes to complete. Respondents rate their level of agreement with statements reflecting common metacognitive themes (e.g., beliefs about the danger or uncontrollability of thoughts, perceived need to control thoughts, positive beliefs about worry, and self-focused attention to mental activity). Developed by Gerald Matthews and Adrian Wells, the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) is commonly used in clinical assessment and research to characterize metacognitive processes and to monitor change over the course of intervention.

Author: Adrian Wells, Gerald Matthews

Literature: Wells, A., & Cartwright-Hatton, S. A short form of the metacognitions questionnaire: Properties of the MCQ-30. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2004.; Wells, A. Metacognitive therapy for anxiety and depression. Guilford Press. 2009.

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