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Olfactory Dysfunction Questionnaire (OQ)3

Olfactory Dysfunction Questionnaire (OQ) Test

Understand how well your sense of smell is working in about 3 minutes. 11 quick items give a clear snapshot you can use at home or to decide if you should see a specialist.

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Questions: 113 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

16,037 views

1,435 completions

1,174 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

17/44

Olfactory Dysfunction (OD)

Measures the degree of self-reported impairment in the sense of smell to screen and monitor olfactory dysfunction.

Low impairment

Moderate impairment

High impairment

0 – 17: Low impairment | 18 – 38: Moderate impairment | 39 – 44: High impairment

A score of 17 falls in the Low impairment range, suggesting relatively mild self-reported smell difficulties on this questionnaire.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Noticing smell changes

46%OF USERS

People who recently noticed weaker, distorted, or missing smells and want a quick self-check before deciding whether to see a specialist.

Recovering after illness

34%OF USERS

People tracking smell loss or recovery after a cold, flu, COVID-19, sinus infection, or nasal surgery over time.

Clinics and research screening

20%OF USERS

Clinicians and researchers using a fast questionnaire to screen groups and monitor changes in olfactory function without complex equipment.

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.

Olfactory Dysfunction Scale (ODS)

Average

17.3

Normal range

11.6 — 23.1

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.

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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 11 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Olfactory Dysfunction Questionnaire (OQ) Test - Symptoms and Signs

somatics

This self-report measure screens for perceived changes in smell function and related concerns. The Olfactory Dysfunction Questionnaire (OQ) is intended to support brief clinical triage and research screening when objective olfactory testing is not available.

Respondents complete 11 items in about 3 minutes, rating symptoms and functional impact associated with olfactory disturbance. Items are designed to capture patient-reported change over time and the subjective severity of smell-related difficulties.

The Olfactory Dysfunction Questionnaire (OQ) was developed by Thomas Hummel and Richard L. Doty. Results should be interpreted in context of clinical history and, when indicated, followed by formal olfactory assessment or medical evaluation.

Author: Richard L. Doty, Thomas Hummel

Literature: Doty, R. L., Shaman, P., & Dann, M. Development of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test: a standardized microencapsulated test of olfactory function. Physiology & Behavior. 1984.; Hummel, T., Sekinger, B., Wolf, S. R., Pauli, E., & Kobal, G. “Sniffin’ Sticks”: olfactory performance assessed by the combined testing of odor identification, odor discrimination and olfactory threshold. Chemical Senses. 1997.