Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) Test

See how stressed and overwhelmed you’ve felt over the past month in about 3 minutes. Get a clear baseline from 14 quick items to track changes and guide practical coping strategies.

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Questions: 143 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

18,532 views

2,428 completions

2,038 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

7/28

Coping Factor (CF)

The coping factor measures perceived ability to handle stress and use adaptive coping mechanisms under pressure.

Low coping

Moderate coping

High coping

0 – 11: Low coping | 12 – 21: Moderate coping | 22 – 28: High coping

A score of 7 falls in the Low coping range, suggesting fewer perceived coping resources and lower resilience to stressors over the past month.

example score

5/32

Distress Factor (DF)

Measures the level of psychological discomfort and negative emotional responses to stressors over the past month.

Low distress

Moderate distress

High distress

0 – 7: Low distress | 8 – 17: Moderate distress | 18 – 32: High distress

A score of 5 falls in the Low distress range, suggesting relatively little perceived psychological discomfort in response to recent stressors.

example score

24/56

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

Measures how strongly a person has perceived their life as stressful and hard to manage over the past month.

Low stress

Moderate stress

High stress

0 – 15: Low stress | 16 – 31: Moderate stress | 32 – 56: High stress

A score of 24 falls in the Moderate stress range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme level of perceived stress in the past 30 days.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Overwhelmed busy adults

41%OF USERS

People juggling work, family, or big life changes who want a quick read on how stressed they’ve felt over the last month.

Therapy and coaching clients

34%OF USERS

Clients using counseling or coaching who track perceived stress over time to see what triggers it and what helps.

HR and student support

25%OF USERS

HR specialists, educators, and student services teams who screen stress levels in groups and monitor changes during high-demand periods.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

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

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Used in 52+ countries

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.

Coping factor (Cf)

Average

15.6

Normal range

10.8 — 20.4

min.

max.

Majority

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.

Distress Factor (DF)

Average

20.6

Normal range

14.9 — 26.4

min.

max.

Majority

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.

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

Average

38.6

Normal range

29.8 — 47.4

min.

max.

Majority

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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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures how stressful life has felt during the past 30 days. It reflects perceived stress rather than the number of stressful events.

How should the items be answered?

Rate how often each feeling or reaction occurred during the past month. Base ratings on typical experience across the full 30-day period.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

It includes 14 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete.

How should scores be interpreted?

Higher scores generally indicate greater perceived stress during the past month. Results support screening and monitoring and are not a clinical diagnosis.

Can results be compared across different versions of the scale?

Direct comparisons across versions may be inaccurate because item sets, scoring, and norms can differ. Use the same version when tracking change over time.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) Test - Symptoms and Signs

stress level

This self-report measure assesses the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful over the past month. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) focuses on subjective experiences of unpredictability, lack of control, and overload rather than objective event counts.

The instrument includes 14 items and typically requires about 3 minutes to complete. It is commonly used in clinical and research settings to support screening and to monitor perceived stress over time; it is not intended as a standalone diagnostic tool. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) was developed by Tom Kamarck and Robin Mermelstein.

Author: Robin Mermelstein, sheldon-cohen, Tom Kamarck

Literature: Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 1983.; Lee, E.-H. Review of the psychometric evidence of the perceived stress scale. Asian Nursing Research. 2012.; Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 1983.

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