Home
Psychological tests
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)

Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) Test

Understand your current emotional balance in about 4 minutes. This 20 item check-in separates positive and negative mood, making it easy to track change over time for care, research, or teams.

Start Online Test

Questions: 204 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

22,901 view

2,788 completions

2,314 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

29/50

Negative Affect (NA)

Measures the intensity of unpleasant emotions such as anxiety, irritability, guilt, and fear over the assessed period.

Low

Moderate

High

10 – 15: Low | 16 – 32: Moderate | 33 – 50: High

A score of 29 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not pronounced level of negative emotional distress during the assessed period.

example score

31/50

Positive Affect (PA)

Positive Affect measures the intensity of pleasant, energetic emotions such as engagement, vigor, and concentration.

Low

Moderate

High

10 – 22: Low | 23 – 39: Moderate | 40 – 50: High

A score of 31 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a moderate level of positive emotions and engagement during the rated period.

Start Online Test

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Tracking mood changes

41%OF USERS

People who want a quick snapshot of how positive and negative emotions have been shifting over the last few days or weeks.

Therapy and counseling clients

34%OF USERS

Clients and therapists who use a short check-in to monitor emotional state and treatment progress between sessions.

HR and team leaders

25%OF USERS

Workplace specialists who assess stress and emotional climate in teams to guide support and prevention efforts.

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.

Start Online Test

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.

Negative Affect (NA)

Average

38.7

Normal range

33 — 44.4

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.

Positive Affect (PA)

Average

39.2

Normal range

32.4 — 46

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.

Start Online Test

Featured On

CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures two dimensions of emotion: positive affect and negative affect. Each dimension is scored separately based on ratings of emotion words.

What time period should be used when responding?

Use the time frame specified in the instructions, such as the past few days or a typical day. Answer with that same period in mind for every item.

How should items be rated?

Rate how strongly each feeling was experienced during the specified time period. Use the full range of response options rather than choosing the same rating for all items.

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

It typically takes about 4 minutes to complete. It includes 20 items.

How are the results interpreted?

Scores produce separate positive and negative affect totals, which can be high or low at the same time. Results describe current or recent emotional state and are not a diagnosis.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

affect emotional state positive psychology

This measure provides a brief self-report assessment of current or typical affective experience. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) uses adjective ratings to quantify two broad dimensions of mood: positive affect and negative affect.

The instrument includes 20 items and typically takes about 4 minutes to complete. Respondents indicate the extent to which they have experienced each feeling state over a specified time frame (e.g., momentary, past few days, or in general), supporting use in clinical monitoring and research contexts. Scoring yields separate indices for positive and negative affect that can be interpreted as dimensional indicators of emotional state.

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is commonly used to track changes in affect over time, evaluate treatment-related shifts in mood, and characterize affective profiles across settings and populations. Auke Tellegen is cited among the original developers.

Author: Auke Tellegen, david-watson, lee-anna-clark

Literature: Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1988.

Test Question Form