Personal Risk Factors Assessment Test

Understand a student’s risk for starting substance use in about 10 minutes. Age-appropriate items give a fast, actionable snapshot to guide prevention and support.

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Questions: 5310 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

18,144 views

1,234 completions

1,090 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

14/19

School (S)

Measures school-related risk factors such as academic difficulties, conflicts at school, absenteeism, and instability in the educational environment.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 9: Low | 10 – 14: Moderate | 15 – 19: High

A score of 14 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting noticeable school-related stressors that may warrant closer attention in the educational setting.

example score

33/58

Immediate Social Environment (ISE)

Measures exposure to and approval of deviant behavior or psychoactive substance use within the adolescent’s closest social circle.

Low influence

Moderate influence

High influence

0 – 24: Low influence | 25 – 41: Moderate influence | 42 – 58: High influence

A score of 33 falls in the Moderate influence range, suggesting some exposure to peers or close contacts who may normalize or engage in risky behaviors.

example score

30/57

Psychological (P)

Assesses psychological risk factors such as impulsivity, loneliness, difficult life situations, unstructured free time, and a need for thrills.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 20: Low | 21 – 37: Moderate | 38 – 57: High

A score of 30 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting some psychological vulnerability factors are present and may warrant attention in the student’s support context.

example score

34/37

Family (F)

Measures family-related risk factors such as unclear norms, parental conflict, weak shared values, and insufficient expectations that may increase vulnerability to substance use.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 15: Low | 16 – 26: Moderate | 27 – 37: High

A score of 34 falls in the High range, suggesting notable family-environment stressors or lack of consistent structure that may contribute to increased psychosocial risk.

example score

81/171

Overall Risk (OR)

Overall Risk summarizes the cumulative level of psychosocial factors associated with vulnerability to developing addictive behavior.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 68: Low | 69 – 118: Moderate | 119 – 171: High

A score of 81 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable accumulation of risk factors that may warrant closer monitoring and targeted support.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

School psychologists and counselors

41%OF USERS

They use the questionnaire to quickly spot students who may be vulnerable and plan targeted prevention or support.

Teachers and homeroom leaders

33%OF USERS

They screen classes or specific students when behavior, attendance, or peer issues raise concerns about risky influences.

Parents seeking clarity

26%OF USERS

They want an objective snapshot of their child’s risk factors to decide whether extra support or professional help is needed.

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.

School (S)

Average

13.6

Normal range

10.1 — 17.1

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.

Closest circle (Cc)

Average

16.4

Normal range

8.5 — 24.3

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.

Psychological (P)

Average

18.8

Normal range

10.8 — 26.8

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.

Family (F)

Average

23.4

Normal range

17.4 — 29.3

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.

Overall Risk (OR)

Average

56.2

Normal range

30.3 — 82.2

min.

max.

171

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

Dear students, This questionnaire is being administered to assess attitudes toward the issue of psychoactive substance use. Please read each question and all response options carefully. Select the response that best reflects your opinion.

- Always
- Often
- Rarely
- Never
- Always
- Often
- Rarely
- Never
- Always
- Often
- Rarely
- Never

These are 3 of the 53 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

Personal Risk Factors Assessment Test - Symptoms and Signs

addiction

deviant behavior

drug addiction

This questionnaire is designed to identify psychosocial correlates associated with adolescents’ vulnerability to initiating psychoactive substance use. Risk Factors is intended for use in school or clinical settings to support prevention planning and targeted follow-up when indicated. It was developed by Thomas A. Wills.

The measure includes 53 items and typically takes about 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered in age-appropriate forms to align item content with developmental stage. Risk Factors is used to characterize areas of potential risk or environmental influence and to inform monitoring, consultation, and referral decisions; results should be interpreted in context with other clinical and educational information rather than as a standalone diagnosis.

Author: Thomas A. Wills

Literature: Marlatt, G. A., & Donovan, D. M. Relapse prevention: Maintenance strategies in the treatment of addictive behaviors. Guilford Press. 2005.