COPE Inventory Test

Designed for self-reflection, the COPE Inventory Test presents 60 questions and takes about 6 minutes to complete. Your result highlights the ways you respond to stressful situations, including planning, seeking support, acceptance, emotional expression, and disengagement, helping you understand your personal coping profile.

Questions: 606 minutes

COPE Inventory Test: test ticket with numbers

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

36,131 view

4,413 completions

3,288 likes

Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

3,288 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Suppression of Competing ActivitiesSoCA

Measures how much a person reduces competing activities and distractions to stay focused on dealing with a stressful situation.

example score2/4

2/4Low focusexample score

1 – 2Low focus

2.1 – 4High focus

A score of 2 indicates a low tendency to suppress competing activities, meaning distractions may still take up some attention during stress.

AcceptanceA

Measures how much a person acknowledges the reality of a stressful situation and accepts what has happened in order to adapt and move forward.

example score3/4

3/4Moderate acceptanceexample score

1 – 2Low acceptance

2.1 – 3Moderate acceptance

3.1 – 4High acceptance

A score of 3 indicates moderate acceptance, suggesting you generally recognize the situation as it is and can begin adapting while still experiencing some difficulty fully coming to terms with it.

Use of SedativesUoS

Measures the tendency to cope with stress by using alcohol, medications, or drugs to dampen emotions or avoid the problem.

example score2/4

2/4Moderate useexample score

1 – 1.9Low use

2 – 2.9Moderate use

3 – 4High use

A score of 2 indicates a moderate tendency to use sedatives as a coping strategy, suggesting it may be used occasionally rather than as a primary response to stress.

Emotional Social SupportESS

Measures the tendency to seek sympathy, understanding, and moral support from others when under stress.

example score3/4

3/4Moderate useexample score

1 – 2Low use

2.1 – 3Moderate use

3.1 – 4High use

A score of 3 indicates a moderate tendency to seek emotional support from others as a way to cope with stress.

Restraint CopingRC

Measures the tendency to pause and inhibit immediate action in order to respond to stress more deliberately.

example score2/4

2/4Low inhibitory copingexample score

1 – 2Low inhibitory coping

2.1 – 4High inhibitory coping

A score of 2 indicates a relatively low tendency to hold back action and wait for the right moment, suggesting you may be more likely to act sooner when stressed.

Behavioral DisengagementBD

Measures the tendency to cope with stress by reducing efforts or disengaging from addressing the stressor.

example score2/4

2/4Low avoidanceexample score

1 – 2Low avoidance

2.1 – 4High avoidance

A score of 2 indicates low behavioral avoidance, suggesting you generally maintain engagement with the problem rather than withdrawing effort.

PlanningP

Measures the extent to which a person copes with stress by thinking through actions and developing concrete behavioral strategies.

example score3/4

3/4Moderate planningexample score

1 – 2Low planning

2.1 – 3Moderate planning

3.1 – 4High planning

A score of 3 indicates moderate planning, suggesting the person often thinks through steps and prepares strategies in stressful situations.

HumorH

Measures how often a person uses jokes and laughter to reduce tension and reframe a stressful situation.

example score2/4

2/4Low useexample score

1 – 2Low use

2.1 – 3Moderate use

3.1 – 4High use

A score of 2 suggests humor is used infrequently or only in some situations as a way of coping with stress.

Turning to ReligionTtR

Measures the extent to which a person copes with stress by turning to faith, religious beliefs, or God for support and meaning.

example score3/4

3/4Moderate useexample score

1 – 2Low use

2.1 – 3Moderate use

3.1 – 4High use

A score of 3 indicates a moderate tendency to use religious or faith-based coping as a source of emotional stabilization and meaning during stress.

DenialD

Measures the tendency to cope with stress by rejecting or minimizing the reality of the situation.

example score3/4

3/4High denialexample score

1 – 2Low denial

2.1 – 4High denial

A score of 3 indicates a higher tendency to use denial in stressful situations, which may reduce distress in the moment but can limit engagement with the problem.

Active CopingAC

Measures how often a person uses proactive, problem-focused actions to deal with stress.

example score2/4

2/4Lowexample score

1 – 2Low

2.1 – 4High

A score of 2 indicates a lower level of active coping, meaning proactive problem-solving is used less consistently under stress.

Instrumental Social SupportISS

This scale measures how much a person seeks practical help, advice, or information from others when coping with stress.

example score3/4

3/4Moderate useexample score

1 – 2Low use

2.1 – 3Moderate use

3.1 – 4High use

A score of 3 indicates a moderate tendency to seek practical support and advice from others as part of coping with stress.

Focus on and Venting of EmotionsFoaVoE

Measures the tendency to focus on unpleasant emotions and actively express them when under stress.

example score2/4

2/4Lowexample score

1 – 2Low

2.1 – 4High

A score of 2 indicates a lower tendency to dwell on and express negative emotions in stressful situations, suggesting emotions are less central in coping.

Mental DisengagementMD

Measures the tendency to cope with stress by mentally disengaging from the problem through distraction (e.g., daydreaming or sleeping).

example score2/4

2/4Low useexample score

1 – 2Low use

2.1 – 4High use

A score of 2 indicates a low level of mental escape, suggesting distraction is used occasionally but is not a primary coping strategy.

Positive Reinterpretation and GrowthPRaG

Measures the tendency to reinterpret stressful situations in a positive way and focus on personal growth and new meaning.

example score3/4

3/4Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

2.1 – 3Moderate

3.1 – 4High

A score of 3 suggests a moderate level of positive reframing, meaning the person often tries to find constructive meaning in stress but may not do so consistently.

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Stressed working adults

41%OF USERS

People dealing with work or life pressure who want to understand their usual coping style and build healthier responses.

Therapy and counseling clients

34%OF USERS

Clients and patients who take it to map coping strategies, spot avoidance patterns, and choose practical targets for change with a specialist.

Teens under pressure

25%OF USERS

Adolescents facing school, family, or social stress who want to see how they cope and what support helps them most.

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Suppression of competitive activitySoca

You?

Average3.1

Typical rangeTypical2.7 – 3.5

Possible1 – 4

AcceptanceA

You?

Average1.8

Typical rangeTypical1.3 – 2.2

Possible1 – 4

Use of “Sedatives”Uo“

You?

Average3

Typical rangeTypical2.6 – 3.4

Possible1 – 4

Emotional social supportEss

You?

Average3.1

Typical rangeTypical2.6 – 3.5

Possible1 – 4

Controlling CopingCC

You?

Average2.4

Typical rangeTypical1.9 – 2.9

Possible1 – 4

Behavioral Avoidance of the ProblemBAotP

You?

Average2.9

Typical rangeTypical2.4 – 3.3

Possible1 – 4

PlanningP

You?

Average2.2

Typical rangeTypical1.8 – 2.6

Possible1 – 4

HumorH

You?

Average2.1

Typical rangeTypical1.6 – 2.6

Possible1 – 4

Appeal to ReligionAtR

You?

Average3.2

Typical rangeTypical2.6 – 3.7

Possible1 – 4

DenialD

You?

Average2.2

Typical rangeTypical1.8 – 2.6

Possible1 – 4

Active copingAc

You?

Average2.7

Typical rangeTypical2.2 – 3.2

Possible1 – 4

Instrumental social supportIss

You?

Average3

Typical rangeTypical2.5 – 3.4

Possible1 – 4

Focus on emotionsFoe

You?

Average2

Typical rangeTypical1.6 – 2.5

Possible1 – 4

Mental Escape from the ProblemMEftP

You?

Average3.2

Typical rangeTypical2.7 – 3.8

Possible1 – 4

Positive reframingPr

You?

Average3.1

Typical rangeTypical2.6 – 3.5

Possible1 – 4

Featured On

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

This instrument is designed to examine how people respond to difficulties. There are many ways to cope with life challenges, and responses may vary across situations. Please indicate what you do and how you feel when you encounter a difficult situation. There are no right or wrong answers, as individuals respond differently to different situations. It is important to understand how you, specifically, respond when faced with a difficult situation.

- No
- Occasionally
- Sometimes
- Often
- No
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- No
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often

These are 3 of the 60 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

COPE Inventory Test - Description and methodology of the test

cbt

coping behavior

Readers who want to understand their habitual responses to pressure can use the COPE Inventory Test as a structured self-report profile. This stress coping assessment describes how a person approaches problems, manages emotions, seeks help, accepts difficult realities, or steps away from them. It suits people exploring patterns across challenging situations, not a single fixed label.

What This Assessment Explores

This COPE inventory questionnaire groups the result into three broad coping areas:

Problem engagement includes Suppression of Competing Activities (1-4), Active Coping (1-4), Planning (1-4), Restraint Coping (1-4), Acceptance (1-4), and Positive Reinterpretation and Growth (1-4); together, they describe focus, direct action, deliberation, adaptation, and positive meaning.
Connection and emotional meaning include Emotional Social Support (1-4), Instrumental Social Support (1-4), Turning to Religion (1-4), Focus on and Venting of Emotions (1-4), and Humor (1-4); these reflect empathy, practical help, faith, expression, and tension relief.
Stepping back includes Behavioral Disengagement (1-4), Mental Disengagement (1-4), Denial (1-4), and Use of Sedatives (1-4); these describe reduced effort, distraction, refusal of reality, and substance-related relief.

Each score uses the displayed low, moderate, or high band where provided; higher results indicate more frequent endorsement of that coping tendency, not better coping.

Methodology and Evidence Base

Prompts describe actions, thoughts, feelings, support seeking, avoidance, faith, humor, and substance-related relief. Four ordered options generally move from no or rare occurrence to often, so responses capture how frequently a coping behavior is endorsed. Results appear on 1-4 scales, using the labels shown for each measure.

This questionnaire is an online presentation of the 60-item COPE Inventory, not a separate adaptation, and uses a theoretically organized self-report approach. The 1989 study by Carver, Scheier, and Weintraub introduced and examined the published instrument. Lyne and Roger's 2000 study re-examined the COPE questionnaire, while Halamová and colleagues' 2022 study examined factor structure and external validity in a Slovak COPE 60 translation. Together, these studies concern the published instrument and translation, not validation of this online presentation.

Read as a coping style test, the result is a context-sensitive snapshot. Current stress, memory, self-awareness, and openness can influence answers, so the profile describes endorsed tendencies rather than a clinical conclusion.

Author: Charles S. Carver, Jagdish K. Weintraub, Michael F. Scheier

Literature:

Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., and Weintraub, J. K. "Assessing Coping Strategies: A Theoretically Based Approach." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 56, no. 2 (1989): 267-283. 10.1037/0022-3514.56.2.267
Halamová, Júlia, Martin Kanovský, Katarina Krizova, Katarína Greškovičová, Bronislava Strnádelová, and Martina Baránková. "The Factor Structure and External Validity of the COPE 60 Inventory in Slovak Translation." Frontiers in Psychology 12 (2022): 800166. 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.800166
Lyne, Kenneth, and Derek Roger. "A Psychometric Re-Assessment of the COPE Questionnaire." Personality and Individual Differences 29, no. 2 (2000): 321-335. 10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00196-8

Updated: 2025-10-02