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Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20)3

Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) Test

Understand whether long-lasting tiredness is mainly physical, mental, or motivational in about 4 minutes. Get a clear, 20-item snapshot to guide care, rehab, or chronic fatigue tracking.

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Questions: 204 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

30,787 views

3,052 completions

2,515 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

16/20

Physical Fatigue (PF)

Physical asthenia measures the severity of physical fatigue, weakness, and reduced physical performance.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 9: Low | 10 – 14: Moderate | 15 – 20: High

A score of 16 falls in the High range, suggesting pronounced physical fatigue and reduced physical stamina.

example score

12/20

Reduced Motivation (RM)

Measures the degree of reduced motivation and loss of drive to start or persist with tasks.

Low decrease

Moderate decrease

High decrease

4 – 9: Low decrease | 10 – 14: Moderate decrease | 15 – 20: High decrease

A score of 12 indicates a moderate decrease in motivation, suggesting some reduction in interest and drive for everyday tasks.

example score

10/20

Reduced Activity (RA)

Assesses the extent to which a person’s daily activity level and initiative have decreased due to fatigue.

Low reduction

Moderate reduction

High reduction

4 – 9: Low reduction | 10 – 14: Moderate reduction | 15 – 20: High reduction

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate reduction range, suggesting a noticeable but not severe decrease in daily activity and initiative.

example score

11/20

General Fatigue (GF)

Measures overall fatigue and weakness reflecting a person’s general energy and vitality.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 9: Low | 10 – 14: Moderate | 15 – 20: High

A score of 11 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme level of overall tiredness and reduced energy.

example score

69/100

Asthenia (A)

Assesses the severity of asthenic symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and reduced work capacity.

Low

Moderate

High

20 – 46: Low | 47 – 73: Moderate | 74 – 100: High

A score of 69 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable level of asthenic symptoms such as fatigue and reduced work capacity.

example score

10/20

Mental Fatigue (MF)

Psychic asthenia measures the severity of mental fatigue, concentration difficulties, and reduced cognitive efficiency.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 9: Low | 10 – 14: Moderate | 15 – 20: High

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not severe level of mental fatigue and concentration strain.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People with persistent tiredness

41%OF USERS

They feel drained most days and want to understand whether their fatigue is mainly physical, mental, or motivation-related.

Recovery and rehab patients

34%OF USERS

They are coming back from illness, injury, or surgery and need a quick snapshot of which fatigue domain is holding them back.

Clinicians and researchers monitoring fatigue

25%OF USERS

They use a brief questionnaire to track fatigue patterns over time and compare changes across different interventions or groups.

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.

Physical asthenia (Pa)

Average

12.2

Normal range

9.5 — 15

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.

Decreased motivation (Dm)

Average

9.8

Normal range

7.5 — 12

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.

Reduced activity (Ra)

Average

8.2

Normal range

5.9 — 10.5

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.

General Asthenia (GA)

Average

10.2

Normal range

8.1 — 12.2

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.

Asthenia Scale (AS)

Average

43.1

Normal range

33.3 — 52.8

min.

max.

100

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.

Psychic Asthenia (PA)

Average

9.3

Normal range

7.1 — 11.6

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

- Yes, that is true
- Mostly yes
- Not sure
- Mostly no
- No, that is not true
- Yes, that is true
- Mostly true
- Not sure
- Mostly untrue
- No, that is not true
- Yes, that is true
- Mostly yes
- Not sure
- Mostly no
- No, that is not true

These are 3 of the 20 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

Subjective Fatigue Assessment Scale, MFI-20 Test

Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) Test - Symptoms and Signs

weakness

neuronalization

Fatigue can be multifactorial, and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) is a brief self-report measure designed to characterize fatigue across several domains. It helps differentiate patterns of physical, mental, and motivational fatigue experiences.

The instrument includes 20 items and is typically completed in about 4 minutes. Item content samples common fatigue-related complaints, supporting domain-level scoring that can inform clinical documentation and treatment planning. Smets, E. is commonly cited in relation to its development.

In clinical and research settings, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) may be used to monitor fatigue severity and profile over time, including in medical illness, recovery, or rehabilitation contexts, as part of a broader assessment of symptoms and functioning.

Author: Smets, E.

Literature: Smets, E. M. A., Garssen, B., Bonke, B., & De Haes, J. C. J. M. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) psychometric qualities of an instrument to assess fatigue. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 1995.