Many people will be familiar with the “AQ test” that is widespread across the internet. This is a series of 50 questions that actually only forms one part of a bigger assessment developed in 2005 by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen at the Cambridge Autism Research Centre, the Adult Asperger’s Assessment. The AAA also includes a 60 question Emotional Quotient test as well. We have ported this to be taken as an online test.
If you are interested in the development and metrics of this assessment, here is the reference to look up:
Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Robinson, J., & Woodbury-Smith, M. (2005). The Adult Asperger Assessment (AAA): a diagnostic method. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35, 807-819.
CAVEAT CEPTOR
The scientific research into the nature and observable behaviours of autistic people is still in its infancy – this test has been heavily criticised by many aspies for favouring certain types of autistic people over another (such as men, people culturally raised in the West, younger people who have not yet learned empathy etc.,). The gold standard for diagnosis remains spending a couple of hours with a qualified professional who knows what they’re looking for. This assessment was only developed to help them in that process, and it is not an exam you can take that you can definitively pass or fail.
Having said that, we would not have gone to the trouble of uploading it if it didn’t have some value. If you achieve a score of 32 or higher on the AQ or below 30 on the EQ test, you should probably go hang out with some aspies and see whether you feel affinity with them or not.
Please note: achieving a low score on this test does not mean that you are not autistic. Achieving a particularly low score may well indicate the opposite – you’re so good at knowing what you’re supposed to be doing you can outneurotypical people at being neurotypical. On paper, at least.
You should either take the test at speed, or slowly with a friend or partner who knows you well.