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IN THIS ARTICLE:
7 free social anxiety tests you’ll probably encounter online if
you Google; types of questions & results;
which sites are trying to sell you something

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Google “free social anxiety tests,” and you’ll find these seven among the top search results — so I thought it might be helpful for some of you if I jotted down my impressions of each. It should go without saying that you should always take results from non-verified, for-personal-use tests with a good dose of healthy skepticism — especially if they’ve got an online therapy program to sell to you. Still, they can be a good place to start if you want a general idea as to the severity of your social anxiety, and possibly help you figure out your top anxiety triggers.

1 – Test for Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Institute

30-questions, About 5 minutes
Asks you to rate on a 4-point scale how anxious you would feel in very specific social scenarios. For example: Having your friends and family sing Happy Birthday to you; Saying “good morning” to a person you categorize as an authority figure. Fairly quick test because they’re asking about specific real-life scenarios, and you’re using your gut instinct.

Results
You’ll fall into one of four categories:

• likely do not have a diagnosable case of social anxiety disorder.
• You may or may not have a diagnosable case of social anxiety disorder.
• moderate amount of social anxiety and would probably would meet DSM-IV qualifications for social anxiety disorder.
• high amount of social anxiety and most likely would meet DSM-IV standards for social anxiety disorder.

No other info is given.

Are they selling something?
Yes. An audio/video program for $30/mo or $160 all at once.

2 – Social Anxiety Test
Psychtests.com (also used by PsychologyToday.com)

36 questions, About 8 – 10 minutes
This test bears a “Scientifically Validated” badge — and it certainly has a clinical flavor. These questions are dry and ask you to rate (on a 5-point scale) your anxiety in certain types (though non-specific) social interactions, which may cause you to overthink the answers.

You’ve also got to fill out some dull, census-style research questions at the end before you can get your results.

The Results
They provide a bullet point list of your Strengths (in social situations), Potential Strengths, and Limitations.

Are they selling something?
Yes. You can purchase a personalized report which, according to the site, is an “in-depth analysis” of your anxiety. They provide a sample report for you to check out before you buy.

3 – Screening for Social Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety and Depression Association of America

29 questions, About 5 – 8 minutes
This binary, Yes or No test is basically a form you’d fill out in a doctor’s office — and that’s exactly what it’s meant for. The site tells you to make an appointment with a health care professional, print out your results and bring it to the appointment. Very sound advice.

If you indicate that you suffer from panic attacks, it also makes you tick off a list of physiological symptoms such as: pounding heart, sweating, choking, dizziness, etc. — to see whether or not these are bonafide panic attacks. It also asks about your alcohol and drug use. References the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The Results
None given.

Are they selling something?
No

4 – Social Anxiety, Social Phobia Test
Healthy Place

14 True or False questions, About 1 minute
You indicate whether a statement applies or doesn’t apply to you. You won’t get detailed questions, nor does it capture any information about the level of anxiety you feel in each situation.

Results
Not much to speak of. Tells you your score (out of 14), how long it took you to take the test (but doesn’t explain the relevance), and says that “the closer you are to a score of 14, the more likely it is that you have Social Anxiety Disorder.” However, it does advise you to print the results and show them to a doctor or therapist, which I think would be beneficial. I’m all for anything that does some of the explaining for me.

Are they selling something?
No

5- Social Anxiety Test Online
Anxiety Centre

10 questions, About 3 minutes
Asks some Yes or No questions, but allows you to weigh your responses (i.e. No, not at all; Yes, not often; Yes, sometimes; Yes, often; Yes, all the time).

Results
Provides your score out of 100 and tells you whether or not your social anxiety level has reached the disorder range.

Are they selling something?
Not overtly, but to access the site’s Recovery Support Member’s Area, there are a few membership fee options.

6 – Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) Assessment
Joyable

17 questions, About 5 minutes
You rate 17 social situations according to your anxiety level using a 5-point scale. Even though it’s made plain up front that they want to sell you on their program, I found the easy test worth taking whether or not you purchase the program. Be forewarned, however, that (as expected), the site makes you create an account with them in order to complete it.

Results
Pretty interesting in that they show you which, of the (supposed) top 5 universal anxiety triggers, plays top dog in your life:

1. Feeling inadequate
2. Facing criticism
3. Authority figures
4. Showing visible signs of anxiety
5. Being the center of attention

That’s really it, but it’s a pretty useful thing to be aware of. Then it went on to sell you on their particular CBT program, by asking you questions about your own specific goals and how they can tailor the program to meet these goals. For example: would you rather feel more confident, or more spontaneous? Are you concerned with being more outgoing, or being able to express your true self without fear of being judged?

Are they selling something?
Yes. An app-based, digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program that provides scheduled exercises and allows you to interact with a motivational “coach.” 7 day free trial, and then $99/month. Costly as far as online programs go, but far more affordable than traditional in-office therapy. However, note that while the program is devised by health care professionals and academics, the coaches are not licensed therapists.

7 – Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Test
SocialAnxietySupport.com

24 questions (Actually 48), About 10 minutes
24 questions is a bit misleading, as each require you to enter 2 separate responses using a 4-point rating scale. That’s a total of 48 responses total. This test is a bit different from the others in the list, as it measures not just your fear of certain situations, but how often you avoid these situations. Makes sense for a social phobia test to ask about frequency of avoidance, as avoiding scary situations altogether is what phobics do best!

Results
You receive both a fear score and an avoidance score and the two are added for your total score which then simply places you into 1 of 4 categories — Moderate Social Phobia, Marked Social Phobia, Severe Social Phobia, and Very Severe Social Phobia. And that’s it.  It doesn’t provide an explanation of these categories. Shame because this test seems to have captured some useful data, leaving the test-taker wanting. You’d probably have to do some extra research about this scale and its intended applications in order to find the results really helpful.

Are they selling something?
No

Final Word

The funny thing is, I learned more about my own personal anxiety not via the results, but having to think through my own responses. As to be expected, a lot of the questions were similar across tests, though worded differently — and somehow being asked the same question over again forced me to come at the same situation from different angles. That said, as far as which freebie tests provided me with the most insight, I’d have to say:

6 –  Joyable’s SPIN assessment because the top 5 contributors angle had me thinking about my anxiety in a different way, and it also helped me define my goals — all without me having to purchase their program.

2 – Social Anxiety Test for providing strengths, potential strengths and limitations in social situations.

Have any online tests helped you better understand your anxiety? Would love to know.