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OASIS Anxiety Test: Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale

Update Date

September 24th, 2026

Author

Anxiety Checklist Editorial Team

In short

The OASIS is a five-question test that measures how severe anxiety is and how much it affects your life, for any type of anxiety, from panic and phobias to social anxiety. It covers the past week, takes about two minutes, and a score of 8 or more out of 20 suggests a likely anxiety disorder.

Key takeaways

It asks about frequency, intensity, avoidance, and impact on work and relationships.
Each answer scores from 0 to 4, for a total out of 20.
A cut-off of 8 correctly classified 87% of primary care patients.
It works across all anxiety disorders, and when several are present at once.
Its short, weekly format makes it good for tracking change.

Free self-assessment

Take the OASIS

Five questions about the past week: how often you felt anxious, how intense it was, what you avoided, and how much it got in the way of work, home and relationships. It works for any kind of anxiety.

Questions: 5
Time: 2 min
Covers: Past week
Cut-off: 8 of 20

Start the test Download the printable PDF

A screening tool, not a diagnosis. Your score is calculated in your browser and your answers are not stored.

Who the OASIS is for

Your anxiety is about something specific: panic, driving, flying, social situations, health
You have started avoiding places, people or activities because of fear
You want to measure how much anxiety affects your life, not only how you feel
You want a very short test you can repeat every week

What the OASIS measures

The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale was developed in 2006 by Sonya Norman, Murray Stein and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego. Most anxiety questionnaires are built around one disorder; the OASIS was designed to work across all of them, when several are present at once, and even when anxiety is below the level of a diagnosis.

Question	What it asks
1. Frequency	How often you felt anxious
2. Intensity	How strong the anxiety was
3. Avoidance	How often you avoided things because of fear
4. Work, school, home	How much anxiety interfered with what you needed to do
5. Social life	How much it affected your relationships

How the OASIS is scored

Each question scores from 0 to 4, for a total between 0 and 20. The OASIS has one validated cut-off rather than severity labels:

0–7Below the cut-offAnxiety is not strongly affecting your life this week.

8–20At or above the cut-offA likely anxiety disorder. Talking to a professional is recommended.

Within each range, a higher score still means more anxiety and more impact, which makes the OASIS useful for tracking change week by week.

Reading your result

Questions 3, 4 and 5 are what make the OASIS different. A high answer on avoidance matters even if your anxiety feels manageable: avoiding what scares you brings relief today but tends to make fear grow over time.

Not a diagnosis

A score of 8 or more is a strong signal, not a verdict. It tells you that a conversation with a professional is worthwhile.

What to do next

Below 8

Keep the habits that help you stay steady
Face small fears while they are small
Take the OASIS again if a hard week comes along

8 or above

Talk to your doctor or a therapist and bring your score
CBT with gradual exposure is the best-studied treatment for most anxiety disorders
Take the OASIS weekly to see how things change

How accurate is the OASIS?

87%of 1,036 primary care patients correctly classified with a cut-off of 8Campbell-Sills et al., 2009

78%correctly classified in a student sample (sensitivity 69%, specificity 74%)Norman et al., 2011

711students in the original study, with excellent one-month test-retest reliabilityNorman et al., 2006

OASIS or GAD-7?

	OASIS	GAD-7
Designed for	Any anxiety disorder	Generalised anxiety (worry)
Also measures	Avoidance and impact on life	Worry and tension symptoms
Questions	5	7
Covers	Past week	Last 2 weeks

If panic, phobias or social anxiety are your main concern, the OASIS usually tells you more. If constant worry is, start with the GAD-7.

Limitations

It measures severity and impact, not which anxiety disorder someone has
The cut-off comes from primary care patients and students and may work differently in other groups
It covers one week, which may not be typical for you

Scientific references

Norman, S. B., Cissell, S. H., Means-Christensen, A. J., & Stein, M. B. (2006). Development and validation of an Overall Anxiety Severity And Impairment Scale (OASIS). Depression and Anxiety, 23(4), 245–249. doi:10.1002/da.20182
Campbell-Sills, L., Norman, S. B., Craske, M. G., Sullivan, G., Lang, A. J., Chavira, D. A., Bystritsky, A., Sherbourne, C., Roy-Byrne, P., & Stein, M. B. (2009). Validation of a brief measure of anxiety-related severity and impairment: the Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS). Journal of Affective Disorders, 112(1–3), 92–101. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2008.03.014
Norman, S. B., Campbell-Sills, L., Hitchcock, C. A., Sullivan, S., Rochlin, A., Wilkins, K. C., & Stein, M. B. (2011). Psychometrics of a brief measure of anxiety to detect severity and impairment: the Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS). Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(2), 262–268. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.06.011

Frequently asked questions

What is a good OASIS score?

Below 8 is under the clinical cut-off. The lower the score, the less anxiety is affecting your life.

Can I use the OASIS for panic attacks or phobias?

Yes. That is what it was designed for: it works across all anxiety disorders, including when several are present at once.

How often can I take the OASIS?

Once a week works well, since it asks about the past week.

Are my answers saved?

No. The test is scored in your browser; your answers are not sent to us or stored.

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OASIS Anxiety Test: Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale

Key takeaways

Take the OASIS

OASIS Anxiety Test

Question 1: In the past week, how often have you felt anxious?

No anxiety in the past week.

Infrequent anxiety. Felt anxious a few times.

Occasional anxiety. Felt anxious as much of the time as not. It was hard to relax.

Frequent anxiety. Felt anxious most of the time. It was very difficult to relax.

Constant anxiety. Felt anxious all of the time and never really relaxed.

Question 2: In the past week, when you have felt anxious, how intense or severe was your anxiety?

Little or None: Anxiety was absent or barely noticeable.

Mild: Anxiety was at a low level. It was possible to relax when I tried. Physical symptoms were only slightly uncomfortable.

Moderate: Anxiety was distressing at times. It was hard to relax or concentrate, but I could do it if I tried. Physical symptoms were uncomfortable.

Severe: Anxiety was intense much of the time. It was very difficult to relax or focus on anything else. Physical symptoms were extremely uncomfortable.

Extreme: Anxiety was overwhelming. It was impossible to relax at all. Physical symptoms were unbearable.

Question 3: In the past week, how often did you avoid situations, places, objects, or activities because of anxiety or fear?

None: I do not avoid places, situations, activities, or things because of fear.

Infrequent: I avoid something once in a while, but will usually face the situation or confront the object. My lifestyle is not affected.

Occasional: I have some fear of certain situations, places, or objects, but it is still manageable. My lifestyle has only changed in minor ways. I always or almost always avoid the things I fear when I’m alone, but can handle them if someone comes with me.

Frequent: I have considerable fear and really try to avoid the things that frighten me. I have made significant changes in my life style to avoid the object, situation, activity, or place.

All the Time: Avoiding objects, situations, activities, or places has taken over my life. My lifestyle has been extensively affected and I no longer do things that I used to enjoy.

Question 4: In the past week, how much did your anxiety interfere with your ability to do the things you needed to do at work, at school, or at home?

None: No interference at work/home/school from anxiety

Mild: My anxiety has caused some interference at work/home/school. Things are more difficult, but everything that needs to be done is still getting done.

Moderate: My anxiety definitely interferes with tasks. Most things are still getting done, but few things are being done as well as in the past.

Severe: My anxiety has really changed my ability to get things done. Some tasks are still being done, but many things are not. My performance has definitely suffered.

Extreme: My anxiety has become incapacitating. I am unable to complete tasks and have had to leave school, have quit or been fired from my job, or have been unable to complete tasks at home and have faced consequences like bill collectors, eviction, etc.

Question 5: In the past week, how much has anxiety interfered with your social life and relationships?

None: My anxiety doesn’t affect my relationships.

Mild: My anxiety slightly interferes with my relationships. Some of my friendships and other relationships have suffered, but, overall, my social life is still fulfilling

Moderate: I have experienced some interference with my social life, but I still have a few close relationships. I don’t spend as much time with others as in the past, but I still socialize sometimes.

Severe: My friendships and other relationships have suffered a lot because of anxiety. I do not enjoy social activities. I socialize very little.

Extreme: My anxiety has completely disrupted my social activities. All of my relationships have suffered or ended. My family life is extremely strained.