Calculate your AUDIT-C alcohol screening score from three questions, get the 0 to 12 result, US and UK risk bands, and an estimate of your weekly drinks.
AUDIT-C Score Formula
The AUDIT-C score is the sum of your answers to three questions about how you drink. Each question is scored from 0 to 4, so the total runs from 0 to 12.
AUDIT-C = Q1 + Q2 + Q3
The calculator also estimates how many standard drinks you have in a week from the same two consumption answers.
Weekly drinks = drinking days per week * drinks per drinking day
- AUDIT-C = total consumption score, from 0 to 12.
- Q1 = how often you drink (frequency), scored 0 to 4.
- Q2 = how many drinks you have on a typical drinking day (amount), scored 0 to 4.
- Q3 = how often you have six or more drinks on one occasion (heavy sessions), scored 0 to 4.
- Drinking days per week and drinks per drinking day = mid-range values the tool reads from your Q1 and Q2 answers to estimate weekly intake.
The calculator adds the three answers to get the total, then reads that total two ways. In US clinical mode it compares the total to the sex-specific cutoff and returns a positive or negative screen. In UK mode it places the total in a Public Health England risk band. Alongside the score it multiplies your frequency and amount answers to estimate weekly standard drinks and compares that figure to the low-risk limit for your sex. It also raises a note when every point comes from the frequency question, since that pattern points to light but frequent drinking rather than heavy use, and it flags weekly or more frequent heavy sessions on their own.
AUDIT-C Score Interpretation
The total maps to a risk level. The bands below are the Public Health England thresholds. A total of 5 or more is a positive screen in that system.
| Score | Risk level | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | Lower risk | Below the increasing-risk threshold |
| 5 to 7 | Increasing risk | Positive screen; a full AUDIT is often the next step |
| 8 to 10 | Higher risk | Drinking is likely harmful; a clinical conversation is advised |
| 11 to 12 | Possible dependence | Full assessment for alcohol dependence is advised |
US clinical practice uses a lower, sex-specific cutoff than the UK 5-point threshold. A score of 4 or more is a positive screen for men, and 3 or more is positive for women. The lower cutoff for women reflects the lower drinking level at which risk rises. Because the US cutoff is lower, a score of 3 or 4 can read as positive in a US clinic but sit in the lower-risk band under the UK system, which is why the calculator lets you pick the framework.
The next table shows the drinking-days and drinks-per-day values the calculator uses to turn your first two answers into a weekly estimate. Multiply the two values across your answers, then compare the result with the NIAAA low-risk limits: for men, no more than 4 drinks a day and 14 a week; for women, no more than 3 a day and 7 a week.
| Points | Q1 frequency to days per week | Q2 amount to drinks per day |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Never = 0 | 1 or 2 = 1.5 |
| 1 | Monthly or less = 0.1 | 3 or 4 = 3.5 |
| 2 | 2 to 4 a month = 0.75 | 5 or 6 = 5.5 |
| 3 | 2 to 3 a week = 2.5 | 7 to 9 = 8 |
| 4 | 4 or more a week = 5 | 10 or more = 10 |
AUDIT-C Example Problems
Example 1. A woman drinks on 4 or 5 nights a week, so Q1 scores 4. On a drinking night she has 3 or 4 drinks, so Q2 scores 1. She never has six or more on one occasion, so Q3 scores 0. The total is 4 + 1 + 0 = 5. For a woman the cutoff is 3, so this is a positive screen. The weekly estimate is about 5 days times 3.5 drinks, near 18 drinks a week, which is above the 7-drink low-risk limit for women.
Example 2. A man drinks 4 or more times a week, so Q1 scores 4, but he only has 1 or 2 drinks each time, so Q2 scores 0, and he never has six or more at once, so Q3 scores 0. The total is 4, which is a positive screen for a man. Every point comes from the frequency question, so the calculator adds a note: the weekly estimate is only about 8 drinks, under the 14-drink limit for men, so this looks like frequent but light drinking rather than heavy use. It is a prompt to review intake, not proof of a problem.
AUDIT-C FAQ
What is a positive AUDIT-C score?
In US clinical use, a total of 4 or more for men and 3 or more for women is a positive screen for hazardous drinking or a possible alcohol use disorder. The UK system uses a single cutoff of 5 or more. A positive screen does not mean you have a disorder; it means your drinking is worth a closer look and a conversation with a clinician.
Does the AUDIT-C diagnose an alcohol use disorder?
No. The AUDIT-C measures how much and how often you drink, which is why it is called the consumption test. It is a screen, not a diagnosis. A diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder needs a clinician who can take a full history and apply diagnostic criteria. A positive AUDIT-C is a reason to complete the full 10-question AUDIT or to talk with a health professional.
What does it mean if all my points come from the first question?
The first question only asks how often you drink, not how much. If you score points on it but answer the amount and heavy-session questions at zero, you can reach the cutoff while still drinking within recommended limits. Screening guidance treats this pattern as a prompt to review your recent intake rather than a sign of heavy use, which is why the calculator shows a separate note when it happens.