GAD-7 Scoring: Score Ranges, Cut-Offs and a Free Calculator
The GAD-7 is seven items, each scored 0 to 3 over the last two weeks, totalling 0 to 21. There are no reverse-scored items and no subscales, so the arithmetic is trivial — the value is in reading the total correctly and knowing what change matters.
Below are the score ranges, an interactive calculator, the scoring applied to a real response pattern, and the response and remission thresholds used in measurement-based care.
The short answer
- Score each of the 7 items 0-3 and add them: total 0 to 21.
- Ranges: 0-4 minimal, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, 15-21 severe.
- 10 or more is the standard cut-off for probable generalised anxiety disorder (about 89% sensitivity and 82% specificity).
- Response is a 4-point drop or a 50% reduction; remission is a total below 5.
- The eighth question on difficulty at work and home is not added to the total.
- Run the PHQ-9 alongside it — anxiety and depression co-occur in roughly 60% of cases.
Step-by-step scoring
Score range: 0-21 (seven items scored 0-3)
- 1Score each item 0 = not at all, 1 = several days, 2 = more than half the days, 3 = nearly every day.
- 2Add the seven items for a total from 0 to 21. There are no reverse-scored items or subscales.
- 3Apply the bands: 0-4 minimal, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, 15-21 severe.
- 4Note the unscored functional-impairment item separately in the record.
Score the GAD-7 now
GAD-7 score calculator
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems? Nothing is stored or sent — this runs entirely in your browser.
1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge
2. Not being able to stop or control worrying
3. Worrying too much about different things
4. Trouble relaxing
5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still
6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable
7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen
0 of 7 items answered
Total: 0/ 21
Answer every item for a valid total — partial GAD-7 scores should not be pro-rated.
Educational calculator only. A score is not a diagnosis and is not stored.
A worked example
| Item | Response and score |
|---|---|
| 1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge | Nearly every day = 3 |
| 2. Not able to stop or control worrying | More than half the days = 2 |
| 3. Worrying too much about different things | Nearly every day = 3 |
| 4. Trouble relaxing | More than half the days = 2 |
| 5. Being so restless it is hard to sit still | Several days = 1 |
| 6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable | More than half the days = 2 |
| 7. Feeling afraid something awful might happen | Several days = 1 |
Total = 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 14, the top of the moderate band. This is a probable anxiety disorder: confirm diagnostically, start treatment, and treat a drop to 7 or below as a meaningful response.
Score ranges and what to do next
| Score | Severity | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | Minimal anxiety | No treatment indicated on this measure. Use as the remission target when tracking treatment. |
| 5-9 | Mild anxiety | Monitor and revisit. Psychoeducation, sleep, activity and caffeine or alcohol review are usually the highest-yield actions before formal treatment. |
| 10-14 | Moderate anxiety | Probable anxiety disorder. Active treatment indicated: CBT, an SSRI or SNRI, or both. This is the standard threshold for further diagnostic assessment. |
| 15-21 | Severe anxiety | Severe anxiety with likely functional impairment. Treat actively, screen for panic, PTSD and depression, and assess suicide risk — severe anxiety raises risk independently. |
Scoring mistakes to avoid
- Scoring the eighth functional-impairment question into the total. It is not scored — but read it, because it often changes the plan.
- Treating 10 as a diagnosis instead of a threshold for further assessment.
- Reading a 1-3 point drop as improvement; meaningful response is about 4 points or 50%.
- Pro-rating the total when an item is missing. Ask for the answer instead.
- Missing medical mimics: hyperthyroidism, arrhythmia, stimulants, caffeine, and alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal.
- Screening anxiety without depression. Run the PHQ-9 alongside; the two co-occur in roughly 60% of cases.
What individual GAD-7 scores mean
What does a GAD-7 score of 10 mean?
Ten is the standard cut-off for probable generalised anxiety disorder — roughly 89% sensitivity and 82% specificity. It indicates moderate anxiety and warrants diagnostic assessment and treatment, not watchful waiting.
What does a GAD-7 score of 15 mean?
Fifteen and above is severe anxiety. Expect significant functional impact, screen for comorbid depression, panic and PTSD, and treat actively with therapy, medication or both.
What is a normal GAD-7 score?
A total of 0 to 4 is minimal anxiety and the usual remission target after treatment.
How much GAD-7 change is meaningful?
A reduction of 4 points or more, or roughly 50% from baseline, is generally treated as a clinically meaningful response. A final score below 5 counts as remission.
Can the GAD-7 diagnose anxiety?
No. It is a screening and severity measure. A score of 10 or higher indicates probable disorder and calls for a clinical interview to confirm the diagnosis and rule out medical causes, substance effects and hyperthyroidism.
The 7 GAD-7 questions, word for word
All seven items share one stem: "Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?" Each is answered on the same four-point scale — Not at all = 0, Several days = 1, More than half the days = 2, Nearly every day = 3.
- 1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge — 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
- 2. Not being able to stop or control worrying — 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
- 3. Worrying too much about different things — 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
- 4. Trouble relaxing — 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
- 5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still — 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
- 6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable — 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
- 7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen — 0 / 1 / 2 / 3
- Eighth question (not scored into the total): How difficult have these problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with other people? Not difficult at all / Somewhat difficult / Very difficult / Extremely difficult.
GAD-7 score ranges at a glance
- 0-4 minimal — normal range and the post-treatment remission target.
- 5-9 mild — subthreshold worry; monitor and re-measure in two to four weeks.
- 10-14 moderate — probable anxiety disorder; the standard screening cut-off.
- 15-21 severe — active treatment, plus screening for panic, PTSD and depression.
The GAD-2 short form and when to escalate
The first two GAD-7 items — feeling nervous or on edge, and not being able to stop worrying — form the GAD-2, scored 0 to 6. A GAD-2 of 3 or more is a positive screen and should be followed immediately by the full GAD-7.
In high-volume settings the efficient sequence is GAD-2 and PHQ-2 for everyone, then the full GAD-7 and PHQ-9 when either is positive. That keeps the screening burden to about thirty seconds per patient without losing the severity data you need to track treatment.
How often to repeat the GAD-7
Anxiety scores move faster than depression scores, so measure more often: every session, or at least every two weeks during active treatment. Monthly or quarterly measurement misses the movement that would tell you a dose or approach is working.
Expect meaningful change in CBT by sessions four to six and on an SSRI by weeks four to six, allowing for the initial activation period. A total that has not moved by at least a quarter by week eight is the point to change the plan rather than continue it.
Reading the GAD-7 alongside the PHQ-9
The two measures share symptom territory — sleep, concentration, restlessness — so when both are elevated, treating the depression usually lowers both totals.
When the GAD-7 stays high after the PHQ-9 improves, look for a specific anxiety disorder needing its own treatment: panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD or PTSD. And note that someone with severe episodic panic can score modestly on the GAD-7 if they successfully avoid triggers, so a low total never rules out an anxiety disorder on its own.
GAD-7 scoring questions
How do you score the GAD-7?
Score each of the seven items from 0 to 3 and add them for a total of 0 to 21. Bands are 0-4 minimal, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, and 15-21 severe anxiety.
What is the GAD-7 cut-off score?
Ten or higher is the standard cut-off for probable generalised anxiety disorder and the point at which further assessment and treatment are indicated.
Is the GAD-7 free?
Yes. The GAD-7 is in the public domain and can be reproduced, translated and used without permission or fee.
Is the GAD-7 only for generalised anxiety?
It was developed for GAD but performs well as a screen for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and PTSD, which is why it is used as a general anxiety measure.
How often should the GAD-7 be repeated?
At intake and then every session or every two to four weeks during active treatment. Monthly or quarterly measurement loses useful signal.
What is the GAD-2?
The first two GAD-7 items, scored 0-6, used as an ultra-brief screen. A score of 3 or higher should be followed by the full GAD-7.
Need to talk to someone right now? You're not alone.
Scoring reference for clinicians and patients. Not medical advice, and no score is a diagnosis. See our medical disclaimer.