Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory

Do obsessions and compulsions control your life? Take this test to find out.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | July 02, 2024

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness in which a person experiences uncontrollable obsessive thoughts. People with this disorder often engage in repetitive behaviors—known as compulsions—as a way to subdue these thoughts. These relative behaviors can become time-consuming and significantly impact the sufferer's life.

People who live with OCD can often experience shame, embarrassment or frustration due to their symptoms. Their maladaptive thought patterns can keep recurring regardless of how hard they try. Diagnosing OCD can help the sufferer improve their quality of life and provide clarity and direction for effective treatment.

The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) was developed to provide a reliable tool for assessing the severity and type of symptoms associated with OCD. The OCI-R helps in diagnosing sufferers by offering a means to assess OCD across various dimensions such as washing, checking, ordering, obsessing, hoarding and neutralizing. The ease of the test helps sufferers, making it a valuable asset for early detection and ongoing evaluation.

You can take this test here. Follow all of the steps to receive your results.

Step 1: Rate the following statements based on how reflective they are of you on a scale of not at all reflective to very reflective.

1. I have saved up so many things that they get in the way.

2. I check things more often than necessary.

3. I get upset if objects are not arranged properly.

4. I feel compelled to count while I am doing things.

5. I find it difficult to touch an object when I know it has been touched by strangers or certain people.

6. I find it difficult to control my own thoughts.

7. I collect things I don't need.

8. I repeatedly check doors, windows, drawers, etc.

9. I get upset if others change how I have arranged things.

10. I feel I have to repeat certain numbers.

11. I sometimes have to wash or clean myself simply because I feel contaminated.

12. I am upset by unpleasant thoughts that come into my mind against my will.

13. I avoid throwing things away because I am afraid I might need them later.

14. I repeatedly check gas and water taps and light switches after turning them off.

15. I need things to be arranged in a particular order.

16. I feel that there are good and bad numbers.

17. I wash my hands more often and longer than necessary.

18. I frequently get nasty thoughts and have difficulty getting rid of them.

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores to people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.

References: Foa, E. B., Huppert, J. D., Leiberg, S., Langner, R., Kichic, R., Hajcak, G., & Salkovskis, P. M. (2002). The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory: Development and validation of a short version. Psychological Assessment, 14(4), 485–496. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.14.4.485