Adverse Childhood Experiences Test (ACE)

What is the ACE questionnaire?

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) questionnaire was developed by Dr. Vincent Felitti and Dr. Robert Anda through the CDC-Kaiser Permanente ACE Study (1995-1997). It covers 10 categories of adversity experienced before age 18: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, parental separation or divorce, exposure to domestic violence, household substance abuse, household mental illness, and household incarceration. The questionnaire is in the public domain and freely available for research and educational use.

What does my ACE score mean?

Your score is the total number of the 10 adversity categories you experienced before age 18. Each category is counted once regardless of how often or how severely it occurred. Higher scores are associated at a population level with greater risk for certain health and mental health conditions in adulthood. However, a score is not a prediction. Many people with high scores lead healthy, fulfilling lives, and many factors including resilience, social support, and access to treatment can significantly change outcomes.

The score bands displayed on this page (No ACEs Reported, Low, Moderate, High Exposure) are editorial and not canonical. The original ACE study reported outcomes by individual score rather than by named bands.

How is the ACE score calculated?

Each of the 10 questions represents one category. A Yes answer adds 1 point. The final score is a sum from 0 to 10. Each category is counted once regardless of the frequency or severity of the experience. The scoring system was established in Felitti et al. (1998).

Are high ACE scores predictive of health outcomes?

At a population level, yes. The original ACE study and more than 100 subsequent studies found a dose-response relationship: as scores increase, so does the likelihood of certain health conditions. A 2017 meta-analysis in The Lancet Public Health (Hughes et al.) found that ACE scores of 4 or more were linked to significantly higher odds of mental illness, harmful alcohol use, and chronic disease. These are statistical associations across large samples, not individual predictions. Many people with high scores do not develop these conditions, and protective factors including safe relationships and access to care can substantially reduce risk.

Can you heal from adverse childhood experiences?

Yes. The brain and body retain a capacity for healing throughout life. Trauma-informed therapies with strong research support include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and somatic approaches. Safe relationships, physical health, community support, and meaning-making also play a significant role. Many people with high ACE scores develop resilience through these pathways.

What if my score is high?

A high ACE score means you experienced significant adversity before adulthood. That experience is real and valid. It does not mean you are broken or that your future is set. Many people use this awareness as a starting point for understanding patterns in their health or relationships and for seeking support that can genuinely help. Trauma-informed therapy, stable relationships, and self-compassion are all meaningful pathways forward. If you would like to speak with someone, the SAMHSA National Helpline is available at 1-800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7).

Is this a clinical diagnosis?

No. The ACE questionnaire is a screening and research instrument, not a clinical diagnostic tool. It measures exposure to adversity in childhood, not the presence of any health condition. If you are concerned about the impact of childhood experiences on your current wellbeing, please speak with a qualified mental health professional.

How reliable is the ACE questionnaire?

The ACE questionnaire has good test-retest reliability, with item-level reliability coefficients ranging from 0.56 to 0.79 in validation studies (Dube et al., 2004). Internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) ranges from approximately 0.64 to 0.80 across studies, which is typical for multi-domain checklists measuring distinct life events rather than a single construct. The scale has been used in research across more than 40 countries in samples of over a million adults.

Is my data stored anywhere?

No. OmLumi has a strong commitment to user privacy and does not collect any personal data. All scoring happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your answers are never transmitted to any server, stored in a database, or shared with any third party. No account or login is required, and results are available instantly. When you close the tab, your answers are gone.