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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →An Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) score reflects answers to a questionnaire about traits associated with autism. It can help inform screening or assessment, but it cannot diagnose autism or rule it out. In the UK adult pathway, NICE recommends considering the 10-item AQ (AQ-10); a score of 6 or above is one reason to offer a comprehensive assessment, and clinical suspicion can be a reason even below that score.
What an AQ score tells you
The AQ is a self-report questionnaire, not a yes-or-no diagnostic test. Your score summarizes your responses to questions about traits associated with autism. A higher score may be a useful prompt to discuss assessment, but it does not establish that you are autistic. A lower score does not independently exclude autism.
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Interpret a score in context: the questionnaire version, the population it was used with, and its purpose all matter. A threshold used to guide referral is not the same as a diagnostic boundary.
What to do after an AQ-10 score of 6 or higher
For adults in the UK who may be autistic and do not have a moderate or severe learning disability, NICE says to consider the AQ-10. Its adult guideline states: “If a person scores 6 or above on the AQ-10, or autism is suspected based on clinical judgement (taking into account any past history provided by an informant), offer a comprehensive assessment for autism.” NICE adult autism guideline, recommendation 1.2.3.
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This is guidance for offering an assessment, not a conclusion about diagnosis. If your AQ-10 score is 6 or above, you can discuss it with an appropriate healthcare professional or local autism assessment service. Describe the traits and support needs that concern you, along with relevant history. A clinician may also consider an assessment when there is a reason to suspect autism even if the score is below 6.
Why a low AQ-10 score does not rule out autism
Questionnaires can miss people who are autistic. NICE’s 2021 surveillance review recorded stakeholder concerns about AQ-10 validity and identified one study reporting a 64% false-negative rate among adults with suspected autism. That figure is a result from one study, not a universal estimate of AQ-10 performance. After consulting stakeholders, NICE left its recommendation unchanged because more research was needed; stakeholders also confirmed they would not use AQ-10 alone to screen for autism. NICE surveillance review decision, 2021.
If you remain concerned, explain why and share relevant history with a clinician rather than treating a below-threshold result as final. NICE explicitly allows clinical judgement, including past history supplied by an informant, to inform the decision to offer assessment.
AQ-10 and AQ-50 are not interchangeable
The AQ-10 is a brief questionnaire used in the NICE adult referral pathway. The AQ-50 is a longer self-report measure, and its research cutoffs should not be substituted for the AQ-10 threshold.
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NICE’s evidence review discussed AQ-50 cutoffs of 32 and 26 in included studies. It described different sensitivity and specificity patterns and noted limitations related to study design and populations. Those values are thresholds examined in particular studies, not a universal diagnostic line or an equivalent of AQ-10’s score of 6. NICE adult autism guideline evidence review.
What happens in a comprehensive assessment
A comprehensive assessment considers more than a questionnaire result. NICE’s adult guideline describes considering developmental history, current functioning, coexisting conditions and sensory features, alongside direct observation. For more complex adult cases, it advises considering a formal assessment tool as an aid to diagnosis and assessment—not as a replacement for clinical evaluation. NICE adult autism guideline.
Assessment helps build a fuller picture of how traits developed and affect daily life. Where possible, early developmental history and information from someone who knows you can contribute, as can discussion of other neurodevelopmental or mental health conditions.
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What the evidence can—and cannot—say
Results depend on the tool, cutoff, setting, and people being assessed. A 2016 study in an adult diagnostic-service sample found that self-reported AQ scores did not significantly predict who received a clinical diagnosis. That finding is specific to that sample; it does not mean questionnaires have no role in assessment. Ashwood et al., 2016, PubMed.
The available sources do not establish one universal AQ score that diagnoses autism, a general-population norm, or a single accuracy figure that applies to everyone. Treat a result as one piece of information to discuss, not a verdict.
Which guidance applies to you?
The AQ-10 recommendation described here is from NICE’s UK guideline for adults without a moderate or severe learning disability. It is not a universal rule for every country, age group, or support need. If you are outside that pathway, ask a local healthcare professional or assessment service how autism evaluation works where you live.
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