Is this a trauma or PTSD test?

No. It counts certain childhood experiences and looks at how related patterns show up today. It can’t diagnose trauma, PTSD or any condition. A trauma-informed therapist can help with that.

Do I have to answer every question?

No. Every question has a "prefer not to say" option, and your report is built from what you choose to share.

What if I don’t remember clearly?

That’s very common. Answer based on what you know or believe to be true. Gaps in memory are part of many people’s stories.

What does a high score mean?

It means you faced more kinds of adversity, and it’s worth being kind to yourself about how much you carried. It doesn’t decide your future. Support, relationships and the right help make a real difference at any age.

What do I get at the end?

A report with your experiences and sources of support, how they show up in your life today, why those patterns developed, and practical next steps, including how to find the right kind of help.

Could the test be upsetting?

It might bring up memories. The questions are plain and non-graphic, you can skip any of them and stop at any time. If you feel overwhelmed, the support lines on this page are there for you.

Hidden side

Childhood Experiences Test

How is your childhood still shaping you?

A gentle, private look at your early experiences, the support you had, and how both show up in the way you trust, love, work and handle stress today.

29 questions 7 minutes Support counted too Fully private

Start the test How we keep it gentle

Safety→How you trust

What the test looks at.

Researchers group difficult childhood experiences into ten categories, known as ACEs. They are far more common than most people think, which is part of why their effects so often go unrecognized.

Out of 100 adults in the US

About 64 report at least one ACE About 17 of them report four or more

Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011 to 2020.

Your score isn't your story.

Hard experiences are only half of the picture. Research on positive childhood experiences shows that support, belonging and one caring adult can carry real weight, even when adversity was there too. So we measure both.

Feeling able to talk to family about feelings
An adult outside the family who took real interest
Friends who supported you, and a sense of belonging
Feeling safe and protected by an adult at home

Then, and now.

What helped you cope as a child often turns into a habit you carry as an adult. Seeing the link is usually the first thing that makes it easier to change.

What your report shows.

Your experiences and your sources of support side by side, how they show up today, and practical, kind next steps.

Your childhood profileSample report

Three categories

Out of ten. A count of experiences, not a measure of how much they hurt.

Abuse 1Neglect 1Household 1

Positive experiences

4 of 7A real source of resilience

How it shows up today

Describes patterns in your answers, not a diagnosis.

From "What your nervous system learned"

Those reactions weren't flaws. They were the smartest thing a child could do in that house. You get to update them now.

Get my report

Made to be gentle.

Thinking about childhood can stir things up. The test is built so you stay in control the whole way through.

No graphic questionsPlain, respectful wording. Nothing asks for details.

Skip any question"Prefer not to say" is always an option.

Your own paceTake a breath, step away, come back.

Completely privateYour answers are visible only to you.

If you need to talk to someone

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US), call or text988

Childhelp National Hotline (US), for survivors of any age1-800-422-4453

Outside the US, contact your local emergency number or a mental health support line.

How it works.

One

Answer simply

Yes, no, or prefer not to say for early experiences. Then a few questions about today.

Two

Support is counted

Positive experiences are scored alongside difficult ones, because both matter.

Three

Read your report

Ready the moment you finish, with kind and practical next steps.

What this test is, and isn't.

The questions are based on the Adverse Childhood Experiences framework from the CDC and Kaiser Permanente study of more than 17,000 adults, and on later research into positive childhood experiences.

It is not a diagnosis. An ACE count describes what happened, not how it affected you, and it can't predict anyone's future. It doesn't diagnose trauma or PTSD. If your result brings up a lot, a trauma-informed therapist is the best next step.

An established frameworkThe ten ACE categories are used worldwide in research and public health.

Resilience includedPositive experiences are scored, so the picture is balanced.

Focused on todayThe report connects the past to patterns you can actually work with now.

Questions people ask.

Attachment style24 questions, 6 min Love language30 questions, 6 min Emotional intelligence28 questions, 7 min Personality type30 questions, 6 min

Understand your roots. Choose what grows.

Twenty-nine questions, about seven minutes. Your report is ready the moment you finish, and no one else will see it.

Start the test