Take this free quiz to find out how burnt out you are! This quiz is helpful for anyone who is under chronic stress, and struggling with physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion, and other symptoms of burnout.
In this post, you will take a 12-question quiz that will give you a score that tells you exactly how burnt out you are. Once you know how burnt out you are (very importantly!) you’ll also learn the next steps you need to follow to take control of your burnout.
This quiz is best done alongside reading more about the 5 stages of burnout, which outlines the World Health Organization definition of burnout as well as the key stages of its development. Furthermore, this previous post on what it looks and feels like to experience burnout will also be helpful reading.
It’s quite difficult to find scientifically researched and validated burnout quizzes online. Most of them you need to pay to access. Luckily, this particular quiz is not only accurate,but it is also freely available. It is a fabulous diagnostic tool!
You will be able to instantly find out how burnt out you are by answering just 12 questions. The quiz questions shared are a shortened version of a more comprehensive tool, which you can access here.
There are 2 versions of the quiz provided. The first is focused on work-related stress and burnout. It asks 12 questions to help identify the core components of burnout syndrome: emotional exhaustion, a cynical attitude and sense of ineffectiveness, and reduced performance at work.
The second version is for those of you who are experiencing common signs of burnout, but unrelated to work. it might be that you are a parent, a caregiver, or if you are neurodivergent.
You’ll see that the questions are very similar in both quizes. Both will allow you to find out how burnt out you are. The quiz is quick and easy to do and still gives accurate results. Pick the version to do that fits your situation best. There is no such thing as a wrong answer. The quiz will help you to easily assess your level of burnout with these self-test questions.
Please note that this quiz is for personal use, has been designed for educational purposes, and is not a licensed mental health assessment. Please seek help from your healthcare provider if you are worried about burnout symptoms.
How to score yourself on the burnout quiz:
For each question, give yourself points for each answer. Score yourself as follows:
1 – Never; 2 – Rarely; 3 – Sometimes; 4 – Often; 5 – Always
The work-related burnout quiz
Do this version if:
- The source of your stress is your job
1. At work, I feel mentally exhausted
2. At the end of the work day, I find it hard to recover my energy
3. At work, I feel physically exhausted
4. I struggle to find any enthusiasm for work
5. I feel a strong aversion to my job
6. I’m cynical about what my work means to others
7. At work, I have trouble staying focused
8. When working, I have trouble concentrating
9. I make mistakes at work because my mind is on other things
10. At work, I feel unable to control my emotions
11. I do not recognise myself in the way I react emotionally at work
12. At work, I may overreact unintentionally
The general burnout quiz
Do this version of the quiz if:
- You think you are at risk of parental burnout (or caregiver burnout)
- You are neurodivergent
- The source of your stress is not related to work (aka. you have life stress)
1.I feel mentally exhausted
2. At the end of the day, I find it hard to recover my energy
3. I feel physically exhausted
4. I struggle to find any enthusiasm for work
5. I feel a strong aversion to my job
6. I’m cynical about what my work means to others
7. I have trouble staying focused
8. I have trouble concentrating
9. I make mistakes because my mind is on other things
10. I feel unable to control my emotions
11. I do not recognise myself in the way I react emotionally
12. I may overreact unintentionally
How to work out your burnout quiz score:
When you have worked through the questions, add up your total score. Then, take this number and then divide by 12 to find your average score (stick to two decimal points).
For example, imagine that your total score for the 12 questions is 50.
48/12 = 4.166667
When you stick to 2 decimal points, your average mark becomes 4.17.
This is the score that you then use to work out your burnout level.
Next, use the key below to see whether your average score identifies you as not suffering from burnout, at risk of burnout, or having severe burnout.
For the example given above, the score of 4.17 is in the red zone- suffering from severe burnout.
How to find out how burnt out you are (and what to do next!)
Here’s how you will interpret your scores:
Score 1–2.53: Green/not suffering from burnout
Congratulations! You are not currently burned out, but you might be at risk of it. This will be very relevant if you work in a high-stress job, or if you are under long term stress from any other cause. You must monitor your stress levels regularly, and make sure that you have good strategies for dealing with your stress. Keep an eye on this blog as there will be lots of advice coming on how to do this! If you feel that things are starting to change for the worse, come back to these resources again to reassess yourself.
Score 2.54–2.95: Orange/at risk of burnout
This is a position where you’ve not burned out yet, but you’re on your way. If this is you, then you have a wonderful opportunity to make changes that will help to stop things from getting worse. If you’re not sure what it is that you need to do, then I have lots of advice for you. Start by following this blog, and make sure that you are signed up to my email newsletter. I have a ton of advice on socials- do come and follow me for more! I’m most active on TikTok and LinkedIn.
Score 2.96–5: Red/suffering severe burnout
If this is you, please consider getting urgent help from your doctor or therapist. Your immediate priority is getting expert help, taking time off from work (if available to you) and physically resting. However, external help isn’t always immediately or easily accessible. In this case, start with my burnout recovery video series on TikTok (click on the bar at the top of the grid!).
If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section, or reach out via my socials.
REFERENCES:
The Burnout Assessment Tool: Schaufeli, W.B., De Witte, H. & Desart, S. (2020). Manual Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) – Version 2.0