Take the ACEs Quiz
What to Know Before You Take the Quiz
Researchers determined that 10 specific traumatic childhood experiences, or ACEs, could be linked to a higher likelihood of health challenges later in life, and that the likelihood of these negative effects increased with the number of “ACEs” a child experienced.
The 10 ACEs were defined as the following childhood experiences:
- Physical, sexual or verbal abuse
- Physical or emotional neglect
- Separation or divorce
- A family member with mental illness
- A family member addicted to drugs or alcohol
- A family member who is in prison
- Witnessing a parent being abused
Still, there are variables this quiz doesn’t account for – including stressors outside of the home, as well as the important role positive influences play on buffering the effects of trauma.
More information about the quiz, its limitations, and how it can be used as a tool for building resilience as well as positive parenting strategies can be found below the quiz.
For each “yes” answer, add 1. The total number at the end is your cumulative number of ACEs.
Before your 18th birthday:
ACEs Quiz
Answer each question with Yes or No. Your total score equals the number of "Yes" answers. We do not store personal information.
Get your downloadable PDF copy of the ACEs Quiz Results now!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does your ACEs score mean?
The quiz score is based on ten types of childhood trauma measured in the original ACEs study.
Five are personal: physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect.
Five are related to other family members: a parent who’s an alcoholic, a parent who’s a victim of domestic violence, a family member in jail, a family member diagnosed with a mental illness, and the disappearance of a parent through divorce, death or abandonment.
You get one point for each type of trauma. The higher your ACE score, the higher your risk of disease, social and emotional problems as an adult.
What doesn’t the quiz take into account?
First, there are many experiences that could be traumatic for children that the quiz doesn’t ask about such as community violence, poverty, housing insecurity, racism, other forms of discrimination, natural disasters, chaotic environments, isolation, lack of services and more. This means answering all the questions on the ACE quiz will not give a full picture of the adversity a child has faced – and thus would not be a true indicator of possible risk—nor a full picture of the possible solutions communities should consider.
Second, everyone is different, and adverse experiences in childhood affect each child differently. Just because a person has experienced several ACEs does not mean that later social, emotional, or health problems are inevitable. Some children develop resilience – the ability to overcome serious hardship – while others do not. Genetic factors also play a role, in that some children are predisposed to be more sensitive to adversity than others. And the most common factor among children who show resilience is at least one stable and responsive relationship with a supportive adult.
Finally, the ACEs quiz doesn’t consider the crucial role protective factors such as supportive relationships play in buffering the effects of trauma and toxic stress in a child’s life.
How can learning my score be helpful?
The ACEs quiz is a helpful tool for raising awareness about the potential impact of ACEs, on both an individual and community level. When we know more, we can do more. Understanding how trauma has long-lasting impacts is a key part of healing and, most importantly, prevention.
But, each and every one of us is strong and capable of recovery.
In fact, receiving an ACE score is often a transformative time for individuals on their path toward recovery. We encourage individuals to visit the resources listed below to learn strategies for healing, and also to learn how this information can be used as a powerful tool for parents and caregivers who want to break the cycle of trauma that’s often passed down among generations.
Every action shapes the next generation.
Get involved today.
For press inquiries and additional information on ACEs from the American SPCC, please contact:
Genevieve Rivera – genevieveCHARACTER SEQUENCE@americanspcc.org
References & Sources
- CDC & Kaiser Study: Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults-The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study (1998); Vincent J. Felitti, MD, FACP, Robert F. Anda, MD, MS, Dale Nordenberg, MD, David F. Williamson, MS, PhD, Alison M. Spitz, MS, MPH, Valerie Edwards, BA, Mary P. Koss, PhD, James S. Marks, MD, MPH CLICK HERE
- Child Trends Research Brief: Adverse Childhood Experiences: National and State-Level Prevalence (July 2014); Vanessa Sacks, M.P.P., David Murphey, Ph.D., and Kristin Moore, Ph.D. CLICK HERE
- Minnesota Department of Health. Adverse Childhood Experiences in Minnesota (Pub Feb, 2013) 2011 Minnesota Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. CLICK HERE
- Essentials for Childhood; CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention; Steps to Create Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments. (Pub August 2014) CLICK HERE
- Harvard Center on the Developing Child CLICK HERE
- CDC ACEs CLICK HERE