Symptom Tests for Adults

Female ADHD Test: Symptoms in Women and Girls

Symptoms of ADHD and ADD often manifest differently in men and women, many of whom grew up being called lazy or dumb while inattentive attention deficit was ignored or mislabeled as hormones or anxiety. Take this female ADHD test to see if you exhibit the symptoms of ADD most common in women and girls. Then share the results with your doctor to seek a diagnosis.

Sari Solden: Psychotherapist for Adults and Women with ADHD
By Sari Solden, M.S., LMFT Verified Medically reviewed by Michele Novotni, Ph.D. Reviewed on September 27, 2019
Click to Read 19 Comments 💬

Symptoms of ADHD in Women

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not gender biased. ADHD symptoms exist almost as often in girls as they do in boys, and the majority of kids with ADHD never outgrow it. What’s more, scientific research strongly suggests that ADHD is hereditary. Which means that, if you are the mother of a child with attention and impulsivity problems, you may have ADHD, too.

This comes as a surprise to many women who assume that ADHD is a diagnosis for hyper little boys. Indeed, it is not. ADHD in adults is very real; and ADHD diagnoses among women are on the rise.

According to the 5th edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ADHD symptoms may fall into three categories: predominantly hyperactive, predominantly inattentive, and combined type. Inattentive ADHD symptoms are still often misunderstood and misdiagnosed by medical professionals who mistake them for stress, anxiety, or another related condition. Inattentive ADHD is also more common in girls and women than it is in boys and men.

If you suspect that you have symptoms of ADHD, complete the free female ADHD test below and share the results with a health care professional — the only person who can diagnose ADHD.

[Related Self-Test: The ADHD Test for Girls]

NOTE: This self-test is not intended to diagnose or to replace the care of a health care professional.  Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose ADHD based on clinical evaluation.

Do you have trouble balancing your checkbook?

Do you feel like you are "passing for normal," but you are really an impostor?

Do you hesitate to have people over to your house because you’re ashamed of the mess?

Is it impossible for you to shut out sounds and distractions that don't bother others?

Does time, money, paper, or "stuff" dominate your life and hamper your ability to achieve your goals?

Do you despair of ever fulfilling your potential and meeting your goals?

Are you clueless as to how others manage to lead consistent, regular lives?

Do you feel like you're always at one end of a deregulated activity spectrum — either a couch potato or a tornado?

Have you ever been thought of as selfish because you don't write thank-you notes or send birthday cards?

Do you feel overwhelmed in stores, at the office, or at parties?

Are you called "a slob" or "spacey?"

Do you shut down in the middle of the day, feeling assaulted?

Is your time and energy taken up with coping, staying organized, and holding it together, with no time for fun or relaxation?

Do you feel as if life is out of control, and that it's impossible to meet demands?

Do requests for "one more thing" at the end of the day put you over the top emotionally?

Do you start the day determined to get organized, and end the day feeling defeated?

Do you feel that you have better ideas than other people but are unable to organize them or act on them?

Do you watch others of equal intelligence and education pass you by?


(Optional) Would you like to receive your ADHD in women symptom test results — plus more helpful resources — via email from ADDitude?

Can’t see the self-test questions above? Click here to open this test in a new window.

Attention Deficit Disorder in Women: Next Steps

1. Research: What ADD Looks Like In Women
2. Take this Test: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Symptoms in Adults
3. Read: “That Explains Everything!” Discovering My ADHD in Adulthood
4. Take this Test: Do I Have Inattentive ADD?
5. Read More About Women, Hormones, and ADHD
6. Take this Test: Full ADHD Symptom Test for Adults
7. Find: ADHD Specialists or Clinics Near You

Sari Solden, M.S., LMFT, is a member of the ADDitude ADHD Medical Review Panel.