The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (C

Embrace Autism Menu
Wri!en by:
Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP
April 21, 2020
Category: Autism tests
The CAT-Q
Last updated on July 28, 2022
Contents
1 – Who the test is designed for
2 – What it tests
3 – Taking the test
4 – Scoring
5 – Validity
6 – Discussion
7 – The CAT-Q
8 – Self-scoring
9 – Average scores
10 – Correlations
11 – Recommended next steps
12 – References
13 – Tags
14 – Disclaimer
15 – Comments
10 min read
The Camouflaging Autistic Traits

Questionnaire (CAT-Q) is a self-report
measure of social camouflaging
behaviours in adults. It may be used to
identify autistic individuals who do not
currently meet diagnostic criteria due to
their ability to mask their autistic
proclivities.
Basic information
Statements: 25
Duration: 5–10 minutes
Type: screening tool
Authors: Laura Hull et al.
Publishing year: 2018
Seminal paper: Development and

Validation of the
Camouflaging
Autistic Traits
Questionnaire (CAT-
Q) (Hull et al., 2018)
Take the test here:
CAT-Q
*The clarity of the test is lower due to its

(reverse) scoring, which adds complexity to
calculating the scores. Our own implemented
auto-scoring feature deals with that, however,
but this is not available on the official test.
Who the test is

designed for
Adults (age 16+) of average to higher
intelligence.[1]
Development and Validation of the Camouflaging
Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) (Hull et al.,
2018)
What it tests
The CAT-Q measures the degree to which
you use camouflaging strategies. The more
you camouflage, the more of your autistic
proclivities you are likely able to suppress.
As such, a high camouflaging score can
also account for lower scores on other
autism tests. So if you don’t currently
meet the diagnostic criteria but you still
think you have autistic traits, then this
could be why.
The CAT-Q measures camouflaging in

general, as well as three subcategories:
Compensation — Strategies used to

actively compensate for difficulties in
social situations.
Examples: copying body language
and facial expressions, learning
social cues from movies and books
(see Autism & movie talk).
Masking — Strategies used to hide
autistic characteristics or portray a
non-autistic persona.
Examples: adjusting face and body
to appear confident and/or relaxed,
forcing eye contact.
Assimilation — Strategies used to try
to fit in with others in social
situations.
Examples: Putting on an act,
avoiding or forcing interactions
with others.
Taking the test

The CAT-Q consists of 25 statements,
giving you 7 choices for each statement:
1. Strongly Disagree
2. Disagree
3. Somewhat Disagree
4. Neither Agree Nor Disagree
5. Somewhat Agree
6. Agree
7. Strongly Agree
The 25 statements relate to 3

subcategories of camouflaging:[2]
Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) (Hull et al., 2018)
9 statements (compensation)
8 statements (masking)
8 statements (assimilation)
Scoring
Scoring range: 25–175
Threshold score: 100↑
All items are scored 1–7, with higher
scores reflecting greater camouflaging.
We added auto-scoring for the CAT-Q, but

should you want or need to self-score, we
will explain how to do that in the Self-
scoring section. To see how autistic
people and neurotypicals score on the
CAT-Q, go to the Average scores section.
For more information on how to interpret
your scores, read the post below.
Interpreting your CAT-Q scores
Validity
How reliable, accurate, valid,
and up to date is the test?
Research shows robust psychometric
support for the CAT-Q.
High internal consistency was found
for the total scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.94),
and the Compensation (α = 0.91),
Masking (α = 0.85), and Assimilation (α
= 0.92) factors.[3]
2018)
Test–retest reliability was good; 30

autistic individuals retook the test 3
months later, and no significant
differences were found between
scores at both times.[4]
2018)
The stability was good for the total

scale and the Compensation factor,
while moderate stability was found for
the Masking and Assimilation factors.
[5]

2018)
Discussion
Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht:
I like that the CAT-Q addresses some of

the problems with the outdated
definitions of autism in the research
literature. It can also identify a person
with autism who might score below the
threshold of other autism tests due to
Masking.
I scored 143, which is significantly higher

than most autistic females (124), and
autistics in general. That is not a surprise
as I have always camouflaged so much
that therapists never diagnosed me with
autism until age 47. In other words, we
can say that my impression management
—behaviours that occur in front of others
—is excellent.
My Compensation (strategies used to

compensate for difficulties in social
situations) score of 49 is higher than
the 42 average of autistic females. My
Masking (strategies used to hide autistic
characteristics or pretend to be a non-
autistic persona) score is 52 compared to
the average 38 of autistic females. And in
terms of Assimilation (strategies to fit in
with others in social situations), I score
45, which is average for autistic females.
Total = 143; Compensation = 49;

Masking = 52; Assimilation = 45
Kendall:
The choices ‘Strongly Agree’ and ‘Strongly

Disagree’ were an unnecessary
complication for me. I often wasn’t sure
whether to answer strongly, feeling that
agreeing or disagreeing was enough. Do I
feel strongly? I don’t know. Compared to
what or who?
Several questions are duplicated with one

word slightly changed—they seem to be
asking the same thing. I found this
puzzling and distracting.
Surprisingly, the test results show I

camouflage more than I realize:

Martin:
I noted some very similar statements,

such as #9 (I always think about the
impression I make on other people) and
#18 (I am always aware of the impression I
make on other people). This kind of
repetition can be particularly helpful for
alexithymic people like me who have
challenges accessing their emotions at
times. By asking something in different
ways, I might be urged to explore my
feelings more and reflect on my behavior.
But also, how you respond to each
variation or related concept can reveal
new things, and add nuance to your
understanding of yourself.
However, I wonder if people would

meaningfully differentiate between #9 and
#18 when doing the test. And if not, does
adding a substantially different statement
relating to masking not result in a better
metric to quantify masking?
I also wonder why Compensation consists

of 9 items, while the other two categories
consist of 8 items. Does this not result in
skewed subscales? Either way, intuitively
my scores seem to reflect my social
behavior; and having done the test twice,
my results are pretty consistent.

The self-scoring process is daunting

though, especially if you have dyscalculia.
I kept having a discrepancy between my
total scores (118 and 128) and adding up
the subscale scores (121 and 125), so
clearly I kept miscounting somewhere. But
we implemented an auto-scoring script to
the test below, so no one needs to
struggle any longer to do the CAT-Q.
Tes
t
The CAT-Q
Please read each statement below and
choose the answer that best fits your
experiences during social interactions.
1. When I am interacting with

someone, I deliberately copy their
body language or facial
expressions.
a. Strongly Disagree
b. Disagree
c. Somewhat Disagree
d. Neither Agree nor Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
2. I monitor my body language or

facial expressions so that I appear
relaxed.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
3. I rarely feel the need to put on

an act in order to get through a
social situation.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
4. I have developed a script to

follow in social situations.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
5. I will repeat phrases that I have

heard others say in the exact
same way that I first heard them.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
6. I adjust my body language or

interested by the person I am
interacting with.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
7. In social situations, I feel like

I’m ‘performing’ rather than being
myself.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
8. In my own social interactions, I

use behaviours that I have learned
from watching other people
interacting.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
9. I always think about the

impression I make on other
people.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
10. I need the support of other

people in order to socialise.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
11. I practice my facial expressions

and body language to make sure
they look natural.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
12. I don’t feel the need to make

eye contact with other people if I
don’t want to.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
13. I have to force myself to

interact with people when I am in
social situations.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
14. I have tried to improve my

understanding of social skills by
watching other people.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
15. I monitor my body language or

interested by the person I am
interacting with.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
16. When in social situations, I try

to find ways to avoid interacting
with others.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
17. I have researched the rules of

social interactions to improve my
own social skills.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
18. I am always aware of the

impression I make on other
people.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
19. I feel free to be myself when I

am with other people.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
20. I learn how people use their

bodies and faces to interact by
watching television or films, or by
reading fiction.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
21. I adjust my body language or

relaxed.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
22. When talking to other people, I

feel like the conversation flows
naturally.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
23. I have spent time learning

social skills from television shows
and films, and try to use these in
my interactions.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
24. In social interactions, I do not

pay a!ention to what my face or
body are doing.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
25. In social situations, I feel like I

am pretending to be ‘normal’.
b. Disagree
e. Somewhat Agree
f. Agree
g. Strongly Agree
Score
Total:
161
Compensation:
62
Masking:
51
Assimilation:
48
Download PDF
Rights & permissions

This test is distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons A!ribution 4.0 International
License, which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided you give appropriate credit to the
original author(s) and the source, provide a link
to the Creative Commons license, and indicate
if changes were made.
Self-scoring
If auto-scoring isn’t working, or you want
to self-score your answers instead, follow
the steps below.
CAT-Q total score
Reverse the scores of the answers for

statements 3, 12, 19, 22, and 24,
like so:
Original scoring: a=1, b=2, c=3, d=4,
e=5, f=6, g=7
Reverse scoring: a=7, b=6, c=5, d=4,
e=3, f=2, g=1
Then, add up all answers for statements

1–25.
Compensation score
Add up all answers for statements 1, 4,
5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, and 23.
Masking score
.Add up all answers for statements

2, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24.
☞ Use the reversed scoring for
statements 12 and 24.
Assimilation score
Add up all answers for statements 3, 7,

10, 13, 16, 19, 22, and 25.
☞ Use the reversed scoring for
statements 3, 19, and 22.
Average scores
A total score of 100 or above indicates you
camouflage autistic traits. But other than
knowing the threshold, making sense of
your scores can be challenging. It may be
helpful to compare your results to the
average scores of autistics and non-
autistics. The highest scores are denoted
by a star (★).
Average CAT-Q scores of autistics: Autistic

females and autistic non-binary people
camouflage the most.[6]
Gender differences in self-reported camouflaging in
autistic and nonautistic adults (Hull et al., 2019)
Average CAT-Q scores:

autistics
CAT-Q Female Male Non-

   
scores binary
Total score 124.35 109.64 122.00

★
Compensation 41.85 36.81 43.50

★
Masking 37.87 ★ 32.90 36.06
Assimilation 44.63 ★ 39.93 39.88
Average CAT-Q scores of neurotypicals:

Surprisingly, neurotypical females
camouflage the least![7]
Average CAT-Q scores:

neurotypicals

   
scores binary
Total score 90.87 96.89 109.44

★
Compensation 27.18 30.06 35.48

★
Masking 34.69 36.34 38.70

★
Assimilation 29.00 30.48 35.26

★
And in the table below, you can see the

differences in the average scores of
autistic people compared to
neurotypicals. As you can see, autistic
males and autistic non-binary people
mask less than their neurotypical
counterparts, but do score higher in
Compensation and Assimilation.
CAT-Q scores: Autistic–

neurotypical differences

   
scores binary
Total score 33.48 ★ 12.75 12.56
Compensation 14.67 ★ 6.75 8.02
Masking 3.18 −3.44 −2.64

★
Assimilation 15.63 ★ 9.45 4.62
It’s also interesting that autistic men don’t

camouflage much more than neurotypical
men. The same is true for non-binary
people. If you look at the previous two
diagrams, you will see that is because
non-binary people camouflage a lot in
general, irrespective of whether they are
autistic or neurotypical.
Correlations
Another way to make sense of your scores
is to look at the correlations. All CAT-Q
scores significantly correlate with autistic-
like traits, but there are some other
correlations:[8]
High CAT-Q scores correlate with

social anxiety in both autistics and
neurotypicals, with the exception of
Masking.
In autistic people, the total CAT-Q
score and the Assimilation score
negatively correlate with well-being.
The higher your scores on these
measures, the lower your well-being
tends to be.
In neurotypical people, all CAT-Q
scores negatively correlate with well-
being—not just total score and
Assimilation.
In autistic people, all CAT-Q
scores were correlated with
depression and generalised anxiety.
This wasn’t tested for in the
neurotypical group.
For more information on the correlations

with and consequences of camouflaging,
have a look at the following post:
Autism & camouflaging
And for more information on how to

interpret your CAT-Q scores, have a look at
this post:
Recommended next
steps
After the CAT-Q, consider taking one
of the tests below.
RAADS-R
Identifies adults who often “escape
diagnosis”
due to a subclinical level
presentation
Empathy Quotient
Measures your ability to tune into
how someone else
is feeling, or what they might be
thinking
Aspie Quiz
Identifies neurodivergence and
potential co-occurring conditions
Online autism tests can play an essential role in

the process of self-discovery, and may inform
your decision to pursue a formal diagnosis. For
a formal assessment, please see a
knowledgeable medical professional trained in
assessing autism.
If you are looking for an autism

assessment, Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht can
offer help! You can find more information
here:
Autism assessments
References
References
1↑,
Development and Validation of the
2↑,
Camouflaging Autistic Traits
3↑,
Questionnaire (CAT-Q) (Hull et al.,
4↑,
2018)
5↑
6↑, Gender differences in self-reported
7↑, camouflaging in autistic and
8↑ nonautistic adults (Hull et al., 2019)
Tags
Anxiety (22) Assessment (2)
Assimilation (3) Autism test (11)
Autistic women (5) Behavior (4)
Camouflaging (24)
Camouflaging Autistic Traits

Questionnaire (CAT-Q) (5)
Compensation (3)
Depression (17) Development (4)
Diagnosis (18)
Diagnostic criteria (7)
Diagrams (6) Dyscalculia (4)
Emotions (11)
Generalized anxiety disorder (1)
Laura Hull (7) Masking (23)
Psychometric test (24)
Screening instrument (3)
Simon Baron-Cohen (29)
Social anxiety (5)
Social camouflaging model (4)
Test–retest reliability (statistics) (7)
Validity (statistics) (17)
Wellbeing (2)
Click on one of the tags above to find

related content
Related posts
Autism & camouflaging
Masking: is it good or bad?
Previous Next
This article
was wri!en by:
Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht

ND RP
Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP is a dually
licensed naturopathic doctor and
registered psychotherapist, and a
Canadian leader in trauma, PTSD, and
integrative medicine strictly informed by
scientific research. And not only do I
happen to be autistic, but my autism
plays a significant role in who I am as a
doctor and how I interact with and care
for my patients and clients.
Disclaimer
Although our content is generally well-
researched and substantiated, or based on
personal experience, note that it does not
constitute medical advice.
Comments
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304 comments
J Money  10 days ago


157 and im undiagnosed but tbh I

BEEN KNEW STREAM JAMIE PO
0 Reply
Kaya  1 month ago


I got 153- Oof. I have diagnosed

autism and wow.
1 Reply
Samuel Quevedo Pinson

 1 month ago 
Somehow I got an 168 I hate how

called out I felt
1 Reply
Annaleece Smith  1 month ago
I don’t understand my score.. do I

have alot of signs that i am
autistic and masking, or do I not?
What does this mean?
I
V
Total:
141
 Last edited 1 month ago by Annaleece

Smith
0 Reply View replies (4) 
Maria  2 months ago


I am collecting information on my
possible autism. For now, I’ve
taken the RAADS-R, Autism
Quotient (by AUTISMAG), and
CAST. On all of them, I’ve tested
somewhat along the line of “High
Prominence of Autism Symptoms”
I know this one is not about

autism, but about masking (which
people can do without autism) but
I wanted to take it anyway I’ve
always had trouble making friends
but I try to be as true to myself as
possible without getting too hurt
(as I tend to get bullied when I am
fully myself in front of the wrong
people)
It is so unsurprising then that I

have such a high score when it
comes to assimilation, haha.
Thank you for the free resources
Embrace Autism team!
T – 133
C – 38
M – 39
A – 56
Rebecca  2 months ago


145.
Not surprised, I am very socially

anxious and constantly feel like
I’m trying to learn a language
everyone else knows naturally and
I don’t. I pretty good at least
technically, I recognize many facial
expressions, and am aware of
most body language, I think, but
still sometimes things don’t “click”
and I’m not sure how to make
them. I dislike small talk, but I do
attempt it since if it goes alright it
makes me feel really good. I don’t
believe I’m autistic, my therapist
doesn’t think so and since I’ve
looked into it seems more like my
anxiety just mimics some of the
symptoms, but this test was very
good at showing how how hard I
try to assimilate.
Rebecca  2 months ago


148 overall. I think I may have

answered not quite strongly
enough for some of the questions
as well. This isn’t surprising to me
at all, though. I spend a lot of time
analyzing people and their
interactions so I can act “normal”
during conversations. The only
time I don’t feel like I have to do
this is when talking to people who
I’m very close to who I feel
actually understand me. This a
very limited few.
Lauren  2 months ago


That was eye-opening in a not

very fun way
T – 122
C – 36
M – 43
A – 43
Peter  2 months ago


A score of 50. “Masking” is not

something I’ve ever been inclined
to do, if only because I’ve always
believed that if people cannot
accept me as I am then they can
just go to hell. There is NO way
I’m going to pretend to be like
them, pretend to be “normal” just
so they can feel good about
themselves, so they can feel less
“threatened” by my presence.
They’re the ones with the
problem, not me.
Agrix  2 months ago


I scored 134 total, and I always

feel like Im never myself just ‘an
actor’ and I usually feel awkward
in social situations and try to
make sure I say the correct things.
2 Reply
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Embrace Autism Menu

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP

April 21, 2020

Category: Autism tests

The Camouflaging Autistic Traits

Duration: 5–10 minutes

Type: screening tool

Authors: Laura Hull et al.

Publishing year: 2018

Seminal paper: Development and

Take the test here:

*The clarity of the test is lower due to its

Who the test is

The CAT-Q measures camouflaging in

Compensation — Strategies used to

Taking the test

The 25 statements relate to 3

We added auto-scoring for the CAT-Q, but

Interpreting your CAT-Q scores

Test–retest reliability was good; 30

The stability was good for the total

Development and Validation of the Camouflaging

I like that the CAT-Q addresses some of

I scored 143, which is significantly higher

My Compensation (strategies used to

Total = 143; Compensation = 49;

The choices ‘Strongly Agree’ and ‘Strongly

Several questions are duplicated with one

Surprisingly, the test results show I

Total = 131; Compensation = 41;

I noted some very similar statements,

However, I wonder if people would

I also wonder why Compensation consists

Total = 121; Compensation = 38;

The self-scoring process is daunting

1. When I am interacting with

2. I monitor my body language or

3. I rarely feel the need to put on

4. I have developed a script to

5. I will repeat phrases that I have

6. I adjust my body language or

7. In social situations, I feel like

8. In my own social interactions, I

9. I always think about the

10. I need the support of other

11. I practice my facial expressions

12. I don’t feel the need to make

13. I have to force myself to

14. I have tried to improve my

15. I monitor my body language or

16. When in social situations, I try

17. I have researched the rules of

18. I am always aware of the

19. I feel free to be myself when I

20. I learn how people use their

21. I adjust my body language or

22. When talking to other people, I

23. I have spent time learning

24. In social interactions, I do not