Post-traumatic stress (PCL-5)
Responses that remain after a difficult experience. Answer the app’s questionnaire and see your result right away.
Source · Weathers FW, Litz BT, Keane TM, Palmieri PA, Marx BP, Schnurr PP. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD; 2013.
PCL-5 post-traumatic stress check: how to read it
The PCL-5 is a checklist of post-traumatic stress symptoms created in 2013 by Weathers and colleagues at the US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD. Its 20 questions follow the DSM-5 symptoms of PTSD: unwanted memories and nightmares, avoiding reminders, changes in how you think and feel about yourself and the world, and feeling on edge or easily startled. With your most stressful experience in mind, you rate how much each problem bothered you in the past month.
Reading your results
Each question scores 0–4 for a total of 0–80. The result screen shows 0–32 as below the screening threshold, 33–49 as further assessment suggested and 50–80 as higher symptom burden. Looking at which group is highest, whether memories, avoidance, thoughts and mood, or feeling on edge, shows what is hardest right now. A diagnosis is made in a clinical conversation. A score of 33 or more, or sleep and daily life still shaken since the event, is a reason to talk with a professional experienced with trauma.
A question to reflect on
You do not need to revisit the event in detail. Instead, jot down one word for each reminder that brought it to mind this week, such as a sound, place or date, and anything that helped your body settle afterward.
Frequently asked questions
- How many questions are in Post-traumatic stress (PCL-5), and how long does it take?
- There are 20 questions, and it usually takes about 4 minutes. For each question you choose one of 5 answers, from “Not at all” to “Extremely”. There are no right or wrong answers.
- Which experience should I think of?
- Choose the one stressful experience bothering you most and answer every question with that event in mind. Mixing several events makes it hard to tell which one is affecting you.
- How is the PCL-5 different from the PC-PTSD-5?
- The PC-PTSD-5 is a five-question yes/no screen. The PCL-5 rates 20 symptoms on a 0–4 scale, so it also shows how strong each symptom is.
- What if answering becomes overwhelming?
- It is fine to stop. Take a few breaths or name a few things you can see around you to come back to the present, and continue later if you want to.
- Do I need to sign in? Are my answers saved?
- You can see your results right away without signing in. Your answers are used only for scoring and are not stored on our servers.
- Can I bring these results into a counseling session?
- Use the analysis button at the bottom of the result screen to have a short conversation with Maeumi without signing in. After the conversation, you can continue in the app. The web conversation does not transfer automatically to the app.
- Can I share my results with a friend?
- Yes. Use Share at the top right of the result screen to send a friend the check itself, or share your result as a link or story image. A result link carries your scores inside the address only; it does not include your name or account, and nothing is saved on our side.