CAT-Q scores explained: meaning and subscales
You have finished the CAT-Q and there is a number on the screen. Some questions felt familiar, but you are not sure whether 110 is a lot. The score describes the camouflaging you report. Understanding what that means for your life takes more than the total.
How is the CAT-Q scored?
The CAT-Q has 25 items, each answered on a scale from 1 to 7. Some are reverse-scored: a response of 1 becomes 7, a 2 becomes 6, and so on. The total runs from 25 to 175. Simply adding the responses without these adjustments gives the wrong result.
A higher result indicates more reported camouflaging. It is not an autism percentage, and it does not tell you how successfully you blend in. Someone can put considerable effort into a conversation and still be misunderstood.
What do the subscales show?
The total combines compensation, masking and assimilation. Each describes a different aspect of getting through social situations. The examples below illustrate the distinction; they are not additional test items.
Compensation contains one more item than the other subscales. Comparing their raw totals as though they have identical maximums can therefore be misleading. Dividing each by its item count gives a comparable average, but still not a clinical threshold.
| Subscale | Range | An everyday example |
|---|---|---|
| Compensation · 9 items | 9–63 | Preparing topics before lunch because joining a conversation spontaneously is difficult. |
| Masking · 8 items | 8–56 | Adjusting your facial expression so others do not notice how much effort listening takes. |
| Assimilation · 8 items | 8–56 | Feeling that you are playing a part to participate in a group. |
Is 100 an autism cutoff?
No. The original validation study does not establish 100 as a diagnostic boundary that confirms or rules out autism. Non-autistic people can camouflage too. A low result cannot exclude autism either.
Our tool uses descriptive score bands to organise the result. Labels such as ‘higher’ belong to that interface; they are not clinical categories. Research averages are not targets you need to meet. A study sample does not automatically represent every age, culture or living situation.
A score of 99 and a score of 101 are close together. Those two points should not change how you understand yourself overnight. The experiences behind your answers give you more to work with.
What the number leaves out
You might answer one item thinking about work and the next thinking about your closest friend. Those situations can feel very different. Beside an answer that stands out, note which setting you had in mind.
Self-report depends on what you notice. If a habit has been automatic for years, you may only recognise it later. You might also have reduced your contact with situations where you need to camouflage. A total alone cannot untangle that context.
The CAT-Q is not a burnout measure. Reporting many strategies does not tell us how much recovery you need. Add what happens afterwards: perhaps a meeting leaves you replaying everything, or cooking becomes too much that evening. That information comes from your own observations, not directly from the score.
What can you do with your result?
Keep the total together with the subscale scores. Then choose one answer that stayed with you. Describe an actual occasion when it happened, without trying to fit your entire life into the example.
You can bring that note to a clinician. An autism assessment also considers developmental history and other explanations for your experiences. You do not have to defend a high CAT-Q score as proof.
Haven’t filled in the questionnaire?
The CAT-Q tool shows your total and each subscale. If you already have a result, you can start writing about a situation without taking the test again.
Open the CAT-QCommon questions
Does a high CAT-Q score prove I am autistic?
No. The CAT-Q measures self-reported camouflaging strategies, which also occur in non-autistic people. A result may highlight relevant experiences but cannot provide a diagnosis.
What does a CAT-Q score above 100 mean?
Your adjusted item scores add up to more than 100. This is not a diagnostic cutoff. Look at which answers contributed to it and where you recognise those experiences.
Can I be autistic with a low CAT-Q score?
Yes. Autistic people differ in how they camouflage and how readily they recognise those strategies. A low score cannot rule out autism.
Can I compare results from different translations?
The CAT-Q was originally studied in English. Translation can change nuances, so the original validation does not automatically establish equivalent measurement properties for our Dutch wording. Keep language and context in mind when comparing results.