The Adulting Test is a 100-item checklist of things grown-ups supposedly do. Check what you've actually done, get a score out of 100, and find out whether you're a Certified Grown-Up or a raccoon with a phone plan.

How to take the test

1. Press START on the title screen. The checklist opens with all 100 items grouped into the ten categories, and a progress bar at the top counts how many you have ticked so far.
2. Tick everything you have genuinely done. There is no time limit and no "sometimes" option — a box is either checked or it isn't. Each category header keeps its own tally (4 / 10, say), so you can see where you are strong before the final score.
3. Press See my score. The result shows your score out of 100, your tier with its emoji, a one-line comment, a tip pointing at the cheapest next points, and a small bar for each of the ten categories.
4. From there, Share result sends a link that shows your score, Save image makes a 1080×1350 card you can post, Copy result puts a plain-text summary on your clipboard, and Edit answers takes you back to the list to change a few boxes.

What is the Adulting Test?

If you went to college in the U.S., you've probably taken a "purity test" — a long checklist that gets passed around every fall, where your score is a number everyone compares in the group chat. The Adulting Test borrows that format and points it at something we all secretly worry about: are we actually functioning adults yet? There are 100 items across ten categories — money, home, health, work, food, relationships, bureaucracy, self-care, errands and life admin — and every item is worth exactly one point. No weighting, no trick questions. You either own a plunger or you don't.

How the scoring works

Your Adulting Score is simply the number of boxes you check, from 0 to 100. Scores land in six tiers: Feral (0–19), Barely Functional (20–39), Getting There (40–59), Mostly Adult (60–79), Certified Grown-Up (80–94) and Suspiciously Competent (95–100). You'll also see a breakdown by category, so you can find out that you're a 9/10 at food but a 2/10 at bureaucracy — which, in our experience, describes a lot of people. Your checks are saved in this browser, so you can come back in a year and see how much you've levelled up.

What's a "normal" score?

There's no official average, and there shouldn't be — a 22-year-old in their first apartment and a 35-year-old with two kids are playing different games. That said, in our experience most people in their early twenties land somewhere in the 30s and 40s, late twenties creep into the 50s and 60s, and anyone over 80 either has a spreadsheet for everything or is lying about the plant. The fun part isn't the number, it's comparing with friends: share your result link and they'll see your score before they take it, with a little "beat it?" challenge on their screen.

Why do we call it "adulting"?

"Adulting" showed up online around 2013 as a half-joking way to describe doing boring grown-up tasks — paying bills, going to the dentist, buying a vacuum and being weirdly happy about it. It stuck because it names a real feeling: nobody hands you a certificate when you become an adult, so we celebrate the small stuff instead. Consider this test that certificate. Or at least a receipt.

Frequently asked questions

Are my answers saved?

Yes, in this browser only. Nothing is sent to a server — the checks live in your browser's local storage, so reopening the page picks up where you left off, and the title screen reminds you how many you had ticked. Clear all wipes them if you want a fresh start; switching devices or clearing site data also starts you at zero.

Is any item worth more than another?

No. Filing your own taxes and owning more than one set of bedsheets are both exactly one point. The score is a plain count of checked boxes, which is what makes it comparable between friends of different ages and living situations.

What does the friend challenge do?

When someone opens your shared result, they see your score and a "think you can beat it?" line on the title screen before they start. After they finish, their result screen says whether they beat you, tied with you, or fell short — and their own link carries their score onward to the next person.

How long does it take?

About five minutes. Most items are a quick yes or no; the ones that make you stop and think are usually the ones worth doing next.

Level up faster

The cheapest points on the list are the boring ones: set up autopay on one bill, back up your phone, find out where your passport is, book the dentist. If money is your weak category, our subscription cost calculator will show you exactly what's quietly draining your account each month. If it's health, start with the BMI & calorie calculator. And when you're done being responsible, go argue about something pointless in Would You Rather.

Related tools

• Attachment Style Quiz — another twenty-question look at how you handle the relationships column.
• Day Counter — put a date on the dentist appointment you just realised you need.
• Enneagram Test — nine types, one core fear each; useful context for why some boxes stay unchecked.