CAT-Q score of 143
Where this total sits, what the subscale split changes, and why the number on its own is not a result.
The short answer
A CAT-Q total of 143 sits about 79% of the way through the possible range, which runs from 25 to 175 across 25 items. Reaching 143 means an average response of roughly 5.7 per item. That is arithmetic, not interpretation. What the number means depends entirely on which of the three subscales it came from, and this page works through what 143 could be made of.
What 143 could be made of
The CAT-Q has three subscales with different numbers of items, so they have different possible ranges: Compensation 9 to 63, Masking 8 to 56, Assimilation 8 to 56. A total of 143 can be reached in several genuinely different ways, and those ways describe different experiences.
Evenly spread
Roughly similar effort reported across all three areas, in proportion to how many items each one has.
- Compensation51 of 63
- Masking46 of 56
- Assimilation46 of 56
Compensation led
Most of the total coming from compensation, which covers actively working out and applying strategies for social situations.
- Compensation63 of 63
- Masking56 of 56
- Assimilation24 of 56
Assimilation led
Most of the total coming from assimilation, which covers the pressure to fit in and the strain of not feeling able to be yourself.
- Compensation63 of 63
- Masking24 of 56
- Assimilation56 of 56
Each of those splits adds up to exactly 143. Somebody whose total came mostly from compensation is describing preparation and strategy. Somebody whose total came mostly from assimilation is describing pressure to fit in and the strain that goes with it. Those are different things to think about and, if it comes to it, different things to raise with a professional.
How much room for variation there is at this total
At a total of 143, each subscale is constrained to a band: Compensation between 31 and 63, Masking between 24 and 56, Assimilation between 24 and 56. The widest of those bands spans 32 points.
That is a moderate band. There is still real room for two people at this total to have quite different subscale profiles, so the split remains the more useful thing to look at.
What this number cannot tell you
The CAT-Q measures camouflaging, which is the effort of adjusting how you present in social situations. It does not measure autism. Camouflaging is reported by autistic people and by non-autistic people, and a total cannot confirm or rule out autism, ADHD, AuDHD, social anxiety, or anything else.
It also cannot tell you why. High camouflaging effort can follow from being autistic, and it can equally follow from workplace culture, from past bullying, from anxiety, from being new to a country or a language, or from any situation where fitting in carried a cost. The questionnaire records the effort, not its cause.
NeuroType does not publish a CAT-Q cutoff. A threshold invites the total to be read as a verdict, and the total is the least informative part of the result.
What to do with it
If you have your three subscale numbers, read those rather than the total, and notice which one is carrying the weight. If you only have the total, the CAT-Q on this site is free, needs no account, keeps your answers in your browser, and shows the subscale breakdown alongside the total.
If assimilation is the part that stood out, the masking reflection goes further into recovery and identity strain, and masking burnout and recovery covers what sustained effort tends to cost. For background on the questionnaire itself, see the CAT-Q explained.
Other totals
Frequently asked questions
- Is a CAT-Q score of 143 high?
- A total of 143 sits about 79% of the way through the possible range of 25 to 175, which works out at an average response of roughly 5.7 per item across 25 items. That describes where the number sits arithmetically. It does not place you in a category, because a total on its own does not say which kind of camouflaging effort produced it.
- Does a score of 143 mean I am autistic?
- No. The CAT-Q measures camouflaging behaviour, not autism. Camouflaging is reported by autistic and non-autistic people, and a questionnaire total cannot confirm or rule out any condition. Only a qualified professional carrying out a full assessment can consider diagnosis.
- Why does NeuroType not show a cutoff?
- Because a single line encourages reading the total as a verdict, and the total is the least informative part of the result. The subscale split is what actually differs between people. NeuroType shows where a score sits in the range and what different splits would mean, and leaves threshold judgements to the research literature and to clinicians.
- What should I look at instead of the total?
- The three subscale scores. Compensation, masking and assimilation describe different kinds of effort, and two people with the same total can have almost nothing in common in how they experience it. If you have your subscale numbers, read those first.
Safety note
Reflection tools can surface patterns; they can't confirm or rule out a condition. Take any concerns about your mental health or neurodevelopment to a qualified clinician.