How this burnout test works
Most burnout quizzes ask only how you feel. That tells you that something is wrong, not what to change. This one asks about two things separately:
- Work habits (9 questions). Hours, days, how long you go without standing up, skipped breaks, "just ten more minutes", working past your planned stop, evenings and weekends, lunch at the desk, and messages after hours. Your score is the share of the maximum, from 0 to 100.
- Strain signals (5 questions). Feeling drained before the day starts, feeling detached or cynical about work, getting less done, struggling to switch off, and rest not restoring you. These echo the three dimensions the World Health Organization uses to describe burnout: exhaustion, mental distance from your job, and reduced effectiveness.
Keeping them apart is the point. Habits are the part you can change on Monday morning. Strain signals tell you how urgently to change them, and whether to talk to someone as well.
What the scores mean
| Work-habit score | Band | What it usually looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | Sustainable | Normal hours, regular breaks, a real end to the day. |
| 30–54 | Stretched | Mostly fine, but one or two habits (often long sessions or late finishes) creeping in. |
| 55–74 | Overworking | Several habits compounding: long days, skipped breaks, work spilling into evenings. |
| 75–100 | Running hot | Almost no recovery built into the week. Change one habit this week, not five. |
The strain score is reported as low (under 35), moderate (35–59) or high (60 and over). A high strain score comes with a clear suggestion to talk to a doctor or occupational health service. Frequent exhaustion has plenty of possible causes, and not all of them are work.
Why the result suggests a break setup
Long unbroken sessions and skipped breaks are the two habits people most often admit to, and the two that respond best to structure. The UK's Health and Safety Executive advises short, frequent breaks over long, rare ones, for example 5–10 minutes every hour. A 2022 meta-analysis of micro-breaks found they reliably raise energy and reduce fatigue.
So the result turns your answers into three numbers: a maximum work session, a break length, and how firm the break should be. The firmer settings are for people who skip breaks they fully intended to take, which is most people who score high here. If you'd rather build a full day's schedule, use the break calculator.
If your strain score is high
- Talk to your GP or doctor, especially if you've felt this way most days for several weeks.
- Ask whether your employer has occupational health or an employee assistance programme.
- Read burnout vs stress vs just tired to see which pattern fits.
- If you ever feel unsafe or hopeless, contact emergency services or a local crisis line right away.
Frequently asked questions
Is this burnout test a diagnosis?
No. It is a self-check of your work habits and of how often you notice common strain signals. The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical condition, and only a qualified professional can assess your health. Use the result as a prompt to change habits and, if strain signals are frequent, to talk to a doctor.
What does the burnout test measure?
Two things. The work-habit score covers hours, days, session length, skipped breaks, working past your planned stop, evenings and weekends, lunch at the desk and off-hours messages. The strain score covers five signals that echo the three dimensions in the WHO description of burnout: exhaustion, mental distance from your job, and reduced effectiveness.
Are my answers stored or shared?
No. The test runs entirely in your browser. Answers are not saved, not added to the page address and not sent to StopBurnout. If you accept analytics cookies, the only thing recorded is that someone finished the test and which work-habit band they landed in.
What should I do with a high score?
Start with the one to three habits the result lists as your biggest levers; changing one habit consistently beats changing five for a week. If your strain score is high, or you have felt drained most days for several weeks, talk to your GP, occupational health service or an employee assistance programme as well.
How often should I retake it?
Every few weeks, or after your workload changes. Your score reflects how the last few weeks have felt, so a change in your answers is more useful than any single result.
General wellbeing information, not medical advice. The questions are original to StopBurnout and are not a validated clinical instrument.