AUDIT — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ
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Correct answer: A — AUDIT
Explanation lettering: D = shown as A · C = shown as B · B = shown as C · E = shown as D · A = shown as E
D is correct. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is the full 10-item alcohol screening questionnaire, with a total score of 0–40. Current UK guidance classifies scores of 0–7 as low risk, 8–15 as hazardous or increasing-risk drinking, 16–19 as harmful or higher-risk drinking, and 20 or more as possible dependence. AUDIT stratifies risk but does not itself establish a clinical diagnosis of dependence. AUDIT-C contains only the first three consumption questions, while FAST is a four-item abbreviated screen. CAGE is a separate four-question screening instrument and is not scored from 0 to 40. SADQ assesses the severity of alcohol dependence rather than screening across the full spectrum of alcohol-related risk.
Reference: Department of Health and Social Care, Clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment, section 3.3.2: AUDIT scores, updated 2026. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatment/3-identification-and-brief-interventions