The Conners 4 assessment and the Vanderbilt assessment scale are rating questionnaires that parents, teachers, and sometimes young people complete to describe a child’s attention, activity, ty and behaviour. Clinicians use the Conners 4 and the Vanderbilt to gather structured information as part of a Conners assessment for ADHD. Neither scale diagnoses ADHD on its own.
If your child’s school, GP or paediatrician has mentioned one of these forms, this guide explains what each one measures, who fills it in, how it is scored and what the results do and do not mean.
Key facts
- Conners 4 age range: parent and teacher forms for ages 6 to 18, self-report for ages 8 to 18.
- Raters: parent, teacher, and the young person.
- Time: about 12 to 15 minutes for the full form, 5 to 7 minutes for the short form.
- Cost: the Conners 4 is a licensed, paid tool scored by clinicians. The Vanderbilt forms are free to use.
What Is the Conners 4 Assessment?
The Conners 4 is the fourth edition of the Conners rating scales, a set of questionnaires that measure ADHD symptoms, the impairment they cause, and common co-occurring problems in young people aged 6 to 18. It is published by Multi-Health Systems (MHS) and was created by Keith Conners, PhD.
The “Conners assessment” is not a single test. It is a family of scales, completed by different people who know the child, so a clinician can see how things look in different settings. Typical areas covered include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, how a child is coping with schoolwork, friendships and family life, and signs of other difficulties such as anxiety or mood problems.
Australian clinicians typically access the Conners 4 through distributors such as Pearson Clinical Australia and ACER.
Is the Conners an ADHD Test?
No. The Conners is a rating scale used inside an ADHD assessment, not a stand-alone test that gives a yes or no answer. The Conners ADHD test result shows how a child’s ratings compare with other children, and a clinician then interprets it alongside an interview, developmental history, and information from other settings.
Conners 4 Age Range, Forms and Raters
The Conners 4 has parent, teacher, and self-report forms, each available in three lengths. The Conners 4 age range is 6 to 18 years for parent and teacher raters and 8 to 18 years for the young person. The full, short, and ADHD Index forms suit different purposes, from a first evaluation to repeat monitoring.
Conners 4 Age Range
The Conners 4 age range is 6 to 18 years for the parent and teacher forms and 8 to 18 years for the self-report form. Children under 6 are usually assessed with a different tool, the Conners Early Childhood. Adults, aged 18 and over, use separate scales, such as the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS).
Full-Length, Short and ADHD Index Forms
The Conners 4 comes in three lengths: Full-Length (about 109 to 118 items), Short (about 49 to 53 items), and the 12-item ADHD Index. Clinicians use the full form for detailed first evaluations, the short form for repeat checks, and the ADHD Index as a brief screener. The table shows how they compare.
Form | Number of items | Typical use | Completion time |
Conners 4 Full-Length | About 109 to 118, depending on the rater | Initial, detailed evaluations | 12 to 15 minutes |
Conners 4 Short | About 49 to 53 | Repeat checks and monitoring | 5 to 7 minutes |
Conners 4 ADHD Index | 12 | A brief screener built from the items that best separate youth with ADHD from the general population | 1 to 1.5 minutes |
The publisher reports average completion times of about 12 minutes for the teacher form and 15 minutes for the parent form on the full-length version.
How the Conners Rating Scale Is Scored
The Conners Rating Scale is scored by comparing a child’s answers with those of other children of the same age and sex, then converting them to standard scores. Scoring is done digitally by a clinician. The result is a profile of scores across several scales, not a single number.
What Is a T-Score?
A T-score is a standard score with an average of 50, where every 10 points equals one standard deviation. A T-score for ADHD scales shows how far a child’s rating sits from the average of children the same age. A score of 60 is one standard deviation above the average, and a score of 70 is two.
What Do Conners Scores Mean?
Conners scores show how a child’s rated behaviour compares with other children of the same age and sex. They fall into bands from low to very elevated, and a higher band suggests more concern, not a diagnosis. According to the manual, the usual bands are shown below.
T-score | Descriptor | Plain-English meaning |
Below 40 | Low | Fewer concerns than most children |
40 to 59 | Average | In the typical range |
60 to 64 | Slightly elevated | A little above average; worth noting |
65 to 69 | Elevated | Clearly above average |
70 and above | Very elevated | Well above average |
An elevated score is a signal to look more closely, not a diagnosis. The Conners 4 also compares a child with a separate ADHD Reference Sample, which is a group of young people already diagnosed with ADHD.
For the ADHD Index, the report also gives a probability percentage. A clinician interprets all of this alongside an interview and information from other settings.
The Conners 4 also rates impairment in three areas: schoolwork, peer interactions, and family life. These matter because ADHD is only diagnosed when symptoms cause real difficulty in daily life.
Conners 3 vs Conners 4: What Changed?
The Conners 4 replaced the Conners 3 as the current edition. It keeps the Conners 3 structure of multiple raters and short and full forms, but it updates the norms, expands the impairment measures, and is delivered digitally.
According to the publisher’s comparison guide, it also reorganises the ADHD symptom scales and adds a Total ADHD Symptoms score.
If a clinic or school mentions the Conners 3, it is the previous edition. The Australian ADHD guideline, which was published in 2022, still lists the Conners 3 among example scales, because the Conners 4 was newer at the time.
What Is the Vanderbilt Assessment Scale?
The Vanderbilt assessment scale is a free pair of questionnaires, for parents and for teachers, that screens for ADHD symptoms, impairment, and common co-occurring problems in school-aged children.
The NICHQ Vanderbilt version was published by the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality in association with the American Academy of Pediatrics, and builds on work by Mark Wolraich and colleagues.
It was designed for primary-school-aged children, roughly ages 6 to 12. The questions are based on the ADHD symptom list used by clinicians, which the DSM-5-TR still reflects. NICHQ states that the scales should not be used alone to make a diagnosis.
Vanderbilt Parent and Teacher Questionnaires
The Vanderbilt assessment scale has one questionnaire for parents and one for teachers, so a clinician can compare behaviour at home and at school. The parent form has 55 items, and the teacher form has 43, and each can be completed in one sitting.
ADHD Questionnaire for Parents
The Vanderbilt ADHD questionnaire for parents has 55 items. Parents rate how often their child shows inattentive and hyperactive behaviours, then answer questions on oppositional behaviour, conduct problems and anxiety or low mood, and rate school and relationship performance. It is one example of an ADHD rating scale for parents.
ADHD Questionnaire for Teachers
The Vanderbilt ADHD questionnaire for teachers has 43 items. It covers the same ADHD behaviours, combines oppositional and conduct questions, and screens for anxiety, low mood and, on the initial form, learning difficulties. A teacher rating scale for ADHD matters because the Australian guideline asks clinicians to look for difficulties in more than one setting.
Initial vs Follow-Up Forms
The initial Vanderbilt forms are used at the start of an assessment, while the follow-up forms are used later to monitor progress. Follow-up forms keep the core ADHD questions and performance ratings and add a side-effect section, so clinicians can see how a child is going over time.
How Vanderbilt Scoring Works
Vanderbilt scoring counts behaviours rated 2 or 3 (“often” or “very often”) on a 0 to 3 scale. A child screens positive for an ADHD presentation when six of nine inattention items, or six of nine hyperactivity and impulsivity items, score 2 or 3, and a performance item is rated a problem (4 or 5).
Screens for oppositional behaviour, conduct problems, and anxiety or low mood work in a similar way, using their own thresholds. A positive screen means the clinician should look further, not that a diagnosis is confirmed.
Conners 4 vs Vanderbilt: Key Differences
Conners vs Vanderbilt comes down to cost, age coverage,e and depth. Both are used to gather information from parents and teachers.
They are not competitors so much as different tools. Clinicians often choose between a Conners assessment and the Vanderbilt, or use one at the start and another for monitoring.
Conners 4 | Vanderbilt (NICHQ) | SNAP-IV | |
Age range | 6 to 18 (self-report 8 to 18) | About 6 to 12 | School-aged children |
Raters | Parent, teacher, self-report | Parent, teacher | Parent, teacher |
Items | 12 to about 118, depending on form | 55 (parent), 43 (teacher) | Commonly 26 |
Time | 1 to 15 minutes, by form | Short questionnaire | Short questionnaire |
Cost | Licensed, paid | Free | Free |
Scoring | Standard scores compared with norms | Symptom counts against set thresholds | Symptom counts and averages |
Typical use in Australia | Clinician-administered, often in specialist assessments | Widely used by paediatricians and GPs | Often used for monitoring |
Where Does the SNAP-IV Fit In?
The SNAP-IV is a free, short parent and teacher rating scale, commonly used in a 26-item version, covering ADHD and oppositional symptoms. It is often used to track change over time because it is quick to complete. Like the other scales, it supports a clinician’s judgement and does not diagnose on its own.
Can a Rating Scale Diagnose ADHD?
No. According to the Australian ADHD guideline, published by the Australian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA) in 2022 and approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council, a diagnosis of ADHD should not be made solely on rating scales. Diagnosis needs a clinical interview and history, symptoms in two or more settings, and evidence of impairment.
Rating scales are useful because they bring in views from different people. They are a support for the clinician, not a replacement. The guideline also asks clinicians to rule out other explanations, such as anxiety, learning difficulties,s or sleep problems.
Why Parent and Teacher Scores often Differ?
Clinicians see this all the time. A child may seem very different at home and at school because the demands, structure, and routine are different. Teachers also see many children and can compare, while parents see a whole child over a whole day. Different scores do not mean someone is wrong. They give a clinician a fuller picture.
How ADHD Assessment Works in Australia
In Australia, a child’s ADHD assessment usually starts with a GP, who may refer to a paediatrician, child psychiatrist, or psychologist. The clinician takes a developmental and family history, interviews the family, gathers information from school, and uses rating scales such as the Conners 4 or Vanderbilt as one part of the picture.
The AADPA guideline also recommends a specialist with expertise in child development when symptoms cause significant impairment in more than one setting. A Conners assessment or Vanderbilt questionnaire can often be completed online before a telehealth appointment. For a breakdown of the professionals involved, see our guide on who can diagnose ADHD in Australia. To learn about the signs, see ADHD symptoms in children, or read about our [ADHD assessment](INSERT ADHD ASSESSMENT PAGE URL) service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Conners 4 free?
No. The Conners 4 is a licensed assessment, so clinicians purchase and score it through authorised distributors. Parents do not usually buy it themselves. If a clinician asks you to complete one, the cost is generally included in the assessment process, so ask your provider about fees.
Is the Vanderbilt free?
Yes. The NICHQ Vanderbilt forms are freely available to use. However, a clinician should score and interpret them, because the scales should not be used alone to make a diagnosis. A positive screen is a prompt for further assessment, not an answer.
Can I do a Conners test online?
Clinicians can administer the Conners 4 online through secure platforms, and you may be sent a link to complete it. A parent cannot reliably buy and score it at home to diagnose ADHD. A free online screening tool can help you decide whether to seek an assessment, but it is not diagnostic.
Which is better, Conners or Vanderbilt?
Neither is better overall. The Vanderbilt is free, quick, and widely used for primary-school-aged children. The Conners 4 covers ages 6 to 18, includes a self-report form for older children, and offers detailed norms. Clinicians choose based on the child’s age, the purpose,e and what they have available.
How long does the Conners 4 take?
The full-length Conners 4 takes about 12 to 15 minutes, the short form about 5 to 7 minutes,s and the 12-item ADHD Index about 1 to 1.5 minutes. The exact time varies slightly with the rater, with teachers generally a little faster than parents.
Can adults use the Conners 4?
No. The Conners 4 is designed for ages 6 to 18. Adults are assessed with adult tools, such as the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS), the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), or the Wender Utah Rating Scale, as part of a full clinical assessment.
What happens after a high score?
A high score does not confirm ADHD. The clinician will usually follow up with an interview, developmental history, and information from other settings, and consider other explanations, such as anxiety, learning difficulties,s or sleep problems. If ADHD is diagnosed, they will talk through [support after an ADHD diagnosis](INSERT ADHD TREATMENT OR SUPPORT PAGE URL).
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