Masking & Camouflaging Test
12 questions measuring compensation, masking, and assimilation — inspired by the CAT-Q (Hull et al., 2019). Reveals how much social energy you spend performing neurotypicality.
What Is This Test?
Masking (also called camouflaging) is the conscious or unconscious suppression of neurodivergent traits to appear neurotypical in social situations. This test measures three strategies identified in the CAT-Q research (Hull et al., 2019): Compensation (learned social scripts), Masking (hiding natural traits), and Assimilation (changing your identity to fit in).
High masking is associated with increased anxiety, depression, and autistic burnout — even when it appears socially "successful." Autistic women consistently show higher masking scores than autistic men, which partly explains why women are diagnosed later or missed entirely. Understanding your masking patterns is the first step toward reducing unnecessary performance.
What You'll Discover
Your masking profile — compensation, masking, and assimilation scores
Energy cost — how much cognitive energy you spend on social performance
Research context — how your scores compare to published CAT-Q data
Unmasking strategies — practical ways to reduce unnecessary social performance
Frequently Asked Questions
Is masking only an autism thing?
Masking is most studied in autism, but it also occurs in ADHD, social anxiety, and among people from marginalised groups who feel pressure to conform. If you score high on this test but don't identify as autistic, your scores are still valid and meaningful — the energy cost of performing is real regardless of diagnosis.
Is masking always bad?
No. Some masking is a useful social skill — everyone adjusts their behaviour somewhat in different contexts. The problem arises when masking becomes constant, exhausting, and prevents you from being authentic. High masking correlates with anxiety, depression, and burnout in research (Hull et al., 2019).
Do women mask more?
Research consistently shows that autistic women score higher on masking measures than autistic men (Hull et al., 2017; 2019). This contributes to later or missed diagnosis in women. However, masking exists across all genders — the CAT-Q showed measurement invariance across gender groups.
What are the three masking strategies?
Compensation: using learned social scripts and strategies to appear natural in social situations. Masking: actively hiding your true reactions, behaviours, and traits. Assimilation: changing your identity and interests to match the people around you. Most people use a combination — your results show which strategies dominate.
How do I reduce harmful masking?
Start with awareness — understanding when and why you mask. Then identify safe spaces where you can drop the performance. Gradually extend authenticity in lower-stakes situations. Therapy (especially autistic-affirming therapy) helps. Reducing masking takes time and requires a supportive environment — it's not something you can force.
Related Assessments
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