Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Short Almost Perfect Scale (SAPS)?
SAPS is an 8-item questionnaire developed by Rice, Richardson, and Tueller (2014) that measures perfectionism through two subscales: Standards (how high your personal expectations are) and Discrepancy (how much distress you feel about not meeting them). It's a validated shortening of the longer Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, built for fast, accurate screening.
Is perfectionism always a bad thing?
No. Research consistently shows that high Standards paired with low Discrepancy is closer to healthy ambition than to a problem, people in this pattern tend to be driven and quality-focused without the emotional toll. It's the Discrepancy component, the gap between your goals and how you feel you're doing, that's linked to anxiety, procrastination, and burnout.
What do the Standards and Discrepancy scores mean?
Standards reflects your personal drive: how demanding the goals you set for yourself are. Discrepancy reflects distress: how frustrated or inadequate you feel when your performance falls short of those goals. Two people can have identical Standards scores and very different Discrepancy scores, which is why the test reports both separately rather than one blended number.
Is this a clinical diagnosis?
No. The SAPS-8 is a self-reflection research instrument, not a diagnostic tool for OCPD, anxiety, or any other clinical condition. A high score, especially on Discrepancy, is a signal worth paying attention to, not a label. If perfectionism is causing ongoing distress, a licensed mental health professional is the right next step.
How is my score calculated?
All 8 items use the same 1-7 Likert range with no reverse-scored items. Four items (1, 3, 5, 7) make up the Standards subscale; the other four (2, 4, 6, 8) make up Discrepancy. Your overall score and both subscales are shown as percentages, with results banded into low (0-40%), medium (41-70%), and high (71-100%).