BAT items, versions, and the 1 to 5 answer scale
The BAT has a work-related version for people who work and a general version for people who are not currently working. Each has a full form with 23 core items (22 in the general version) and a short form with 12, and 10 secondary items that have no short version. [1] Every item is answered from 1 ("never") to 5 ("always"). [1]
Which versions are there?
The work-related version is for workers, and its items refer to their work. The general, context-free version is for people who are not currently working, so apart from the mental distance scale, its items do not refer to work. The secondary symptom items are the same in both. [1]
How many items are there?
In the full work-related version, exhaustion has 8 items, mental distance 5, emotional impairment 5, and cognitive impairment 5, which makes 23 core items. The general version has 4 mental distance items. The short version has 3 items in each of the four core scales, which makes 12. The 10 secondary items have no short version. [1]
| Scale | Full version | Short version |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaustion | 8 | 3 |
| Mental distance | 5 (work) or 4 (general) | 3 |
| Emotional impairment | 5 | 3 |
| Cognitive impairment | 5 | 3 |
| Secondary symptoms | 10 | No short version |
What is the answer scale?
Five steps: never, rarely, sometimes, often, always, scored 1 to 5. [1] The instruction in the work-related version asks you to say how often each statement applies to you, about your work situation. [1]
Why does the sheet not say "burnout"?
The manual says that because the word might have a negative connotation, the sheet is titled with a neutral name, such as "work experience survey", and the scale names are left off. [1] If you see a BAT without the word burnout, that is deliberate.
How long does it take, and how is it delivered?
About five minutes for the full version, and less for the short one. [1] The manual describes it as a paper-and-pencil questionnaire that can be built into an online platform. [1] The official site hosts the manual and language versions, and no online test. [2]
Sources and further reading
These links open external research and health-information websites.
- Schaufeli, De Witte, and Desart (2020): User manual, Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), version 2.0. KU Leuven, Belgium (internal report). Copy read from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine
The versions, the dimensions and item counts, the five-point scale, how to calculate and interpret scores, the Flemish norms and cut-offs, and the three principles of use. Read on 2 November 2026. - Burnout Assessment Tool: official website (KU Leuven)
What the BAT is, that it is free and non-proprietary but must not be modified and the 2020 paper must be cited, where the manual and language versions are, and that the site hosts no online test. Read on 2 November 2026.
This page is educational. A questionnaire score cannot establish a diagnosis or explain the cause of your symptoms. If you are struggling, speak with a doctor or mental health professional, whatever your score. Read when to get help for work stress or find a helpline in your country.