The Irrational Procrastination Scale measures how much you put things off when you know you’ll be worse off for it. Rate 9 statements to see how you compare with other people, and what to try.
9 statements, about two minutes.
Choose how true each statement is of you.
Your answers stay in your browser and are not sent to us or saved. You don’t need to give your name or email.
About this scale
The Irrational Procrastination Scale was developed by Piers Steel at the University of Calgary. It measures irrational delay: putting things off even though you expect to be worse off for it. That is different from sensible scheduling or waiting for more information.
Reading your score
Each answer scores from 1 to 5, with three statements reversed, so totals run from 9 to 45. The bands compare your score with other people who have taken the scale.
| Score | Result |
|---|---|
| 9–19 | In the top 10%: does things now and hardly ever procrastinates. |
| 20–23 | In the top 25%: doesn’t procrastinate often. |
| 24–31 | In the middle 50%: an average procrastinator. |
| 32–36 | In the bottom 25%: procrastination is affecting things. |
| 37–45 | In the bottom 10%: procrastination is affecting a lot. |
A score describes how things have been for you recently. It can’t diagnose anything on its own, but it is a useful way to notice change and a good starting point for a conversation with a counsellor or your GP.
Source: Steel, P. (2010). Arousal, avoidant and decisional procrastinators: Do they exist? Personality and Individual Differences, 48(8), 926–934.