Burnout Test: Are You Burnt Out by Work?

Do you wake up already tired, count the hours until the weekend and feel that nothing you do at work matters? Burnout does not appear overnight: it is the result of months of work stress without recovery. This burnout test helps you measure in four minutes how much work has worn you down over the last three months, with no sign-up and without sending your answers to any server.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. That is how the World Health Organization defines it in the ICD-11, where it appears as an occupational phenomenon (not a mental illness) characterised by three dimensions:

1. Exhaustion: the feeling of having used up one's physical and emotional energy.
2. Mental distance: cynicism, detachment or negative feelings towards one's job.
3. Reduced efficacy: the sense of not performing, of being useless, of effort bearing no fruit.

The term was coined by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s when he observed the wear on volunteers at a clinic, and it was developed by Christina Maslach, whose questionnaire (the MBI) remains the reference in research. Although it was first described in helping professions (healthcare, education, social services), we now know it can appear in any occupation, including study, domestic work and caring for relatives.

What distinguishes burnout from ordinary tiredness is that a weekend does not fix it: normal rest stops being enough, and detachment and a sense of failure are added to the fatigue.

Symptoms of burnout and how it develops

Burnout sets in gradually. Although everyone experiences it in their own way, clinicians describe a fairly recognisable progression:

Phase 1: enthusiasm and over-involvement

High motivation, long hours, difficulty switching off. There is no distress yet, but reserves are being spent.

Phase 2: stagnation and tiredness

Effort stops paying off. Fatigue, irritability, the first sleep problems and the feeling that work "weighs" appear.

Phase 3: frustration and distance

Cynicism, detachment and sarcasm settle in. People are served less well, the minimum is done and the days are counted.

Phase 4: apathy and exhaustion

Persistent exhaustion, a sense of incompetence, low mood and, frequently, physical symptoms.

Most common symptoms

• Physical: fatigue that does not lift, insomnia, headaches and muscle pain, digestive problems, frequent infections.
• Emotional: irritability, emptiness, anxiety, sadness, loss of enthusiasm.
• Cognitive: difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, mistakes, freezing over decisions.
• Behavioural: absenteeism or presenteeism, withdrawal, more coffee, alcohol or tobacco, giving up exercise and hobbies.

Causes of burnout: not a personal weakness

One of the most robust conclusions of research is that burnout depends far more on the work environment than on personality. Maslach and Leiter describe six mismatches that feed it:

• Overload: too much work, too fast, for too long.
• Lack of control: little autonomy over how, when and with what resources the work is done.
• Insufficient reward: lack of recognition, pay or prospects.
• Breakdown of community: conflict, isolation, lack of support from the team or managers.
• Unfairness: unequal treatment, favouritism, arbitrary decisions.
• Value conflict: doing things that clash with what one considers right or important.

On top of these organisational factors come personal traits that increase vulnerability: perfectionism, difficulty delegating or setting boundaries, need for approval and a tendency to always put others first. But it is worth being clear about the order: burnout is the normal response of a healthy person to an unsustainable environment. That is why its prevention and treatment involve changing conditions as much as changing oneself.

How does this online burnout test work?

This questionnaire consists of 15 statements reflecting the three dimensions of the syndrome described in the ICD-11 and in Maslach's model: five on emotional exhaustion, five on mental distance and cynicism and five on professional efficacy. The items are original and written in everyday language, applicable to any job and also to study.

For each statement, indicate how often you have experienced it during the last three months, from "never" (0 points) to "very often" (4 points). The five efficacy items are worded positively ("I feel I do my job well") and are reverse-scored: the more often you feel effective, the fewer points they add.

At the end you get a total score from 0 to 60 and a breakdown by dimension. Scoring is done entirely in your browser: we ask for no data and store no answers. Answer according to what has been usual over these months, not the worst week, and if you work in several places or combine study and employment, choose the activity that takes up most of your time.

How to interpret your burnout test score

Scores are grouped into four indicative levels:

• 0-15 · Low: no relevant signs of burnout; work is tiring, but you recover.
• 16-30 · Mild: early signs, mostly tiredness; the best moment for prevention.
• 31-45 · Moderate: clear burnout in two or three dimensions; worth intervening and consulting.
• 46-60 · High: established syndrome with an impact on health; professional help and rest are recommended.

The breakdown by dimension is especially useful in burnout, because the order in which the dimensions appear has clinical meaning. Exhaustion is usually the first sign; cynicism appears when the person tries to protect themselves by distancing; and loss of efficacy comes when the wear already affects performance. A profile with high exhaustion and the rest low indicates an early phase; a profile high in all three dimensions indicates a consolidated syndrome.

Remember that this test is a screening tool, not a diagnosis: burnout is not a mental disorder in current classifications, but a high result justifies a professional assessment, above all to rule out depression or anxiety, which frequently accompany it.

Burnout, stress and depression: how to tell them apart

The three conditions share symptoms and often overlap, but there are important differences for choosing the right treatment:

• Work stress: the response to a specific demand (a project, a busy period) that usually improves when the situation passes or with rest. With stress there is still involvement and energy, even if they run low.
• Burnout: the result of chronic work stress without recovery. It is characterised by exhaustion that does not lift and, above all, by detachment and cynicism, which are not part of simple stress. It is tied to work: it improves with long holidays or a change of job.
• Depression: a mood disorder that affects every area of life, not just work. It includes persistent sadness, generalised loss of interest (in hobbies and relationships too), feelings of guilt or worthlessness and, sometimes, thoughts of death. It does not improve with holidays.

Untreated burnout is a recognised risk factor for depression and anxiety disorders, and the three can coexist. If your score is moderate or high, we recommend also completing the depression, anxiety and insomnia tests for a fuller picture to discuss with a professional.

Burnout in healthcare workers, teachers, carers and students

Although it can appear in any occupation, some groups have especially high prevalence:

• Healthcare professionals: the combination of patient load, shifts, responsibility for other people's lives and exposure to suffering means studies place burnout at very high levels among doctors, nurses and emergency staff.
• Teachers: large classes, administrative demands, conflict with families and lack of social recognition explain high rates in primary, secondary and higher education.
• Social services and customer-facing roles: constant contact with people in difficult situations and few resources to help.
• Family carers: so-called carer burnout affects those who look after a dependent relative without rest or support; it is full-blown occupational burnout even without a contract.
• Students: academic burnout (exhaustion, cynicism towards study and a sense of incompetence) is increasingly common at university and when preparing for competitive exams.

In all these cases, the solution cannot be individual alone: organisations that reduce load, increase autonomy and take care of recognition achieve measurable reductions in burnout in their teams.

What to do after the test: recovering from burnout

Recovering from burnout is possible, but it requires acting on several fronts at once:

• Stop and rest properly. In moderate and high cases, sick leave or an extended period of rest is often the essential first step. Your GP can assess this.
• Change the conditions. Renegotiate workload, hours or duties; ask the team for support; cut low-value tasks; and, when the environment cannot be fixed, consider changing role or organisation.
• Psychological therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and work-stress management programmes have evidence for reducing exhaustion, revising perfectionism and recovering meaning at work.
• Recover the body. Regular sleep, moderate exercise, an orderly diet and less alcohol and caffeine speed up physical recovery.
• Rebuild life outside work. Relationships, hobbies and moments of switching off are not a luxury: they are the counterweight that burnout has been eroding.

A psychologist experienced in work stress, such as the one we recommend at the end of the test, can help you design this plan and accompany you in online sessions that fit into an already saturated schedule.

The scientific basis of this burnout test

The questions in this questionnaire are original and were written from the World Health Organization's ICD-11 definition of burnout and from Maslach's three-dimensional model (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation or cynicism and personal accomplishment), which underpins the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the reference instrument in research. The three-dimension structure with reverse-scored efficacy items follows the logic of that model and of more recent tools such as the Burnout Assessment Tool. The cut-off points are indicative and were set to favour early detection. The content has been reviewed by the MyPsicoTest team and is updated periodically.

The 15 questions in this test

Think about how you have felt at work (or in your studies) during the last 3 months.

1. I feel emotionally drained by my work.
2. At the end of the working day I feel empty, with no energy for anything else.
3. I wake up in the morning already tired at the thought of having to go to work.
4. Working all day takes an effort it did not use to take.
5. The weekend or holidays are not enough for me to recover.
6. I have lost interest or enthusiasm for a job that used to matter to me.
7. I have become colder, more distant or more sarcastic with the people I work with or serve.
8. I doubt that my work is useful or has any meaning.
9. I do the bare minimum and switch off mentally as soon as I can.
10. I get irritated easily by work matters that did not use to bother me.
11. I feel I do my job well and solve the problems that come up effectively.
12. I feel able to cope with the demands of my role.
13. I have the sense that I contribute something valuable through my work.
14. I manage to concentrate and perform normally during the working day.
15. I feel recognised or satisfied with the results I achieve.

Answer scale: Never · Rarely · Sometimes · Often · Very often

If your result worries you or you want a professional assessment, you can talk to Xènia Capel Salcedo, a licensed psychologist (COPC reg. 14982), who offers a free first consultation call and online therapy from anywhere.

Reviewed by the MyPsicoTest team · Updated: 27 October 2026