Methodology
Our burnout test uses the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) exactly as published by its developers. This page documents every scoring rule.
1. Instrument
The 19 CBI questions are reproduced word for word from the NFA’s published scales: six personal burnout items, seven work-related items and six client-related items. The client section is shown only if you say your work involves serving people. The CBI may be used freely for non-commercial and commercial purposes provided the source is cited: Borritz M et al. “Burnout among employees in human service work: design and baseline findings of the PUMA study.” Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2006;34:49–58.
2. Response values
| Frequency answer | Degree answer | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Always | To a very high degree | 100 |
| Often | To a high degree | 75 |
| Sometimes | Somewhat | 50 |
| Seldom | To a low degree | 25 |
| Never / almost never | To a very low degree | 0 |
Work-related item 7 (“Do you have enough energy for family and friends during leisure time?”) is reverse scored: Always = 0 … Never/almost never = 100.
3. Scale scores
Following NFA guidance, a scale is not scored if fewer than 3 personal, 4 work-related or 3 client-related items are answered. We do not combine the three scales into a single total, because they measure exhaustion attributed to different sources.
4. Interpretation
| Score | Label shown | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 0–49.9 | Below the high-burnout threshold | PUMA study: a high degree of burnout defined as ≥ 50 |
| 50–74.9 | At or above the high-burnout threshold | PUMA study threshold |
| 75–100 | Well above the high-burnout threshold | Our own reading aid — not a research cut-off |
These labels describe your answers relative to a research threshold. They are not a diagnosis.
5. Safety features
- Crisis and support contacts are shown with every result and on every guide.
- If you answer “Often” or “Always” to “How often do you think: ‘I can’t take it anymore’?”, the result adds a specific prompt to reach out for support.
6. Privacy
Scoring runs entirely in your browser. Answers are not transmitted, stored or placed in the page address.
7. Limitations
The CBI is a self-report measure of fatigue and exhaustion. It does not measure cynicism or professional efficacy separately, and it cannot distinguish burnout from depression, anxiety or physical illness. See the CBI explained.
Sources
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA), Denmark, "Copenhagen Burnout Inventory – CBI"
- NFA, "Copenhagen Burnout Inventory – scales" (item wording, response scales and scoring)
- Borritz M, Kristensen TS. "Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: normative data from a representative Danish population on Personal Burnout and results from the PUMA study" (2004)
- Kristensen TS, Borritz M, Villadsen E, Christensen KB. "The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: a new tool for the assessment of burnout." Work & Stress 2005;19(3):192–207
- Borritz M, Rugulies R, Christensen KB, Villadsen E, Kristensen TS. "Burnout as a predictor of self-reported sickness absence among human service workers: prospective findings from three year follow up of the PUMA study." Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2006;63(2):98–106
- World Health Organization, "Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases" (28 May 2019)
This site is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NFA or the CBI’s authors.