PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
A 20-item trauma-related symptom measure with several documented uses.
Questionnaire The format describes how observations are obtained, not an evidence rating.
What it measures
The 20 DSM-5 PTSD symptoms across the four symptom clusters (Criteria B intrusion, C avoidance, D negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and E alterations in arousal and reactivity), linked to a specified reference period.
What people do
Respondents rate how much they have been bothered by each of the 20 symptoms (typically in the past month, or past week for repeated monitoring) on a 5-point scale from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Extremely). VA guidance distinguishes forms without a Criterion A component, with a brief Criterion A assessment, and with the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5).
What the scores mean
Summing all 20 items yields a 0–80 total severity score, and cluster subtotals can be examined across DSM-5 Criteria B, C, D and E. VA guidance notes provisional total-score cutoffs in the 31–33 range in initial psychometric work while emphasizing that optimal thresholds depend on population and purpose; a structured clinical interview such as the CAPS-5 remains the diagnostic reference.
This explains the logic of a score. It does not supply a test form, individual result or administration manual.
Development and versions
Frank Weathers, Brett Litz, Terence Keane, Patrick Palmieri, Brian Marx and Paula Schnurr are credited on the 2013 instrument.
Evidence: (VA National Center for PTSD: PCL-5, n.d.); (Spielman et al., 2020)
Reliability and validity evidence
VA guidance notes that a suitable threshold depends on population and purpose. Its recommendations and cited studies are official guidance, not a new independent validation performed by this site.
Evidence belongs to a version, sample and interpretation. Read the source notes for what was actually inspected.
Evidence: (VA National Center for PTSD: PCL-5, n.d.); (Spielman et al., 2020)
Where it is used
Research and qualified clinical assessment of trauma-related symptoms and change over time.
Limits and common misreadings
- A threshold cannot establish trauma exposure or all diagnostic criteria alone.
- A change score requires evidence about measurement error and meaningful change.
- Different forms and recall windows must not be mixed without justification.
Read an example
Original teaching example
A fictional follow-up study uses the same form and time window at both visits. A lower total is an observation to interpret with symptoms, context and error, rather than automatic proof of recovery.
Constructed for learning; this is not a result from the instrument’s validation study.
Access and permission
VA identifies the instrument as public domain and intended for qualified professionals and researchers. The official page supplies forms and guidance.
Textbook connection
Related contextPsychology 2e: 15.1 What Are Psychological Disorders?
Conceptual context; the instrument-specific sources in this profile provide the primary evidence.
Related measures
Read a measure critically · Explore score examples · Review research methods
Sources and inspection notes
Checked October 22, 2026. An inspection date is not a publication date. Publisher information is not presented as independent validation; abstract-only and indexed-excerpt access are identified below.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/15-1-what-are-psychological-disordersTextbook: conceptual context
Conceptual context; the instrument-specific sources in this profile provide the primary evidence.
- VA national center for PTSD: PCL-5. (n.d.). https://ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/adult-sr/ptsd-checklist.aspOfficial instrument guidance
Description, 20-item 0–4 rating structure, DSM-5 Criteria B–E alignment, provisional 31–33 threshold guidance, public-domain statement and limits on thresholds inspected. The full clinical assessment process is not reproduced.