What Is a Borderline Personality Test? Understanding Screening

If you’ve landed on this page, chances are that you’ve recognized possible symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in yourself or a loved one. You may even be wondering, “Am I borderline?”

Thinking that you might be experiencing BPD can be overwhelming and frightening. While BPD was once widely viewed as a lifelong condition, research has shown that many people experience significant improvement or remission, especially with the appropriate treatment and support. For example, the McLean Study of Adult Development, published in 2005, found that many people with BPD experienced remission of symptoms over time. 

In this article, we’ll go over what a borderline personality test looks like and what the results can tell you. We’ll also provide you with guidance on the next steps.

What is a borderline personality test?

A borderline personality test is a screening tool that identifies symptoms of BPD. The McLean Screening Instrument for BPD (MSI-BPD) is frequently recommended as a self-screening tool for BPD. It involves 10 yes-or-no questions based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for BPD and can be completed in a few minutes.

A 2025 review in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice found that the MSI-BPD accurately identifies people at risk for BPD. However, it cannot replace a proper diagnosis. BPD shares symptoms with other mental health issues, and no single test or BPD symptoms quiz can diagnose it. 

Signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder

Signs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder involve emotional and mood symptoms, relationship and identity symptoms, and behavioral symptoms.

Emotional and mood symptoms

• Intense mood swings
• Strong emotional responses to stressors
• Ongoing feelings of emptiness
• Difficulty controlling anger
• Feeling detached from yourself or your surroundings (dissociation)
• Experiencing suspiciousness or paranoid thoughts

Relationship and identity symptoms

• Fear of abandonment, including efforts to avoid real or perceived abandonment
• Unstable relationships, often characterized by frequent arguments or breakups
• Rapidly switching between idealizing and devaluing someone
• Unstable or frequently changing sense of identity
• Trouble tolerating being alone

Behavioral symptoms

• Engaging in impulsive or dangerous behavior
• Recurrent self-harm or suicidal behavior

What questions are on a borderline personality disorder screening?

The MSI-BPD contains 10 items that assess symptoms associated with the diagnostic criteria for BPD. For each question, you’ll answer yes or no.

Mood and emotional intensity

Have you been extremely moody?

Moodiness in BPD often looks like rapidly changing moods or emotions that are so intense they impact your daily life. You might notice that your mood shifts multiple times throughout the day or that your emotions are so intense that it takes you longer to recover to your baseline.  

Anger and irritability

Have you felt very angry a lot of the time? How about often acted in an angry or sarcastic manner?

With BPD, anger often builds quickly to the point where verbal or physical outbursts seem uncontrollable. You might notice that you feel regretful or ashamed about how you acted after the fact. 

Impulsivity

Have you had at least two other problems with impulsivity (e.g., eating binges and spending sprees, drinking too much, and verbal outbursts)? 

Strong feelings can lead to impulsivity in BPD, where you may act without thinking about the future consequences. Substance use, binge eating, overspending, risky driving, and risky sex are common impulsive behaviors in BPD. .

Self-harm and suicidality

Have you deliberately hurt yourself physically (e.g., punched yourself, cut yourself, burned yourself)? How about made a suicide attempt? 

Self-harm and suicidal thoughts in BPD can occur in response to intense or overwhelming emotions. If you are currently concerned about your safety or that of a loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. 

Unstable relationships

Have any of your closest relationships been troubled by a lot of arguments or repeated breakups? 

Close relationships may include those with family, friends, and romantic partners. In BPD, relationship troubles are often driven by an underlying fear of abandonment. You may also notice BPD splitting in your relationships, where you idealize someone and then devalue them.

Fear of abandonment 

Have you made desperate efforts to avoid feeling abandoned or being abandoned (e.g., repeatedly called someone to reassure yourself that he or she still cared, begged them not to leave you, clung to them physically)? 

With BPD, a fear of abandonment can lead to desperate actions, such as seeking repeated reassurance. The thought of being abandoned can feel catastrophic, even if it’s not actually happening. 

Identity and sense of self

Have you often felt that you had no idea of who you are or that you have no identity? 

Changes to your identity might include feeling as though you don’t know who you are. You might also notice that how you describe yourself changes based on who you are with. 

Chronic emptiness

Have you chronically felt empty? 

This might include feeling numb or blank, having trouble experiencing emotions, or feeling a lack of enjoyment from previously enjoyed activities.

Suspicion or dissociation under trust

Have you often been distrustful of other people? Have you frequently felt unreal or as if things around you were unreal? 

A lack of trust is often related to an underlying fear of abandonment. This might look like misinterpreting a neutral text or facial expression as something negative. It might also look like believing that someone is plotting against you. 

Dissociation feels as if you are unreal or things around you are unreal. Some people describe this as feeling like they’re watching themselves in a movie or feeling like they are dreaming while awake. 

How to interpret your answers

To interpret your answers, look at how many applied to you.  Each item that applies to you receives 1 point, while each item that does not apply receives 0 points, for a total score ranging from 0 to 10. 

In a 2003 study in the Journal of Personality Disorders, a score of 7 or higher was found to be the best cutoff for screening for possible BPD. However, a score of 7 or higher does not mean that you have BPD. It simply means that you have enough symptoms on the screening measure to warrant further assessment by a licensed mental health professional. 

If several apply to you

If 7 or more items apply to you, this indicates that you are experiencing some symptoms associated with BPD. An assessment is recommended to learn more about these symptoms and your individual situation. Some experts also recommend an assessment for people with a score of 5–6.

If few or none apply

While you are not showing as many symptoms associated with BPD, any symptoms that are persistent or impact your daily life are worth an investigation.

Why a screening is not a diagnosis

The MSI-BPD is a screening tool, which means it’s used to quickly identify BPD symptoms. However, these symptoms can be caused by other mental health conditions and even some physical health conditions. For this reason, a more comprehensive assessment by a mental health professional is needed for diagnosis. 

Where to get a borderline personality assessment

You can get a BPD assessment from a professional through a private clinic or community mental health center. You can also make an appointment with your primary care doctor, who can complete an initial assessment and then refer you to a mental health professional for further assessment.

Who can diagnose BPD

Licensed mental health professionals can assess you for BPD. This includes psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners, and master's-level clinical therapists, including social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors. 

What a full assessment involves

A full assessment includes a clinical interview and behavioral assessment, where you’ll answer questions about your symptoms and background. You may be asked to take a more in-depth assessment as part of the diagnostic process. Your mental health professional may also recommend a medical exam to rule out any medical conditions that may be contributing to your symptoms. 

How to ask for a screening

To ask for a borderline personality disorder screening, schedule an appointment with a mental health professional. Before going to your appointment, it can be helpful to write down your symptoms or have a copy of your BPD self-screening. State plainly that you have been experiencing symptoms of BPD and would like a formal assessment. For example, “I have been experiencing mood swings, an intense fear of abandonment, and impulsive behavior. I would like a formal screening for BPD.”

Borderline personality disorder test vs. clinical diagnosis

A BPD test can help identify symptoms associated with BPD, but only a clinical assessment by a qualified mental health professional can provide a formal diagnosis. BPD tests are typically brief screening tools that can be completed at home, while a clinical assessment is more comprehensive and considers a person’s symptoms, history, and overall mental health.

Conditions that can look similar

BPD shares symptoms that overlap with other mental health conditions, which is a reason why self-screening is not enough for diagnosis. Conditions that can look similar include:

• Bipolar disorder: Both conditions can involve mood changes and impulsive behavior. BPD usually involves quick emotional changes triggered by relationship stress. In contrast, bipolar disorder includes clear episodes of depression and mania or hypomania (mild to moderate mania) that last for days or more. 
• PChronic post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD): Both C-PTSD and BPD can cause relationship troubles and feelings of chronic emptiness. However, C-PTSD is caused by trauma and, for those who experience it long-term, it often involves a persistently negative self-image, whereas self-image in BPD tends to shift. 
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Both ADHD and BPD can cause difficulty regulating emotions, relationship troubles, impulsivity, and sensitivity to rejection. However, impulsivity in BPD is usually driven by a particular trigger, such as a fear of abandonment, whereas it can be ongoing in ADHD. They also differ in their causes of relationship troubles. With ADHD, relationship difficulties may be related to impulsivity, forgetfulness, difficulties with attention, or missing social cues. In BPD, relationship difficulties may be more closely associated with intense emotions, fear of abandonment, and sensitivity to perceived rejection. 
• Histrionic personality disorder (HPD): Both can cause mood swings and impulsive behaviors. A major difference between the two is the cause behind these symptoms. In HPD, behaviors are driven by a constant need for attention and approval, while in BPD, they are driven by a fear of abandonment and emotional emptiness. 

What to do after taking a borderline personality test

After taking a borderline personality disorder test, it’s best to create a plan for further support.

How to talk to a provider about your answers

You can take the results of your self-screening in when you see a mental health professional. Tell them that you have taken a BPD self-screening and are concerned about the symptoms that you are experiencing. Based on your symptoms, they may recommend formal alternative assessments to gather more information.

If you’re in crisis right now

Taking a BPD test and thinking about your symptoms can be activating. If you’re concerned about your immediate safety, call 911. For overwhelming mental health symptoms, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Willow Health can help

Experiencing mental health symptoms can be overwhelming. If you don’t need the ER but feel you can’t wait for a mental health appointment, Willow Health can help. Willow Health’s crisis stabilization program provides urgent mental health assessments in under 48 hours for New Yorkers. Based on this assessment, we’ll create a plan to help stabilize your symptoms and progress toward long-term care. 

Frequently asked questions

Can an online test diagnose borderline personality disorder?

No. An online test cannot diagnose BPD. A BPD symptoms quiz or “am I borderline” test can help identify symptoms that may warrant further evaluation, but only a licensed mental health professional can provide a diagnosis.

How accurate is the MSI-BPD?

The MSI-BPD is accurate for identifying BPD risk of BPD, but it isn’t a diagnostic tool for diagnosis. Because there is overlap between many different mental health conditions, an in-depth interview with a mental health professional is necessary for diagnosis. 

At what age can BPD be diagnosed?

BPD is usually diagnosed in adults. However, it can also be identified in adolescents if symptoms are lasting, widespread, and not due to another condition or normal growth changes. Clinicians are generally cautious about diagnosing itmaking the diagnosis in younger adolescents. 

Can BPD be treated?

Yes, BPD can be treated. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), psychotherapy, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and psychodynamic therapy, are the first-line treatments for BPD.

What's the difference between BPD and bipolar disorder?

The major difference between BPD and bipolar disorder is the duration of mood changes and their triggers. With BPD, mood can change quickly and is often caused by an external trigger, such as a fear of rejection. With bipolar disorder, moods last longer and often occur with no external cause. People with bipolar disorder may also experience periods where they feel stable between mood changes. 

Sources

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2023, April). Borderline personality disorder. NAMI 

Semaan, F., & Croarkin, P. E. (2025). The McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder: A review. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 31(1), 20–23. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRA.0000000000000827 

Zanarini, M. C., Frankenburg, F. R., Hennen, J., Reich, D. B., & Silk, K. R. (2005). The McLean Study of Adult Development (MSAD): Overview and implications of the first six years of prospective follow-up. Journal of Personality Disorders, 19(5), 505–523. 

Zanarini, M. C., Vujanovic, A. A., Parachini, E. A., Boulanger, J. L., Frankenburg, F. R., & Hennen, J. (2003). A screening measure for BPD: The McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD). Journal of Personality Disorders, 17(6), 568–573.