Rice Purity Test: Score Meaning, History, and How to Take It

Few internet quizzes survive their own decade. The Rice Purity Test has survived nearly a century. What began as a printed questionnaire in 1924 is now one of the most shared self-tests online, passed around dorm rooms, group chats, and TikTok comment sections by people curious about a single number.

That number is your purity score, and this guide explains everything behind it: where the test came from, how the score is calculated, what your result actually means, and how it stacks up against the average. If you just want your own number, you can take the Rice Purity Test and read the rest afterward.

What Is the Rice Purity Test?

The Rice Purity Test is a self-graded survey of 100 yes-or-no questions about life experiences. You check off every item you have done, and the test returns a score from 0 to 100.

A higher score means you have checked fewer items, which points to a more sheltered track record. A lower score means a wider range of experiences. There is no pass or fail, no authority grading you, and nothing scientific behind it. It is a conversation starter that turned into a cultural habit.

Where It Came From

The test is older than almost everyone who takes it. The Rice Thresher, the student newspaper at Rice University in Houston, Texas, first printed a purity questionnaire in 1924. That earliest version was given only to women, and the 119 who took it averaged a score of 62.

The early questions were tame by modern standards, asking things like whether someone had ever been engaged and broken it off. Only a couple of those original prompts survive in today's list. The modern 100-question web version went online in 2012, and over the following years it spread across TikTok, Twitter, and Reddit, where swapping scores became a kind of social game. The name is simply borrowed from Rice University itself.

How the Score Works

The math could not be simpler, and understanding it explains the whole result.

1. You start at a perfect 100.
2. For every experience you have had, you subtract one point.
3. The number left is your purity score.

So your score is just 100 minus the number of boxes you checked. Check 20 items and you score 80. Check 55 and you score 45. Every question counts equally, and there are no weighted answers.

What Your Score Means

People love sorting scores into bands, though these ranges are informal and shift a little from site to site. Use the table below as a rough guide, not a verdict.

The most important thing to remember is that no band is better than another. A 95 is not more virtuous than a 45, and a 45 is not more interesting than a 95. Each number is a snapshot of one moment in a life that keeps changing.

What Is the Average Score?

This is one of the most searched questions about the test, and the answer depends heavily on age. Across large online samples, the overall adult average lands around 60 to 65, which works out to roughly 35 to 40 boxes checked. In the United States, where college-age users make up most of the traffic, the adult average sits in that same 60 to 65 range.

Age changes the picture a lot, simply because older people have had more time to accumulate experiences:

These figures are rough averages drawn from self-reported online data, not official statistics, so treat them as a reference point rather than a rule.

What the Questions Cover

The 100 items span a wide range of coming-of-age themes. Kept at a general level, they touch on dating and relationships, romantic and physical experiences, alcohol and other substances, minor rule-breaking and brushes with the law, and everyday honesty. Some prompts are gentle and some describe mature situations, which is why the list is aimed at an adult audience.

The point is recognition rather than a checklist to chase. Most people take it and find themselves saying "same" more often than they expected.

How to Take It

Taking it is quick and needs nothing but honesty.

1. Open the test and read each of the 100 items.
2. Check yes for anything you have actually done, no for anything you have not.
3. Work through the whole list without overthinking any single line.
4. Submit to see your score and where it lands.

Most versions take only a few minutes. Answer for yourself, not for the number you wish you had.

Is the Test Accurate?

Not in any scientific sense, and it never claimed to be. It measures exactly one thing: how many items from a fixed list you have checked. It is not a personality test, a maturity rating, or a judgment of character. Its value comes from reflection and comparison, not from any clinical meaning.

Is It Anonymous and Safe?

On any reputable version, yes. You should not need an account, and a well-built test does not store your answers or attach your result to your identity. Your score stays private unless you choose to share it, so the safest habit is to stick to a trustworthy site and avoid any version that asks for personal details.

Why People Take It

The appeal was never really the score. It is the curiosity around it. People take the test to compare stories with friends, to feel part of a shared experience, and to see a snapshot of their own past in one tidy number. That mix of nostalgia, honesty, and friendly competition is what has kept it alive for a hundred years.

Popular Variants

The format has inspired plenty of spin-offs. The True Asian Test reworks the questions around Asian household and cultural experiences, and various LGBTQ and identity-themed versions swap in prompts that the original list overlooks. There are also localized editions in other languages. Each keeps the same 100-item, subtract-a-point structure while changing what the questions ask about.

Taking It Responsibly

Because the list includes mature themes like sex, substances, and law-breaking, the Rice Purity Test is meant for an adult and college-age audience, and it is not designed for children. It is also worth remembering that many items describe risky or illegal activities. The list is not a bucket list, and your score says nothing about your worth. Take it in the spirit it was made, as a lighthearted, private look back, and it holds up just fine. Ready when you are, you can start the Rice Purity Test whenever you like.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good Rice Purity Test score?
There is no good or bad score. A higher number means fewer checked experiences, a lower number means more, and both are completely normal.

What is the average score?
Around 60 to 65 for adults, though it runs higher for teens and lower with age.

Who made the Rice Purity Test?
It originated with the Rice Thresher, the student newspaper at Rice University, which first printed a version in 1924.

How is the score calculated?
You start at 100 and lose one point for each experience you have had, so your score is 100 minus the number of boxes checked.

Is the test accurate?
No. It is made for fun and self-reflection, with no scientific basis, and should not be used to judge anyone.

Can teens take it?
The test covers explicit adult topics, so it is intended for adults and college-age users rather than younger teens or children.