Coping Strategies Test (Brief COPE)
14 coping strategies — which ones you lean on when stress hits
How do you typically cope when stress hits? The Brief COPE assesses 14 distinct coping strategies — from active coping to denial, from seeking support to self-blame. 28 items, about 10 minutes.
How Do You Handle Stress?
Everyone copes differently. Some people dive into work. Some call a friend. Some pretend nothing happened and hope it goes away. The Brief COPE maps your tendency across 14 distinct coping strategies -- from active coping and planning to denial, self-distraction, and substance use.
The Brief COPE is a 28-item shortened version of the full COPE inventory Carver published in 1997. It has 2 items per subscale — fast, but preserves the three-part structure: problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and avoidant coping. Each strategy gets its own score, so you can see which approaches you lean on most.
Knowing your coping patterns isn't about labeling yourself. It's about noticing which strategies actually help and which ones feel good in the moment but don't solve the underlying issue.
Note: This assessment is for educational and research use only. It is not a clinical diagnostic tool.
Reference
Carver, C. S. (1997). You want to measure coping but your protocol's too long: Consider the Brief COPE. <em>International Journal of Behavioral Medicine</em>, 4(1), 92-100.
Result Interpretation
After completing the 28 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Dimension breakdown — separate scores for each sub-scale
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.