Your CAGE score counts your Yes answers to four questions about alcohol, so it runs from 0 to 4. A higher score means more of the four experiences have happened to you at some point in your life. A score of 2 or more crosses the usual screening boundary, so a fuller check of your drinking is worthwhile. The score is a starting point for a conversation, not a diagnosis.
What does each CAGE score range mean?
The Johns Hopkins CAGE form calls a total of 2 or more clinically significant. So the five possible totals fall into two ranges:
| Score | Screening result |
|---|---|
| 0-1 | Low risk |
| 2-4 | Clinically significant |
The form also notes that a consensus panel advises primary care doctors to use 1 Yes answer instead. The lower boundary catches more people who may need help. Either boundary only marks who should get a closer look.
The name “Low risk” describes the lower score range. It does not mean your current drinking is safe.
What do the four questions ask about?
CAGE is short for the four topics: Cutting down, Annoyance at criticism, Guilt, and an Eye-opener, or morning drink. Each Yes adds one point. Every question counts the same, and no one answer points to a diagnosis by itself.
A total of 2 can come from several different pairs of Yes answers. Those pairs can describe very different histories, so the number alone does not show what happened or why.
The first validation paper for the four-question CAGE questionnaire was published in 1974. The original CAGE asks only about alcohol. The CAGE-AID is a separate version that adds drug use to the same four questions.
Keep the form's name with your score. A CAGE-AID total is not a CAGE score, even though both forms have four questions and use the same letters. The MAST score guide explains a different lifetime alcohol questionnaire. Its longer form covers more alcohol-related experiences, but its total cannot be converted into a CAGE score.
Why can a low score miss a current drinking problem?
Every question asks whether something has ever happened. A Yes answer may describe last week or many years ago. Someone in long-term recovery may still score 2 or more.
The CAGE also does not ask how much or how often you drink. So someone whose drinking is risky now may score below 2.
For the same reasons, the total cannot show whether a concern is current or in the past. Nor can it show whether you meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder. It cannot track cravings, weekly progress, or how treatment is going. It also cannot show whether withdrawal is likely or medically dangerous, or which support would suit you.
What should I do next?
If you want help understanding your score, bring it to a doctor, therapist, or qualified alcohol-use specialist. Tell them how much and how often you drink now, and about any recent changes. Mention your medicines, any health concerns, and what you want to change.
Ask for help at any score if drinking worries you or affects your health, work, relationships, or safety. A provider may use another questionnaire about your current drinking, followed by a fuller assessment if needed. Your CAGE number alone should not decide which care you get.