Beighton score: hypermobility test
Last reviewed
9-point self-assessment for generalised joint hypermobility
What the Beighton score measures
The Beighton score is the standard hypermobility test: a 9-point scale for generalised joint hypermobility, meaning joints that move beyond the usual range. It checks five manoeuvres: four are scored on both sides of the body (1 point per side) and one is scored once, giving a total out of 9.
The cut-off that suggests generalised joint hypermobility depends on your age, because joints naturally stiffen over time: 6 or more for pre-pubertal children and adolescents, 5 or more from puberty to age 50, and 4 or more over 50 (2017 international criteria). The Beighton score is one component of the 2017 international criteria for hypermobile EDS, and is also used when assessing hypermobility spectrum disorders. If your score lands one point below the cut-off, the five-part questionnaire can make up the difference under those criteria, and the hEDS criteria checker walks through all three criteria using your score from here.
How to do the hypermobility test at home
- The assessment takes 3–5 minutes. Each manoeuvre has an illustration showing the position that scores a point.
- Move each joint passively and gently — use your other hand to move the finger or thumb rather than forcing it. Do not force any joint, and stop if anything hurts.
- The elbow, knee, and palms-to-floor items are easiest to judge side-on. Have someone check, or photograph yourself from the side.
Your age
The cut-off for generalised joint hypermobility is age-dependent, so the same score means different things at different ages. Select your age group so the correct threshold is applied.
Please select your age group before continuing.
Little finger extension
Rest your hand palm-down on a flat surface. With your other hand, gently bend your little finger back towards you. It scores a point if it passes beyond 90° — that is, beyond pointing straight up.
Left little finger — does it bend back beyond 90°?
Right little finger — does it bend back beyond 90°?
Please answer for both sides before continuing.
Thumb to forearm
Bend your wrist so your fingers point down, then use your other hand to gently press your thumb towards the inner side of your forearm. It scores a point if the thumb touches the forearm. Do not force it.
Left thumb — does it touch your left forearm?
Right thumb — does it touch your right forearm?
Please answer for both sides before continuing.
Elbow hyperextension
Hold your arm out straight with the palm facing up. It scores a point if the elbow extends beyond straight by more than 10° — the arm looks slightly bent the “wrong way”. This is easiest to judge side-on: have someone check, or photograph yourself from the side.
Left elbow — does it extend beyond 10° past straight?
Right elbow — does it extend beyond 10° past straight?
Please answer for both sides before continuing.
Knee hyperextension
Stand with your legs straight, viewed from the side. It scores a point if the knee extends beyond straight by more than 10° — the leg bows backwards. This is easiest to judge side-on: have someone check, or photograph yourself from the side.
Left knee — does it extend beyond 10° past straight?
Right knee — does it extend beyond 10° past straight?
Please answer for both sides before continuing.
Palms flat on the floor
Stand with your feet together and knees completely straight, then bend forward and try to place your palms flat on the floor. It scores a point only if the whole palm (not just fingertips) reaches the floor with straight knees. Easiest to judge side-on — have someone check that your knees stay straight.
Trunk flexion — can you place both palms flat on the floor with straight knees?
Please answer before viewing results.
Your results
Reference thresholds
- Generalised joint hypermobility is suggested by a Beighton score of 6 or more in pre-pubertal children and adolescents, 5 or more from puberty to age 50, and 4 or more over 50
- The Beighton score is one component of the 2017 international criteria for hypermobile EDS; meeting the score alone is not a diagnosis. The hEDS criteria checker applies the full criteria, and the five-part questionnaire captures past hypermobility
- The maximum score is 9: little fingers (2), thumbs to forearm (2), elbows (2), knees (2), and palms to floor (1)
Your results over time
Complete this again in a few weeks and the change will show here.
Symptom scores change slowly. A monthly retake is enough to see a trend.
Your results are stored only in this browser, on this device. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else. They will be lost if you clear this site's data, use a private window, or switch browser or device. You can delete them at any time.
Results copied to clipboard.
Understanding your Beighton score
What the score measures
The Beighton score is a nine-point check for generalised joint hypermobility, described by Beighton and colleagues in 1973. It scores five manoeuvres: bending the little finger back beyond 90 degrees, bringing the thumb to touch the forearm, straightening the elbow more than 10 degrees beyond straight and doing the same at the knee (one point per side for each of these four), and placing both palms flat on the floor with the knees straight (one point). It is a screening measure, not a diagnosis of any condition.
It is the most widely recognised tool for generalised joint hypermobility and the entry point to the 2017 criteria for hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (Malfait et al. 2017).
Beighton score interpretation
The cut-off depends on age, because joints stiffen over time. The 2017 international criteria for hypermobile EDS use 6 or more for pre-pubertal children and adolescents, 5 or more for pubertal men and women up to age 50, and 4 or more over 50. Meeting the cut-off suggests generalised joint hypermobility. It does not by itself diagnose hypermobile EDS or a hypermobility spectrum disorder.
| Group | Cut-off |
|---|---|
| Pre-pubertal children and adolescents | 6 or more |
| Pubertal men and women up to age 50 | 5 or more |
| Men and women over 50 | 4 or more |
The published groups are defined by puberty, not exact age, so this page's age options are an approximation. If you are one point short, the five-part questionnaire can make up the difference.
What a change in score means
Yes. It is not designed to track change, and no minimal important change has been published. Joint range falls with age, and injury, surgery, stretching, strength training and warming up can all move it, so a different score on another day is more likely to reflect those than a change in any underlying condition. Joints that used to bend further can still count through the five-part questionnaire when your score is one point below the cut-off.
What it does not measure
You can get a reasonable idea, but the Beighton score is meant as a clinical screening test, with each joint measured using a goniometer. A 2017 review rated the evidence on its reliability as limited to conflicting even when clinicians do it. The elbow and knee angles are especially hard to judge by eye, so treat a self-score as something to confirm with a clinician. (Juul-Kristensen et al. 2017)
It does not measure pain, instability, dislocations or joints it does not test, such as shoulders, hips or jaw. The hEDS criteria checklist shows how the score fits with the other criteria.
Taking this to your GP or consultant
Bring the total, the date, your age group, which manoeuvres scored, and any history of joints that used to bend further, dislocations or sprains. Most GPs know the Beighton score, but ask for a self-score to be checked by examination. With symptoms, a score at or above the cut-off can support a referral to physiotherapy or rheumatology; on its own it diagnoses nothing. See also preparing for a GP appointment.
Sources and licence
- Beighton P, Solomon L, Soskolne CL. Articular mobility in an African population. Ann Rheum Dis 1973;32(5):413–418. DOI
- Malfait F, Francomano C, Byers P, et al. The 2017 international classification of the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 2017;175(1):8–26. DOI
- Juul-Kristensen B, Schmedling K, Rombaut L, Lund H, Engelbert RH. Measurement properties of clinical assessment methods for classifying generalized joint hypermobility: a systematic review. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 2017;175(1):116–147. DOI