Free stroke assessment calculators
Measure a stroke and its recovery with validated calculators, free. Score severity, disability, independence, and movement, and check the evidence behind each one.
How common is stroke?
About 1 in 4 adults will have a stroke in their lifetime.
More than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke each year, and stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability.1 Among US adults, the age-standardised share who report having had a stroke rose from 2.7 percent in 2011 to 2013 to 2.9 percent in 2020 to 2022, and reaches 7.7 percent in adults aged 65 and over.2
- 1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Stroke Facts. cdc.gov/stroke.
- 2.Imoisili OE, Chung A, Tong X, Hayes DK, Loustalot F. Prevalence of stroke: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2011-2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;73(20):449-455.
Understanding stroke
A stroke can be caused by a blocked vessel or a bleed. The effects depend on which part of the brain is affected, and can include weakness, changes in sensation, vision, speech, and balance.
Because the picture changes as recovery goes on, no single number describes a stroke. The calculators below are used at different points, from the first hours in hospital to the months of rehabilitation that follow.
Stroke assessment calculators
Each one is free. Open it to take the assessment, get a score, and see what it measures and the evidence behind it.
With a clinician
NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS)
The severity of a stroke.
Modified Rankin Scale (mRS)
Disability and dependence after stroke.
Barthel Index
Independence in daily activities.
Fugl-Meyer Assessment – Upper Extremity (FMA-UE)
Arm and hand motor recovery.
Fugl-Meyer Assessment – Lower Extremity (FMA-LE)
Leg motor recovery.
Stroke questions, answered
How is stroke severity measured?
With the NIH Stroke Scale. A clinician records performance in 11 categories, covering consciousness, gaze, vision, facial and limb movement, coordination, sensation, language, speech clarity, and attention. The categories total 0 to 42, and higher means a more severe stroke. It is the scale the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke publishes for this purpose.
What is the difference between the NIHSS and the modified Rankin Scale?
They measure different things at different moments. The NIHSS scores the neurological deficit itself, category by category, and is used at presentation and repeated over the following days. The modified Rankin Scale assigns one grade for overall disability and dependence, usually months later, and is the measure most stroke trials report as their endpoint.
Which stroke assessment should I start with?
It depends on when you are asking. In the first hours the NIHSS describes how severe the stroke is. Weeks and months later the modified Rankin Scale summarises disability in a single grade, the Barthel Index describes independence in ten everyday activities, and the two Fugl-Meyer sections measure how much arm and leg movement has returned.
Who can administer these stroke assessments?
The modified Rankin Scale and the Barthel Index need no formal training, and the Barthel is as reliable when a nurse or relative is asked as when a clinician tests directly. The NIHSS is normally administered by an examiner who has completed a training and certification course. The Fugl-Meyer sections are administered by a trained physical or occupational therapist.
Are the stroke calculators free?
Yes. Every calculator here is free to take. Each instrument page names who publishes the scale and where the official forms come from.
Can these calculators diagnose a stroke?
No. A stroke is diagnosed by a clinician, using the examination and brain imaging. These calculators measure severity, disability, independence, and movement, and the scores are reference information for you and your care team.
Can a brain-computer interface help with stroke?
The Brain-Computer Interface Registry connects stroke survivors to trials building new ways to move and communicate. Complete your assessments once, and be matched to trials as they open.
These calculators use validated instruments and are reference information, not a diagnosis.