CAT COPD Assessment Calculator

About this calculator

The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is an eight-item patient-reported questionnaire covering cough, phlegm, chest tightness, breathlessness on exertion, activity limitation, confidence leaving home, sleep, and energy — each scored 0 to 5, for a total ranging from 0 to 40. Higher totals mean COPD is having a greater day-to-day impact on the patient's life, independent of lung function numbers alone.

CAT scores are grouped into low (under 10), medium (10–20), high (21–30), and very high (above 30) impact, and are one of the inputs GOLD guidelines use alongside spirometry and exacerbation history to classify COPD severity and guide treatment. Pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, and primary care physicians repeat the CAT at follow-up visits to track whether a patient's symptom burden is improving or worsening over time.