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The Adverse Childhood Experiences, or “ACEs,” quiz is a series of 10 questions originally developed in 1995 to assess the number of adverse experiences one may have experienced in early life. Research indicates the number of ACEs one experiences in early life is linked to increased health challenges in later life. The quiz is intended as an indicator of how likely a person might be to face these challenges.

While the quiz is a helpful tool for raising awareness about the potential impact of ACEs it’s important to remember there are some important factors that were not included in the original quiz. There are many experiences that could be traumatic for children that are potentially harmful for a child’s development and wellbeing. For example, community violence, racism, other forms of discrimination, bullying, natural disasters, or housing insecurity. This means answering all the questions on the ACE quiz may not give a full picture of the adversity a child has faced – and thus would not be a true indicator of possible risk—nor a full picture of the possible solutions communities should consider.

Secondly, every individual is different, and adverse experiences in childhood affect each child differently. Just because a person has experienced several ACEs does not mean that later social, emotional, or health problems are inevitable. Some children develop resilience – the ability to overcome serious hardship – while others do not. Genetic factors also play a role, in that some children are predisposed to be more sensitive to adversity than others. And the most common factor among children who show resilience is at least one stable and responsive relationship with a supportive adult.

The ACEs quiz does not give insight into whether an individual child might be more or less sensitive to adversity and does not provide information about whether there may have been any protective relationships in place to help buffer the child from stress. The ACEs quiz can give insight into who might be at risk—not who is at risk—for certain later-life challenges. The ACE quiz also helps to build awareness about circumstances and experiences that can be harmful to normal development and assist us in creating stronger, healthier, and safer communities that get all children off to a good start in life.

To learn more about resilience, check out these three short videos on what resilience is, the science behind it, and how it’s built.