Rice Purity Test: Score Meaning, Questions, and What to Expect

If you’ve ever scrolled through social media and seen friends posting numbers like “78” or “45” with the hashtag #RicePurityTest, you might have wondered what it’s all about. The test started as a voluntary icebreaker during orientation week at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and has since become a viral sensation taken by millions online. With 100 questions covering topics from relationships to substance use, your score can say a lot—but is the test really measuring what you think?

Number of questions: 100 · Origin: Rice University, Houston, TX · Score range: 0 (impure) to 100 (pure) · Typical completion time: 5–10 minutes

Six key facts summarize the Rice Purity Test’s core details:

What is the Rice Purity Test?

The Rice Purity Test is a 100-question self-graded questionnaire that asks about life experiences, often framed around sex, drugs, rule-breaking, and similar behaviors A Real Me (popular online quiz platform). Higher scores indicate fewer experiences; lower scores indicate more experiences. It is commonly presented as a lighthearted social game rather than a scientific or psychological assessment.

Origins at Rice University

The test originated during orientation week at Rice University in Houston, Texas. A blog post states that the test has been used since its creation at Rice University in the 1980s. New students voluntarily took it to find others with similar experiences and bond over shared stories. The exact year of the first version remains unclear, but the test became a tradition at Rice before spreading to other campuses.

How the test spread online

In the early 2000s, the test started appearing on personal websites and quiz platforms like Quizilla. By the 2010s, automatic scoring versions went viral on social media, making it easy to take and share scores with a single link Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia). Today, multiple third-party sites host the test, including ricepuritytest.com and ricepuritytestlab.com. None of these are officially affiliated with Rice University.

The implication: The original social context has been largely lost as the test migrated online, raising questions about its appropriateness for unsupervised use.

What does your Rice Purity Test score mean?

Your Rice Purity Test result is a percentage-like score from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most “pure” end of the scale. A score of 100 indicates complete innocence; 0 indicates experience in all categories. There is no official scoring guide; interpretations vary by community. A guide site states that a score of 70 or higher is considered a good score and 50 or lower a poor score, but these are informal labels.

Score ranges and their common labels

Online communities have developed loose ranges: scores in the 90–99 range are rarer than a perfect 100; scores 80–89 suggest slightly more relationship experience; scores 70–79 may indicate more risky or dangerous behaviors. However, none of these labels come from any authoritative source—they are social conventions.

Factors that influence your score

Scores tend to decrease with age, especially during college years. A blog post claims the average decrease in score is about 15–20 points between ages 18 and 22, with the steepest decline in freshman and sophomore years. Higher scores often reflect younger age, conservative values, or focused priorities; lower scores typically indicate diverse life experiences and social engagement.

The takeaway: The score is a conversation starter, not a diagnostic tool.

What are the Rice Purity Test questions?

The original 100 questions are public and widely replicated online. They are grouped into several categories covering sexual activity, substance use, criminal behavior, and other life experiences. Many versions add or remove questions, but the core set remains consistent.

Categories covered in the test

• Sexual experiences (kissing, intercourse, group activities)
• Drug and alcohol use (tobacco, marijuana, hard drugs)
• Illegal or rule-breaking acts (trespassing, vandalism, shoplifting)
• Relationships (dating, cheating, committed partnerships)
• Other experiences (piercings, tattoos, partying, etc.)

Sample questions from the original test

Examples include “Have you ever held hands romantically?” and “Have you ever used a tobacco product?” The full list is available on hosting sites.

“A purity test is a self-graded questionnaire that assesses an individual’s ‘purity’ in various areas such as sexual activity, drug use, and other life experiences.”

— Wikipedia, “Purity test” Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)

The pattern: The test’s questions reflect the college culture from which it emerged, focusing on behaviors typical of young adults.

How to take the Rice Purity Test

Taking the test is straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. Find a hosting site. Visit a third-party website such as ricepuritytest.com or arealme.com/rice-purity-test. No registration is required.
2. Answer each question honestly. For each of the 100 statements, mark “Yes” if you have experienced it, or “No” if you haven’t. You can skip any question you prefer not to answer.
3. Submit to get your score. The site automatically calculates your score as a number between 0 and 100, where higher = fewer experiences.
4. Share (optional). Many users share their scores on social media or in group chats as an icebreaker.

What this means: Taking the test is simple, but the implications of sharing the score should be considered.

What is the average Rice Purity Test score?

Reported averages vary by source and age group. The current average score as of 2025 is 63.81. A blog claims the average is 68 and that most people score between 50 and 85.

Reported averages from online communities

A guide site states that most people score between 30 and 70, and that scores in the 90–99 range are more common than a perfect 100. It also says a score of 70 or higher is often considered “good.” However, these are self-reported data from online takers, not a scientifically collected sample.

How averages differ by age group

Younger participants tend to have higher (purer) scores. A blog post suggests that scores typically decrease during college years, with an average drop of 15–20 points between ages 18 and 22. This pattern makes sense: as people gain more life experiences, their score naturally goes down.

The pattern: Self-reported averages are useful for comparing with friends but lack scientific rigor. No peer-reviewed study has validated the test’s scoring or its meaning across populations.

Is the Rice Purity Test suitable for 14 year olds?

The test includes explicit questions about sex, drugs, and other adult topics. Many educators and parents advise caution for children under 16. Most online versions lack age restrictions or content warnings, making it easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

Content concerns for minors

Questions about sexual acts, drug use, and illegal behavior can be disturbing or confusing for younger teens. The test was designed for college students, not middle schoolers.

Parental guidance recommendations

Parents should be aware that many teens take the test out of curiosity. If a 14-year-old takes it, the experience may prompt questions they are not ready to discuss. Some educators recommend that schools or parents provide context before a teen encounters the test. The test itself is not dangerous, but the lack of safeguards is a legitimate concern.

The risk: Without parental guidance, teens may misinterpret the test’s purpose or face social pressure.

“The Rice Purity Test is a 100-question self-graded survey originally used during orientation week at Rice University. It measures participants’ degree of innocence in areas such as sex, drugs, and deceit.”

— A Real Me (quiz hosting platform) A Real Me

“I remember taking it during O-week; it was just a fun way to compare stories and realize we all had similar backgrounds.”

— Reddit user on r/riceuniversity Reddit (r/riceuniversity community discussion)

The Rice Purity Test remains a persistent cultural artifact: a simple 100-question quiz that started as a college bonding game and became a global internet meme. For parents, the trade-off is clear: the test can be a harmless conversation starter among older teens, but for younger users, the explicit content and peer pressure dynamics demand caution. For the average adult, it’s a fun way to reflect on life experiences—just don’t mistake it for a serious measure of character.

For Spanish-speaking readers, a comprehensive Spanish guide to the Rice Purity Test explains the test’s interpretation and scoring in detail.

Frequently asked questions