What Is the Rice Purity Test? A Complete Guide to the Classic College Quiz

The original Rice Purity Test was created in the early 1980s by students at Rice University in Houston, Texas. At the time, Rice was a small, prestigious private university known for its rigorous academics and tight-knit student body. Orientation leaders needed a fun way to help incoming freshmen bond with each other during the first week of school.

The solution was a self-graded survey with 100 yes-or-no questions about life experiences ranging from innocent milestones like holding hands to more provocative topics like substance use and romantic encounters. Students would fill out the test, calculate their score, and then compare results with their new classmates. It worked brilliantly as a conversation starter because it gave strangers something personal yet lighthearted to discuss.

For decades, the test existed primarily as a paper document passed around during orientation week. Each college residential house at Rice had its own copy, and the questions were occasionally tweaked by student leaders. The test remained a campus-only tradition until the early 2000s, when it was uploaded to the internet and began spreading to other universities.

Once the test appeared on early internet forums and social media platforms, it took on a life of its own. College students at universities across the United States began discovering it and sharing it with friends. By the 2010s, the Rice Purity Test had become a staple of online quiz culture, appearing on platforms like Reddit, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

The test's appeal lies in its simplicity. There is no sign-up required, no data collection, and the results are instantly generated. You check some boxes, get a number, and can immediately compare it with others. In the age of social media, where sharing personal details is second nature, the Rice Purity Test fits perfectly into the culture of oversharing in a fun and harmless way.

Today, the Rice Purity Test is taken by millions of people each year. It is popular among high school seniors preparing for college, college freshmen during orientation, groups of friends at parties, and couples who want to learn more about each other's pasts. It has been featured in countless YouTube videos, TikTok trends, and podcast episodes.

The original Rice Purity Test was written over 40 years ago. While many of its questions remain relevant, the world has changed dramatically since the 1980s. Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge did not exist. Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat were decades away. Concepts like ghosting, situationships, and OnlyFans had not entered the cultural vocabulary.

Our New Rice Purity Test (2026 Edition) is a modernized version of the classic test that includes questions about contemporary experiences. We have added questions about dating apps, social media behaviors, streaming culture, AI companions, and other phenomena that define life for today's young adults. At the same time, we have preserved the spirit of the original test by keeping the same 100-question format and the same scoring system.

The goal is not to replace the original test but to complement it. If you have taken the original version, you can take our updated edition and see how the two scores compare. Many of our users report that the 2026 edition feels more relatable because it asks about situations they actually encounter in their daily lives.

Taking the Rice Purity Test is simple and takes about five to ten minutes. Here is how it works:

1. Read each question carefully. The test presents 100 questions about various life experiences, covering categories like relationships, social behavior, substances, personal milestones, and more.
2. Check the box if it applies to you. For each question, check the box if you have done the thing described. Leave it unchecked if you have not.
3. Be honest. The test only works if you answer truthfully. There is no right or wrong answer, and nobody sees your responses unless you choose to share them.
4. Get your score. After answering all 100 questions, click the calculate button. Your score equals 100 minus the number of boxes you checked.
5. Share or keep private. You can share your score with friends, post it on social media, or keep it entirely to yourself. The choice is yours.

Higher scores (closer to 100) indicate fewer checked boxes and a more sheltered set of life experiences. Lower scores (closer to 0) indicate more checked boxes and a broader range of life experiences. Most college students score somewhere between 40 and 65.

The 100 questions on the New Rice Purity Test span several broad categories of life experience: