Bacii Score
Patient John, age 54, smokes 8 cigarettes per day. He tells his doctor, "I don't smoke much. I can quit anytime."
Patients with anxiety, depression, or alcohol use disorder often self-medicate with nicotine. The BACII score helps psychiatrists distinguish between mild nicotine use and a severe addiction that requires dual-diagnosis treatment.
| Scale | Number of Items | Focus | Best Use Case | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | BACII | 6 | Urge intensity & compulsion | Rapid triage in primary care | | FTND | 6 | Time-based behaviors (e.g., first cigarette in morning) | Epidemiological research | | Cigarette Dependence Scale (CDS) | 12 | Mixed (behavior + craving) | Detailed baseline assessment | | QSU-Brief | 10 | Current momentary craving | Laboratory or real-time app studies | bacii score
The BACII score holds a unique position: it is as short as the FTND but measures the internal, subjective experience of addiction better than any other brief tool.
The BACII is a standardized test administered by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) in Cambodia. It is a requirement for high school graduation and is a critical prerequisite for admission to universities and higher education institutions. Patient John, age 54, smokes 8 cigarettes per day
Digital health apps and electronic medical records (EMRs) are beginning to integrate the BACII score into routine vitals. Just as we record blood pressure and heart rate, we may soon record a BACII score for every patient who smokes.
Machine learning algorithms can track BACII scores over time to predict relapse risk. If a patient’s score jumps from 6 to 14 between visits, an automated alert triggers a pharmacist outreach to adjust NRT doses. The BACII score helps psychiatrists distinguish between mild
Let’s be honest: reducing a student’s potential to a single number between 60 and 100 is daunting.
If you are approaching BACII exams, remember this: The score is a tool, not your identity.
While a high score is an accelerant, a moderate score is not a dead end. Many successful professionals barely passed their BACII but excelled later through professional certifications, work experience, or post-graduate diplomas. The BACII opens the first door—but you are the one who walks through the next hundred.