Crush Purity Test: Check Off Your Most Relatable Crush Moments
The Rice Purity Test checklist format works for more than just life milestones. The crush purity test applies the same idea to something almost everyone can relate to: the slightly ridiculous things we’ve all done because of a crush.
This isn’t about anything explicit. It’s a lighthearted checklist of common crush behavior, from checking their social media a few too many times to rehearsing a text message for twenty minutes before sending it. Below, we cover what the test measures, what the research actually says about having a crush, and how to read your own score.
What Is the Crush Purity Test?
The crush purity test is a self-assessment checklist built in the same style as the original Rice Purity Test. You go through a list of common crush-related behaviors and check off anything you’ve actually done, and your total produces a score.
Instead of measuring broad life experience, the crush purity test focuses narrowly on one very specific, very universal feeling: having a crush on someone and doing slightly irrational things because of it.
How Crush Purity Test Scoring Works
The scoring mechanic matches the classic Rice Purity Test format:
- You start with a perfect score of 100.
- Every crush-related behavior you check off subtracts a point.
- Your final crush purity test score is 100 minus the number of behaviors that applied to you.
A higher score means you’ve kept your crush feelings relatively low-key. A lower score means you’ve fully committed to the classic crush experience, overthinking included.
What Kinds of Behaviors the Crush Purity Test Covers
A typical crush purity test checklist includes things like:
- Social media habits: checking their profile more than once in a day, or scrolling back through old posts
- Overthinking communication: rewriting a text several times before sending it, or reading a reply way more times than necessary
- Small acts of hope: finding a reason to walk past somewhere they might be, or hoping they show up somewhere you’re already going
- Sharing the feeling: telling a friend about the crush, or asking someone else to help you figure out what a message “really meant”
- Daydreaming moments: imagining a conversation with them before it happens, or replaying a real one afterward
- Physical reactions: feeling nervous or flustered when they’re nearby, or losing your train of thought mid-sentence around them
- Group-setting behavior: positioning yourself to sit near them, or steering a group conversation toward a topic they’d enjoy
None of these behaviors are unusual. That’s the point. The crush purity test works because almost everyone recognizes at least a few items on the list from their own experience.
Is It Normal to Have a Crush Like This?
Yes, and it’s more universal than most people realize. Psychologist Dorothy Tennov, who spent years interviewing hundreds of people about intense romantic infatuation, coined the term “limerence” to describe this exact state: obsessive-compulsive thoughts about another person, a longing for reciprocation, and emotional dependence on someone you’re drawn to.
Tennov found that limerence shows up across cultures and that most of her research subjects had experienced it at least once, typically during adolescence or early adulthood. In other words, the behaviors a crush purity test checks off aren’t a personal quirk. They’re a well-documented, near-universal part of human attraction.
How Long Do Crushes Typically Last?
There’s no fixed timeline, but Tennov’s original research offers a rough benchmark: she found that limerent episodes, the intense, preoccupying phase of a crush, tend to last somewhere between 18 months and 3 years on average, though some fade within weeks and others can persist much longer.
It’s worth noting that later researchers have pointed out this figure comes from Tennov’s original interviews rather than a large-scale, repeated clinical study, so it’s best treated as a general pattern rather than a precise rule. What ends a crush phase tends to fall into one of a few categories: the feelings become mutual and settle into a steadier relationship, they fade on their own without reciprocation, or attention shifts to someone new.
Crush Purity Test Score Meaning
| Score Range | General Description |
|---|---|
| 80-100 | You’ve kept your crush feelings pretty contained. Most of the classic behaviors don’t apply to you. |
| 60-79 | A normal amount of crush-related overthinking. Nothing out of the ordinary. |
| 40-59 | A fair number of relatable crush moments. You’ve clearly been there. |
| 20-39 | Most of the classic crush behaviors apply. You know this feeling well. |
| 0-19 | Nearly the full checklist applies. Peak crush experience. |
As with the original Rice Purity Test, there’s no scientific basis behind these exact bands. A crush purity test score is a fun way to see how many relatable moments apply to you, not a measurement of how “serious” your feelings are.
Is the Crush Purity Test the Same as “Does My Crush Like Me?” Quizzes
No, and this is a common mix-up. Most quizzes with “crush” in the name try to predict whether someone likes you back, usually based on their behavior toward you.
The crush purity test works differently. It only checks off things you’ve done, not anything about the other person. It has nothing to say about whether your crush likes you back. It’s purely a reflection of your own crush-related habits, the same way the original Rice Purity Test reflects your own experiences rather than anyone else’s opinion of you.
Is “Crush Purity Test” the Same as BuzzFeed’s Version?
Not quite, though the name overlaps. BuzzFeed has published its own take, titled “What’s Your Crush Purity Score?”, a shorter, multiple-choice style quiz rather than a 100-item checklist.
If you’ve searched for “crush purity test buzzfeed” and landed here instead, that’s the quiz you’re likely thinking of. The checklist-style version on this page follows the Rice Purity Test’s original yes/no format instead.
How It Compares to the Original Rice Purity Test
| Rice Purity Test | Crush Purity Test | |
|---|---|---|
| Topic | Broad life experiences: relationships, parties, substances, and more | Crush-specific behavior only |
| Format | 100 yes/no questions, one point each | Same checklist format, usually a shorter list |
| Purpose | Reflecting on life experience so far | A lighthearted look at classic crush behavior |
| Content | Includes mature themes | Kept lighthearted and non-explicit |
| Backed by research | No, informally created by students | The behaviors it covers overlap with documented limerence research |
Common Misconceptions
| Misconception | Reality |
|---|---|
| The crush purity test predicts if your crush likes you back | It only reflects your own behavior, not theirs. It has no way to measure someone else’s feelings |
| A low score means you’re “obsessed” | It just means more of the listed, extremely common behaviors apply to you. Most people relate to more items than they expect |
| The crush purity test and the Rice Purity Test cover the same topics | They share a scoring format, but the crush version stays focused on one narrow, lighthearted theme |
| Having a strong crush is unusual or embarrassing | Research on limerence suggests intense crush feelings are a near-universal experience, not a personal oddity |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the crush purity test?
It’s a checklist-style quiz, built in the same format as the Rice Purity Test, that covers common behaviors people do when they have a crush on someone.
Does the crush purity test tell me if my crush likes me?
No. It only reflects your own behavior. For that kind of question, you’d want a different style of quiz built specifically around the other person’s signals.
Is the crush purity test appropriate for all ages?
Yes. Unlike the original Rice Purity Test, the crush purity test focuses on lighthearted, non-explicit behavior, which makes it appropriate for a much broader audience.
What’s a normal crush purity test score?
There’s no official average. Most people recognize several items on the list, since the behaviors it covers are extremely common and well documented in relationship research.
Is having an intense crush a bad thing?
Not inherently. Researchers who study limerence describe it as a normal, near-universal part of romantic attraction rather than something to worry about, though it’s still worth keeping perspective if it starts affecting your daily life.
Why do crushes eventually fade?
Based on limerence research, a crush phase usually ends one of three ways: the feelings become mutual and settle into a steadier relationship, they fade without reciprocation over time, or attention naturally shifts toward someone new.
Curious About the Original Test?
Take the full Rice Purity Test for the original 100-question experience, or check out our Rice Purity Score Meaning guide to see what your number says.