A smell identification test is a type of olfactory assessment in which different odors must be recognized and named by the test subject. In other words, it involves the identification of the presented odors. Although these tests come in various formats and contain different odors, their core principle remains the same: the test subject is presented with a scent—either through a smell pen or a scratch-and-sniff booklet—and must choose the correct odor from four options. The goal is to select the description that best matches the perceived smell.
What types of smell identification tests are available?
We offer a range of smell identification tests from two major manufacturers:
Burghart Messtechnik (Germany) – ODOFIN Sniffin’ Sticks
Sensonics International (USA) – Sensonics Scratch-and-sniff booklets
Below is an overview of the available identification tests:
Burghart ODOFIN Identification Tests
- Screening 12 Test: Identification of 12 different common odors (basic smell test)
- U-Sniff Test: Identification of 12 odors designed specifically for children
- Identification 16 Test – Blue version: Identification of 16 different odors
- Identification 16 Test – Purple version: Identification of another set of 16 different odors
The reason there are two versions of the Sniffin’ Sticks Identification 16 Test (a blue and a purple version) is to make it possible to perform a repeat test without the test subject recognizing the same scents from the previous time. This prevents so-called learning effects (or memory effects), where someone does not recognize the scent, but still knows which answer was correct before. The odors and the answer options differ between the two versions.
Sensonics Identification Tests
- UPSIT (University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test): Identification of 40 odors (available in multiple languages)
- B-SIT (Brief Smell Identification Test): Identification of 12 odors (available in multiple languages)
- NHANES Pocket Smell Test: Identification of 8 odors (available only in English)
- Pocket Smell Test: Identification of 4 odors or 3 odors (very basic smell test, available only in English)
- Quick Smell Identification Test: Extremely simple test using 3 odors (available only in English)
Forced Choice Testing Procedure
All of our smell identification tests are based on the “forced choice” principle. This means that participants must select one answer from a fixed number of options—typically four—even if they are unsure or do not detect the odor. The test format does not allow for a “don’t know” or “no opinion” response. In the analysis of test results, chance-level correct answers are taken into account.
What is the purpose of smell identification tests?
The results of most smell identification tests can help determine whether an individual has a normal sense of smell (normosmia) or a reduced sense of smell (hyposmia). Based on the score, further diagnostic investigation may be recommended.
Would you like to conduct more comprehensive testing with smell pens? Then you can use the ODOFIN Sniffin’ Sticks extended test, which includes three components:
- Identification test
- Discrimination test
- Threshold test
This extended test allows for a more detailed assessment, including the detection of anosmia (complete loss of smell).
The UPSIT test from Sensonics is the most detailed identification-only test we offer. It includes 40 odors and provides a reliable measure of smell loss, distinguishing between anosmia, and mild, moderate, or severe microsmia.
Normative Data
The manuals for both the ODOFIN Sniffin’ Sticks and the Sensonics UPSIT/BSIT include normative data graphs. These allow the test scores to be interpreted based on age- and gender-specific percentiles.
