By Walkers4Seniors Editorial Team · Last updated October 2026
Quick answer: The Tinetti test (Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment, or POMA) scores balance and walking on 16 items for a total of 28 points: 16 for balance and 12 for gait. On the standard score sheet, 25 to 28 means low fall risk, 19 to 24 medium risk and below 19 high risk. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes and is usually done by a physical therapist, nurse or doctor.
What Is the Tinetti Test?
The Tinetti test was published by Dr. Mary Tinetti in 1986 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Its full name is the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA). It is also called the Tinetti Balance and Gait Test.
It has two parts:
- Balance (9 items, 16 points): sitting balance, standing up, the first 5 seconds of standing, standing balance, a gentle nudge, standing with eyes closed, turning in a full circle and sitting down.
- Gait (7 items, 12 points): starting to walk, step length and height, step symmetry, step continuity, walking path, trunk sway and walking stance.
Each item is scored 0, 1 or 2 (some items 0 or 1). Higher scores mean steadier, more independent movement. The clinician watches the person walk about 15 feet (4.6 meters) at their usual pace.
Falls matter: the CDC reports that more than 14 million adults aged 65 and older, about 1 in 4, report falling every year. Tests like the Tinetti help a clinician spot who needs a closer look.
How Is the Tinetti Test Scored? (All 16 Items)
| Item | What the clinician watches | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sitting balance | Leans or slides in the chair (0) or steady and safe (1) | 0-1 |
| 2. Rising from the chair | Needs help (0), uses arms (1), no arms (2) | 0-2 |
| 3. Attempts to rise | Needs help (0), more than one try (1), one try (2) | 0-2 |
| 4. First 5 seconds standing | Unsteady (0), steady with walker or support (1), steady without support (2) | 0-2 |
| 5. Standing balance | Unsteady (0), wide stance or support (1), narrow stance without support (2) | 0-2 |
| 6. Nudged on the chest | Begins to fall (0), staggers or grabs (1), steady (2) | 0-2 |
| 7. Eyes closed | Unsteady (0) or steady (1) | 0-1 |
| 8. Turning 360 degrees | Continuous steps (1) and steady (1) | 0-2 |
| 9. Sitting down | Unsafe (0), uses arms or not smooth (1), safe and smooth (2) | 0-2 |
| Balance total | 16 | |
| 10. Starting to walk | Hesitates or several tries (0), no hesitation (1) | 0-1 |
| 11. Step length and height | Each foot passes the other foot (1 each) and clears the floor (1 each) | 0-4 |
| 12. Step symmetry | Unequal (0) or equal (1) step lengths | 0-1 |
| 13. Step continuity | Stops between steps (0) or continuous (1) | 0-1 |
| 14. Path | Marked deviation (0), mild deviation or uses a walking aid (1), straight without aid (2) | 0-2 |
| 15. Trunk | Marked sway or uses a walking aid (0), bent knees, back or arms out (1), none (2) | 0-2 |
| 16. Walking stance | Heels apart (0) or almost touching (1) | 0-1 |
| Gait total | 12 |
Item wording summarized from the Tinetti Balance and Gait (POMA) score sheet.
Tinetti Score Checker
Enter the balance and gait scores from your or your parent’s Tinetti score sheet. The checker adds them up, shows the risk band from the score sheet and compares the total with published averages for older adults.
What Is a Normal Tinetti Score by Age?
Healthy older adults often score close to the maximum. In one study of normal older adults with an average age of 78.5, the average total was 27.5 out of 28, and it dropped by about 0.5 points per year (Baloh 2003).
A larger study of 1,000 community-dwelling older adults in Korea (Ko 2009) reported these average totals:
| Group | Average total (out of 28) | Standard deviation |
|---|---|---|
| Men 65-79 | 26.2 | 3.4 |
| Women 65-79 | 25.2 | 4.3 |
| Men 80+ | 23.3 | 6.0 |
| Women 80+ | 17.2 | 8.3 |
The wide spread for people over 80 shows how much balance can differ at the same age. Compare a score with the person’s own earlier scores, not only with an average.
What Tinetti Score Indicates Fall Risk?
The most common score sheet uses three bands:
- 25 to 28: low fall risk
- 19 to 24: medium fall risk
- Below 19: high fall risk
Some versions of the form use slightly different bands (for example, above 23 low, 19 to 23 moderate). Research cut-offs also vary by group: one study of older adults used a total of 19 (Faber 2006), another used 21 (Sterke 2010), and studies in Parkinson’s disease used about 17.5 to 20. No single number predicts a fall with certainty. In the Faber study, a cut-off of 19 correctly flagged about 64% of people who later fell.
How much change is real? For older adults in long-term care, a change of about 4 points or more is needed before it is likely a true change rather than normal test-to-test variation (Faber 2006).
Can You Do the Tinetti Test With a Walker?
Yes. People are tested with the walking aid they normally use. The score sheet simply gives fewer points when an aid is needed: steady standing with a walker scores 1 instead of 2, and using a walking aid lowers the path and trunk items. So a regular walker user will rarely reach 28, even with good, safe walking.
That is why a lower score is not a reason to stop using a walker. A well-fitted walker is often what keeps walking safe. If the walker feels wrong, check the handle height with our walker handle height calculator and the steps in how to adjust a walker.
Can I Do the Tinetti Test at Home?
The Tinetti is a clinician’s test. Two items, the chest nudge and standing with eyes closed, can cause a fall and should not be tried at home. Families can, however, use the score sheet to understand a result and to notice changes worth reporting, such as needing the arms to stand up or stopping between steps.
For a simple timed check at home with a helper nearby, see our Timed Up and Go test guide and calculator, which the CDC includes in its STEADI fall-prevention toolkit.
Who Should NOT Try Balance Tests at Home?
- Anyone who has fallen recently or feels dizzy or faint when standing
- Anyone who cannot stand up from a chair without help
- Anyone recovering from a hip, knee or spine operation who has not been cleared by the surgeon or therapist
- Anyone without a helper close by
In these cases, ask the doctor for a referral to a physical therapist for a full balance assessment.
Tinetti vs. Berg Balance Scale vs. TUG: What Is the Difference?
| Test | Items | Max score | Time | Measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tinetti (POMA) | 16 | 28 | 10-15 min | Balance and walking quality |
| Berg Balance Scale | 14 | 56 | 15-20 min | Balance only (no walking) |
| Timed Up and Go | 1 task | Seconds | 1-2 min | Speed of standing, walking 10 ft, turning, sitting |
The Tinetti is one of the few common tests that looks at how a person walks, not just how fast. The Berg looks at balance in 14 everyday positions. Many therapists use more than one.
My Tinetti Score Is Low. What Should I Do Next?
- Ask which items lost points. Trouble standing up points to leg strength; trouble turning or with eyes closed points to balance.
- Ask about a physical therapy program. Strength and balance exercise is one of the main fall-prevention steps in the CDC STEADI approach. See our mobility and balance exercises.
- Review medicines and vision with the doctor. Both are common, fixable fall risks.
- Use the right walking aid. Compare options in our walkers for balance problems guide and read whether rollators are safe with significant balance problems.
- Make the home safer. Start with the rooms in where seniors fall most often at home. Grab bars by the toilet and shower are a common first step: see bathroom grab bars on Amazon.
- Plan for getting help. If a person at high risk lives alone, a medical alert system for walker users can bring help after a fall.
Avoid the common errors in walker safety mistakes, and if you are choosing a first walker, start with our best walkers for seniors guide.
Tinetti Test FAQ
What does the Tinetti test measure?
It measures balance (9 items, 16 points) and gait, or walking pattern (7 items, 12 points), for a total of 28 points. It is used to estimate fall risk in older adults.
What is a good Tinetti score?
A total of 25 to 28 is in the low-risk band on the standard score sheet. Healthy older adults often score 26 to 28.
What Tinetti score means high fall risk?
A total below 19 out of 28 is in the high-risk band on the standard score sheet. Scores of 19 to 24 are medium risk.
How long does the Tinetti test take?
About 10 to 15 minutes. The clinician needs a hard armless chair, a stopwatch and a walkway of about 15 feet.
Who gives the Tinetti test?
Usually a physical therapist, occupational therapist, nurse or doctor, often in a clinic, hospital, rehab unit or care home.
Does using a walker lower the Tinetti score?
Yes. Items 4, 5, 14 and 15 give fewer points when a walker or other support is needed. A lower score in a walker user can still mean safe walking with the walker.
Is the Tinetti test the same as POMA?
Yes. POMA (Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment) is the formal name of the Tinetti Balance and Gait Test.
Sources
- Tinetti ME. Performance-oriented assessment of mobility problems in elderly patients. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1986;34(2):119-126.
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (norms from Ko 2009 and Baloh 2003; cut-offs from Faber 2006 and Sterke 2010; MDC).
- Tinetti Balance and Gait (POMA) score sheet (item wording and risk bands).
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Berg Balance Scale (items, score, time).
- CDC. Older Adult Falls Data.