Case Study

Combat Exposure Scale

Version date: 1989

Reference: Keane, T., Fairbank, J., Caddell, J., Zimering, R., Taylor, K., & Mora, C. (1989). The Combat Exposure Scale (CES). [Measurement instrument]. Available from http://www.ptsd.va.gov

URL: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/ assessment/te-measures/ces.asp

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CES (1989) Page 1 of 2National Center for PTSD

Combat Exposure Scale

Please circle the number above the answer that best describes your experience.

1) Did you ever go on combat patrols or have other dangerous duty?

1 No

2 1-3 times

3 4-12 times

4 13-50 times

5 51+ times

2) Were you ever under enemy fire?

1 Never

2 <1 month

3 1-3 months

4 4-6 months

5 7+ months

3) Were you ever surrounded by the enemy?

1 No

2 1-2 times

3 3-12 times

4 13-25 times

5 26+ times

4) What percentage of the soldiers in your unit were killed (KIA), wounded or missing in action (MIA)?

1 None

2 1-25%

3 26-50%

4 51-75%

5 76% or more

5) How often did you fire rounds at the enemy?

1 Never

2 1-2 times

3 3-12 times

4 13-50 times

5 51+ times

6) How often did you see someone hit by incoming or outgoing rounds?

1 Never

2 1-2 times

3 3-12 times

4 13-50 times

5 51+ times

7) How often were you in danger of being injured or killed (i.e., being pinned down, overrun, ambushed, near miss, etc.)?

1 Never

2 1-2 times

3 3-12 times

4 13-50 times

5 51+ times

CES (1989) Page 2 of 2National Center for PTSD

Combat Exposure Scale Scoring Sheet

Answers (raw scores) on the Combat Exposure Scale can range from 1 to 5. However, the scoring of the items requires the conversions described below:

1) SUBTRACT 1 FROM THE RAW SCORE AND MULTIPLY BY 2 (e.g., a raw score of 4 becomes a converted score of 6). _________ (Item 1 converted score)

2) SUBTRACT 1 FROM THE RAW SCORE (e.g., a raw score of 4 becomes a converted score of 3). _________ (Item 2 converted score)

3) IF THE RAW SCORE IS BETWEEN 1 AND 4: SUBTRACT 1 FROM THE RAW SCORE AND MULTIPLY BY 2

(e.g., a raw score of 4 becomes a converted score of 6).

IF THE RAW SCORE IS 5: SUBTRACT 2 FROM THE RAW SCORE AND MULTIPLY BY 2

(e.g., a raw score of 5 becomes a converted score of 6). _________ (Item 3 converted score)

4) IF THE RAW SCORE IS BETWEEN 1 AND 4: SUBTRACT 1 FROM THE RAW SCORE

(e.g., a raw score of 4 becomes a converted score of 3).

IF THE RAW SCORE IS 5: SUBTRACT 2 FROM THE RAW SCORE

(e.g., a raw score of 5 becomes a converted score of 3). _________ (Item 4 converted score)

5) SUBTRACT 1 FROM THE RAW SCORE (e.g., a raw score of 4 becomes a converted score of 3). _________ (Item 5 converted score)

6) SUBTRACT 1 FROM THE RAW SCORE AND MULTIPLY BY 2 (e.g., a raw score of 4 becomes a converted score of 6). _________ (Item 6 converted score)

7) SUBTRACT 1 FROM THE RAW SCORE AND MULTIPLY BY 2 (e.g., a raw score of 4 becomes a converted score of 6). _________ (Item 7 converted score)

ADD ALL CONVERTED SCORES TO OBTAIN A TOTAL SCORE: _________ (TOTAL SCORE)

The total exposure to combat score can be categorized according to the following scale:

1 = 0-8 light 2 = 9-16 light - moderate

3 = 17-24 moderate 4 = 25-32 moderate - heavy

5 = 33-41 heavy