Am I Done Growing? Quiz

The quiz above estimates whether you are still growing, slowing down or probably done, and roughly how much height you may have left. It uses your age, height, growth over the past year and puberty signs, compared against CDC growth data. It is an estimate, not a diagnosis: only a bone age X-ray read by a doctor can show for sure whether your growth plates have closed.

How to use the quiz

1. Measure yourself properly. Stand barefoot with your heels, back and head against a wall, and mark the top of your head with something flat. Measure at the same time of day each time: in one small study, young adults were about three-quarters of an inch (2 cm) shorter at night than in the morning.
2. Add your height from 12 months ago if you can. Check a doctor's record, a school sports form or old marks on a door frame. This is the single most useful answer in the quiz.
3. Answer the puberty questions honestly. Boys are asked about their voice, facial hair, body hair and shoe size; girls are asked how long ago their first period started.
4. Add your parents' heights (optional) to factor in your genetic target.

How to read your result

• Still growing: you most likely have a meaningful amount of height left. This is common in younger teens and in late bloomers.
• Slowing down: you are probably past your fastest growth, with a smaller amount left. Many teens stay in this phase for a year or two.
• Probably done (or almost done): you have likely reached your adult height or are within a fraction of an inch of it.

The estimated growth left comes with a likely range. Read the range rather than just the middle number, because development timing varies by years between people the same age. If the quiz suggests you may be a late bloomer, your growth is probably running on a later schedule and may continue longer than your friends'.

How the estimate works

The full method is explained on our methodology page. In short:

• Your growth curve. Your height is placed on the CDC 2000 growth charts for your age and sex, then projected to adulthood at the same percentile, the same approach used by our height calculator.
• Your parents' heights. If you add them, the quiz blends in your mid-parental target height. Most children end up within about 3 to 4 inches (8.5–10 cm) of that target.
• Your puberty signs. Advanced signs lower the estimate of growth left; few signs at an older age raise it.
• Your growth in the last year. Growing less than about 0.4 inch (1 cm) in a full year is a common research definition of reaching final height, so a very small number here outweighs other answers.

Am I done growing at 16, 17 or 18?

These are CDC medians up to age 20. A boy who started puberty late can have noticeably more left at 16 or 17, while one who matured early may already be finished. For more detail, see when do boys stop growing and when do girls stop growing. Already past 18? Read can you grow after 18?

Signs you're done growing

• Almost no change in height over a full year, measured carefully at the same time of day.
• For girls: a first period more than two years ago. Most girls grow only 1 to 2 inches after their first period.
• For boys: a fully deep voice, regular shaving and adult body hair together. The voice drops just after the growth peak, and facial hair usually appears about two years after pubic hair.
• A shoe size that has not changed in a year is a weak sign by itself, because feet tend to do much of their growing early in puberty, before height peaks.

How accurate is it?

The quiz is built on population averages, so it works best for people whose development is typical and less well for very early or very late developers. Your answer about last year's growth makes it much more reliable; without it, the range is wider. Even a doctor's prediction has a margin of error, but a bone age X-ray of the left hand and wrist is the only way to see whether your growth plates are still open. Our guide on how to tell if your growth plates are closed explains the test.

When to see a doctor

• No signs of puberty by 14 for boys (no testicle growth) or 13 for girls (no breast development).
• Your growth slowed down sharply or stopped while puberty is still unfinished.
• You are on track to end up far shorter than your parents' heights suggest.
• You are still growing noticeably at 19 or 20.

Making the most of your result

Treat your result as a snapshot, not a verdict. Measure again every three months and retake the quiz: two or three careful measurements tell you more than any single estimate. If you are still growing, steady sleep, enough food and regular activity help you reach your full potential.