Free Printable Executive Function Checklist (PDF Download)

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If you need a quick, easy way to assess executive function skills, you’re in the right place. This free printable executive function checklist (PDF download) gives you a simple way to spot strengths, challenges, and areas where extra support may help.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, therapist, or an adult looking to understand your own executive functioning, this checklist breaks the skills down into clear, concrete categories you can evaluate at a glance. Just print the PDF, check the boxes that apply, and start building a clearer picture of where support is needed.

RELATED: Executive Function Checklist for Teens

Quick Executive Function Checklist at a Glance

Free Printable PDF Download (Executive Function Checklist)

What’s inside the Free Printable Executive Function Checklist (PDF Download)

Our free printable executive function checklist is divided into clear, easy-to-understand categories, each representing a core area of executive function. 

• Planning & Prioritization: Deciding what to do first and mapping out steps. Planning & Prioritization covers your ability to decide what’s most important and map out the steps to get it done.
• Organization: Keeping spaces, materials, and information in order. Organization looks at how well you keep your spaces, materials, and information in order.
• Working Memory: Holding and using information in the short term. Working Memory measures how easily you can hold and use information in the moment, like remembering a phone number just long enough to dial it.
• Time Management: Estimating, allocating, and meeting time demands. Time Management focuses on estimating how long tasks will take and using your time effectively.
• Task Initiation: Starting tasks without unnecessary delay. Task Initiation gauges how easily you can get started without unnecessary delay.
• Emotional Regulation: Managing emotions to support task completion. Emotional Regulation addresses your ability to manage feelings so they support rather than block progress.
• Impulse Control: Thinking before acting. Impulse Control reflects how often you pause to think before acting.
• Cognitive Flexibility: Shifting between tasks, ideas, or problem-solving approaches. Cognitive Flexibility measures your adaptability when plans change or when you need to shift between ideas.
• Perseverance: Moving past obstacles and overcoming temporary discomfort to reach long-term goals. Perseverance tracks your ability to stick to tasks when the going gets tough.

Each category includes simple checkboxes so you can assess yourself or someone else with clarity.

How to Use the Free Printable Executive Function Checklist

You can approach this Executive Function ADHD checklist PDF in a few different ways. However you choose to use it, the key is consistency—the more you revisit it, the more you’ll see patterns emerge that can inform your next steps.

Self-Assessment

If you’re using the free printable executive function checklist as a self-assessment tool, simply go through each skill category and check off the statements that feel true for you right now. This will help you see where you excel and where you might want to focus improvement efforts. 

• Rate current abilities in each skill category (scale example: Rarely / Sometimes / Often).
• Identify strengths vs. growth areas.

Tracking Progress

If you’re using it to track progress over time, revisit the checklist every four to six weeks and compare your results—this makes even subtle changes visible and motivating. 

• Repeat every 4–6 weeks to measure changes.
• Pair with journaling for deeper reflection.

For Clients or Students

Coaches, therapists, and educators can also use it during sessions to guide conversations, highlight growth, and tailor interventions. For parents, it can be a great conversation starter with kids or teens, helping them reflect on their own abilities in a nonjudgmental way. 

• How coaches, therapists, or educators can use it during sessions.

Who the Free Printable Executive Function Checklist is For

This executive function checklist for adults and students is designed to be flexible enough for multiple audiences: 

• Adults can use it to manage the many moving pieces of work, home, and personal life, especially if they’ve noticed themselves feeling scattered or disorganized.
• Students can benefit by becoming more aware of the skills they need for academic success, like time management and task initiation.
• Parents may use it to better understand their child’s strengths and challenges, which can reduce frustration and improve communication.
• Educators and coaches can integrate it into their programs as a quick way to assess skills and set individualized goals.

It’s also a valuable resource for ADHD support, since it helps pinpoint the specific executive functions that are most impacted and can serve as a baseline for improvement.

Free Printable Executive Function Checklist Download Instructions

Getting your free printable executive function checklist is quick and easy. 

Simple Steps:

1. Click the download link or button.
2. Save the PDF to your device.
3. Print or use digitally on a tablet.

Simply click the download link or button provided below, and the PDF will open in a new window. From there, you can either save it directly to your device for future use or print it right away. The checklist is formatted so it’s equally easy to fill out on paper or use digitally on a tablet with a stylus. If you’re a coach or educator, you can print multiple copies to use with clients or students. Keep one in your planner, notebook, or on your desk for quick check-ins whenever you need a skills snapshot.

Download your free Executive Function Checklist here →

Bonus Tips: Turning Free Printable Executive Function Checklist Insights into an Action Plan

Completing the free printable executive function checklist is a great first step, but the real transformation happens when you turn those insights into action. 

Step 1: Identify your top 2–3 growth areas.

Step 2: Choose one small habit or strategy to work on per week.

Step 3: Use progress tracking tools (e.g., habit trackers, executive function planners).

Step 4: Celebrate small wins to reinforce motivation.

Start by identifying your top two or three growth areas rather than trying to tackle everything at once. For example, if time management and task initiation are your lowest areas, focus on one small habit for each—like setting a timer for focused work or creating a five-minute “start ritual” to make beginning tasks easier. 

Use a habit tracker or executive function planner to keep tabs on your progress, and check in weekly to see what’s working. Celebrate small wins, even if they seem minor—success builds momentum. 

Over time, you’ll not only see improvements in those targeted areas but also notice positive spillover into other skills. If you want more targeted strategies, explore our internal guides on time management strategies and executive function strategies for adults for practical tools you can start using today.

Concluding Thoughts on the Free Printable Executive Function Checklist (PDF)

Executive function skills are the backbone of daily life, and understanding them is the first step toward improvement. Our free printable executive function checklist PDF gives you a clear, structured way to make these skills visible so you can track, reflect, and grow. 

Whether you’re an adult juggling multiple responsibilities, a student trying to stay organized, a parent wanting to support your child, or a coach helping clients build these skills, this checklist is a versatile and effective tool. Download your copy today, take a few minutes to fill it out, and start turning your insights into actionable changes.

More from the Executive Function Toolkit:

• Additional executive function tools
• Free executive function worksheets
• The reinvented behavior rating inventory for executive function (BRIEF)