ing ▁Test ▁( MA ST ) ▁screen ing ▁tool ▁was ▁developed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁and ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁alco hol ism - screen ing ▁tests ▁for ▁ident ifying ▁dependent ▁drink ers . ▁Its ▁use ▁is ▁constructed ▁for ▁the ▁general ▁population . ▁There ▁are ▁other ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁MA ST ▁screen ing ▁tool , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁self - admin ister ed ▁or ▁via ▁interview ▁with ▁someone ▁who ▁is ▁trained ▁in ▁the ▁tool ▁being ▁used . ▁All ▁MA ST ▁screen ing ▁tools ▁are ▁scored ▁on ▁a ▁point ▁scale ▁system . ▁ ▁As ▁stated ▁on ▁the ▁Project ▁C ork ▁website , ▁there ▁are ▁ 2 5 ▁questions ▁to ▁the ▁MA ST ▁screen ing ▁tool . ▁The ▁tool ' s ▁length ▁makes ▁admin ister ing ▁it ▁incon ven ient ▁in ▁many ▁busy ▁primary ▁health ▁care ▁and ▁emer gency ▁department ▁settings . ▁The ▁tool ▁also ▁mainly ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁problems ▁throughout ▁their ▁lifetime , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁problems ▁currently ▁displayed ▁by ▁the ▁patient . ▁The ▁questions ▁throughout ▁the ▁screen ing ▁tool ▁operate ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁t ense , ▁which ▁means ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁less ▁likely ▁to ▁detect ▁any ▁problems ▁with ▁alco hol ▁in ▁its ▁early ▁stages , ▁according ▁to ▁T . ▁Bud dy . ▁The ▁extended ▁question ing ▁is ▁a ▁benefit ▁in ▁a ▁sense ▁that ▁one ▁accomplish es ▁a ▁bit ▁of ▁the ▁assess ment ▁section ▁when ▁conduct ing ▁the ▁screen ing ; ▁further more , ▁it ▁allows ▁the ▁individual ▁conduct ing ▁the ▁screen ing ▁to