Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients (PASS)
What It Measures
The PASS measures postural control after a stroke — whether a person can hold a position, and whether they can safely move between positions.
Twelve items split into two groups. Maintaining a posture covers five: sitting without support, standing with support, standing without support, standing on the non-paretic leg, and standing on the paretic leg. Changing posture covers seven, including rolling to each side, getting from lying to sitting on the edge of the bed and back, sitting to standing, standing to sitting, and picking a pencil up off the floor while standing. Each is scored 0 to 3, for a total out of 36.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: The scale is reproduced widely across clinical resources. Equipment is minimal — a mat or bed and a pencil.
Learn More: Two things distinguish it from the alternatives. It works even for people with very poor postural control, which the Berg Balance Scale does not — that was a design goal, and it is why the PASS is usable in the first days after a stroke. And it covers lying, sitting, and standing, so a person who cannot yet sit unsupported still produces a meaningful score. The PASS is most sensitive in the first three months.