Key takeaway
P-36, Is A.A. for Me?, is an illustrated easy-to-read version based on the 12 questions in Is A.A. for You? Those questions are not a grade. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. You can feel like you failed and still go tonight, sit down, and listen without paying or explaining your answers.
Last updated: Tue Oct 06 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
You sat with the little illustrated pamphlet and treated it like an entrance exam. Maybe you circled lines. Maybe you only read until a sentence stung, then decided the whole thing had flunked you. That score is why you are still in the kitchen.
Put the pencil down. Is A.A. for Me?, pamphlet P-36, is an illustrated easy-to-read version based on the 12 questions in Is A.A. for You? The questions stay in that literature. They are not reprinted here, and they are not a test you had to pass before you were allowed to want help. A failing feeling is not a closed door.
The door is a desire to stop drinking. That is the only requirement for membership. Not a grade. Not a perfect match to every prompt. Not proof that you have suffered enough to deserve a chair. If you want to stop, you can come in having failed the pamphlet in your own head.
The pictures are not a score sheet
P-36 uses pictures and plain wording so those questions are easier to take in. Easy to read is not the same as easy to pass. You may have hit one line and thought, that is not me, so I am out. You may have hit another and felt accused. Either reaction is a feeling you are having at the table. It is not an official result. Nobody at a meeting is going to ask for your sheet.
A.A. cannot predict who will recover, and it has no authority to decide how recovery should be sought. A picture does not get the last word on you. Membership is voluntary. You can pick the pamphlet up again on a calmer day, or you can leave it where it is. Groups normally offer pamphlets free of charge. You did not have to buy a ticket, and you do not have to finish the free copy before you are allowed back.
You can also be welcome before you agree with every line. You are welcome regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, income, or profession. A private scoring system you built on top of the pictures is not an extra requirement. There are no dues or fees while you sort that out.
What you actually do in the room
Meetings are in person, online, or by phone. An online meeting can be video on, video off, or a dial-in. You can sit and listen. Introducing yourself is not mandatory. You need not join a prayer. After the meeting, talk is optional. If you are scared someone will ask how you scored, you can say you are just listening. You can also say nothing.
Closed meetings are for members, or for people with a drinking problem and a desire to stop drinking. Open meetings are for anyone interested, and nonalcoholics may attend as observers. If you want a room aimed at the drinking, look for a closed meeting. If you only want to see what the hour is like, an open one is enough.
aa.org is not a meeting finder. Local A.A. resources keep the lists, and there is a pointer for online meetings. The meetings search is a place to start. Those listings are not verified, so confirm the time before you count on it. You can show up with empty hands.
If your body is in trouble
A bad feeling about a pamphlet is not the emergency. Your body might be. Call 911 if you are sick, confused, or cannot breathe. Call or text 988 if you are in a mental health crisis. If you have been drinking heavily and you stop suddenly, NIAAA says withdrawal can be life-threatening. A meeting cannot manage that. NIDA says mutual-help groups such as A.A. are peer-led, not led by healthcare professionals, and not a substitute for treatment. The hour is peer support, not detox.
If you need help finding treatment, call (800) 653-9376, which is free to you because treatment providers pay for the referral, and the line is not an intergroup, and the line is not A.A., and it is not SMART Recovery. Programs are listed at FindTreatment.gov. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is free, confidential, and available 24/7 in English and Spanish.
Before you decide you are disqualified
Leave the pamphlet on the table if it is making the kitchen feel like a classroom. Find a meeting through the meetings search and confirm it on a local list. Walk in with a desire to stop, even if the desire is shaky and the pictures convinced you that you do not belong. You can listen and leave. The pamphlet will still be there tomorrow if you want another look. It does not get to grade you tonight.
Additional Resources
Sources cited on this page:
- A.A. World Services: 2025 Literature Catalog
- A.A.: The Twelve Traditions
- A.A.: What to Expect at an A.A. Meeting
- A.A.: Need help with a drinking problem?
- A.A.: Find A.A. near you
- A.A.: What does Conference-approved mean?
- A.A.: Conference-approved literature (SMF-29)
- NIDA: Treatment, including mutual-help groups
- NIAAA Core Resource: Alcohol Use Disorder, From Risk to Diagnosis to Recovery
- SAMHSA National Helpline
- SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- SmarterRecovery meetings page (public meeting search; listings are not verified)
- SmarterRecovery about page (calling is free to the caller)
Common Questions
Did I fail A.A. if the pamphlet felt like a bad grade?
No. P-36, Is A.A. for Me?, is an illustrated easy-to-read version based on the 12 questions in Is A.A. for You? Those questions stay in the literature. They are not a score anyone collects. You can feel as if you failed and still belong. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. You can take a chair and listen. You do not have to pay, and you do not have to announce how you marked the page.
Do I have to match every question before I go?
No. Pictures and plain wording make the questions easier to read. Easier to read is not a bar you must clear. One line that does not sound like you is not a rejection. The membership line is a desire to stop drinking. You can leave the pamphlet in the kitchen. Groups normally offer pamphlets free of charge, so it was never a ticket you had to finish. Go sit down. Introducing yourself is not mandatory.
What if I am scared someone will ask for my answers?
You can keep them to yourself. Members share experience, strength, and hope, and you are allowed to only listen. If the chair asks newcomers to introduce themselves, that is not mandatory. You need not join a prayer. Afterward, talk is optional, so you can leave without a review of the pamphlet. Closed meetings are for people with a drinking problem and a desire to stop, or for members. Open meetings welcome anyone interested. Pick the room that feels safer.
Where do I find a meeting if the website confused me?
aa.org is not a meeting finder. Local A.A. resources keep the lists, and there is a pointer for online meetings. Meetings are in person, online, or by phone. An online meeting can be video on, video off, or a dial-in. Start with the meetings search and confirm the time, because those listings are not verified. There are no dues or fees. You can show up with the pamphlet unfinished. A desire to stop drinking is the requirement, not a worksheet.
What if I feel physically awful while I am grading myself?
Tend to your body before you tend to the pamphlet. Call 911 if you are sick, confused, or cannot breathe. Call or text 988 if you are in a mental health crisis. If heavy drinking stops suddenly, NIAAA says withdrawal can be life-threatening. A meeting cannot manage that. NIDA says mutual-help groups such as A.A. are peer-led, not led by healthcare professionals, and not a substitute for treatment. The hour is peer support, not detox. Programs are listed on FindTreatment.gov.