If your parish or diocese told you to complete FOCCUS as part of your marriage preparation, you're in good company. FOCCUS is one of the most widely used premarital inventories in Catholic settings and is a standard part of Pre-Cana programs across the United States.
FOCCUS stands for Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding & Study. It was developed specifically for use in faith-based marriage preparation, though non-Catholic versions exist as well.
What is FOCCUS?#
FOCCUS is a premarital inventory (not a "test") designed to help couples and their facilitators identify areas of agreement, disagreement, and topics that need further discussion before marriage.
It's important to understand: there is no passing or failing. FOCCUS is a conversation tool. It surfaces the topics you need to talk about, and your facilitator helps you work through them.
Who publishes FOCCUS?#
FOCCUS is published by FOCCUS Inc. USA, a ministry of the Archdiocese of Omaha in Nebraska. Couples don't take it directly from the publisher. Instead, it is administered by trained facilitators, usually priests, deacons, mentor couples, or lay ministers who have been prepared to score the inventory and lead the follow-up conversations.
The different FOCCUS editions#
FOCCUS is not one single questionnaire. There are editions designed for different couples and settings:
- The Catholic edition, the most common version, which includes items about sacramental marriage and Church teaching
- A Christian non-denominational edition, for couples in Protestant and other Christian settings
- A general or secular edition, with the faith-specific items removed, used in community and counseling settings
- A Spanish-language edition, so couples can complete the inventory in the language they're most comfortable with
Your facilitator or parish chooses the edition that fits your situation, so most couples never have to think about this at all.
What the items actually look like#
The format is simple. You read a series of statements and mark whether you agree, disagree, or are uncertain about each one. The inventory runs to about 150 or more items, and each partner answers every statement separately, without consulting the other.
That individual format matters. The whole point is to compare your two sets of honest answers, so taking it together (or agreeing on answers ahead of time) defeats the purpose.
A few things worth knowing about how the items feel in practice:
- They are statements, not questions. You'll react to things phrased as declarations about your relationship and your future, and simply mark where you land.
- "Uncertain" is a real answer. Marking uncertain is not a failure. It tells your facilitator exactly where a conversation needs to happen, which is the whole point.
- They cover practical life, not just romance. Expect items about money habits, household roles, careers, in-laws, and how you argue, alongside the more obviously relational topics.
What does FOCCUS measure?#
FOCCUS covers a wide range of relationship and life topics, including:
- Communication and conflict resolution (how you handle disagreements)
- Religion and values (shared faith, spiritual practices, and moral alignment)
- Finances (attitudes about money, debt, spending, and financial goals)
- Sexuality and intimacy (expectations and comfort levels)
- Family and in-laws (relationship with extended family, boundary-setting)
- Children and parenting (whether and when to have kids, parenting philosophy)
- Life goals and career (individual ambitions and how they fit together)
- Friends and interests (social life balance)
- Personality and habits (day-to-day living compatibility)
- Cohabitation factors (if applicable, unique dynamics for couples already living together)
- Interfaith considerations (if applicable, for couples of mixed religious backgrounds)
Special situations#
FOCCUS also addresses specific circumstances where relevant:
- Cohabiting couples, with items that address dynamics specific to couples already living together
- Interfaith couples, for partners from different religious backgrounds
- Couples preparing for remarriage, including questions about children from previous relationships
There is also a version for already-married couples who want a similar check-in after the wedding.
How FOCCUS works in Pre-Cana#
1) Your parish or diocese assigns it#
FOCCUS is typically required as part of the Catholic marriage preparation process. Your parish, deacon, or Pre-Cana coordinator will set it up and tell you which edition you'll be taking.
2) Each partner completes it individually#
You each answer the inventory separately, usually on paper or online. Plan on roughly an hour or less per person. The items are agree/disagree/uncertain statements, not essays, so the pace is quick.
3) A trained facilitator reviews the results#
Your facilitator (often a deacon, priest, mentor couple, or trained lay minister) receives a facilitator report that organizes your answers by topic area. The report doesn't just list scores. It shows, topic by topic, where the two of you agree, where you disagree, and where one or both of you were uncertain. That breakdown is what drives the conversations that follow.
4) You meet for guided conversations#
The most valuable part is the facilitated discussion. Most couples can expect a handful of follow-up conversations with their facilitator (two to four sessions is common, though it varies by parish and by what your results surface). In those meetings, the facilitator:
- Highlights your areas of strength
- Walks you through areas of disagreement without judgment
- Helps you practice having the conversations you've been avoiding
- Connects results to the Catholic understanding of marriage as a sacrament
How the facilitator report works#
Couples sometimes imagine the results as a scorecard. It's closer to a heat map. The facilitator report groups your answers by topic area and flags three things for each: statements you both agreed on, statements where your answers differed, and statements where one or both of you marked uncertain. Facilitators are trained to use that breakdown to choose which conversations to prioritize, so two couples with different results will have very different debrief sessions even with the same facilitator.
You typically don't receive the raw report to take home. It lives with the facilitator, who uses it to guide your sessions. If you want to revisit specific topics later, ask your facilitator how they handle that.
What to expect from the FOCCUS debrief#
The debrief is not a lecture. A good facilitator will:
- Let you do most of the talking. The inventory is the starting point, not the whole session
- Focus on understanding, not fixing. You don't need to resolve everything in one sitting
- Be direct about important differences, especially on faith, kids, finances, and family
- Give you practical next steps, things to discuss or work on before the wedding
Questions to ask your facilitator#
- How many sessions will we spend on the FOCCUS results?
- What happens if we have a major disagreement on something?
- Do you supplement FOCCUS with other topics or exercises?
- How do you handle sensitive topics like intimacy and past relationships?
- What do most couples find most valuable about this process?
How to get the most out of it#
- Answer quickly and honestly. Your first reaction is usually the most useful one. Overthinking produces polished answers and a less useful report.
- Don't compare notes beforehand. Resist the urge to align your answers. Disagreements on paper are cheap; disagreements after the wedding are not.
- Treat "uncertain" as a gift. Every uncertain mark is a conversation you get to have now, with support, instead of later, without it.
- Show up to every debrief session. The inventory is the map, but the conversations are the actual work.
FOCCUS vs PREPARE/ENRICH vs SYMBIS#
FOCCUS#
- Best for: Catholic couples doing Pre-Cana or church-required marriage preparation
- Designed for: Faith-based settings with sacramental marriage context
- Strength: Deeply integrated into Catholic marriage prep; addresses cohabitation, interfaith, and remarriage scenarios
- Common setting: Catholic parishes, diocesan programs, Pre-Cana retreats
PREPARE/ENRICH#
- Best for: Couples who want a structured, data-driven assessment with decades of clinical research
- Designed for: Broad use across secular and faith-based settings
- Strength: Widely adopted, comprehensive, standardized across facilitators
- Learn more about PREPARE/ENRICH →
- Find PREPARE/ENRICH facilitators →
SYMBIS#
- Best for: Couples who want a quick, personality-focused premarital assessment
- Designed for: Church settings, coaching, mentoring programs
- Strength: Fast to take, accessible, good conversation starter
- Learn more about SYMBIS →
If you're weighing these three side by side, we wrote a full head-to-head breakdown: PREPARE/ENRICH vs Gottman vs SYMBIS: which assessment is right for you →. And if you'd rather talk it through with a professional before choosing, you can browse premarital counselors in your area → and ask them which inventory they use and why.
How much does FOCCUS cost?#
Cost is one of the most common questions, and the honest answer is that it depends on how you encounter it.
In most cases, FOCCUS is bundled into your parish's Pre-Cana program fee, so you won't see a separate line item for the inventory itself. Some dioceses cover the cost of marriage preparation entirely as part of their ministry. If you're working with a facilitator outside a parish program, standalone facilitator fees vary widely depending on the person, the setting, and how many sessions are included.
The simplest move is to ask your parish coordinator or facilitator upfront what's included in their fee and whether the inventory costs anything extra.
For a broader look at what couples pay for marriage preparation: How much does premarital counseling cost? →
Frequently asked questions about FOCCUS#
What is the FOCCUS inventory?#
The FOCCUS inventory is a premarital questionnaire of about 150 or more statements. Each partner answers agree, disagree, or uncertain, and a trained facilitator uses the combined results to guide your marriage preparation conversations. It stands for Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding & Study.
Is FOCCUS a test you can fail?#
No. There is no passing or failing score. FOCCUS doesn't judge whether you're "ready" to marry. It identifies where you already agree and where you still need to talk, and your facilitator helps you work through the gaps.
How long does FOCCUS take?#
Each partner usually needs roughly an hour or less to answer the inventory. The full process is longer: plan on the inventory plus a few follow-up conversations with your facilitator (often two to four sessions) spread over the weeks before your wedding.
Is FOCCUS only for Catholics?#
No. The Catholic edition is the most common, but Christian non-denominational and general secular editions exist, along with a Spanish-language version. The Catholic Church is simply where most couples encounter it, because it's a standard part of Pre-Cana.
What happens after FOCCUS?#
Your facilitator receives a report showing your agreement, disagreement, and uncertainty by topic area. You then meet for guided conversations to discuss the results, and the facilitator may suggest exercises, reading, or additional sessions based on what comes up. After that, most couples continue with the rest of their Pre-Cana program.
Find Catholic Pre-Cana programs#
If you're looking for a parish or program that uses FOCCUS as part of their marriage preparation:
Find a premarital counselor near you →
Or browse other approaches:
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