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.
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 versions
FOCCUS has specific versions for different situations:
- FOCCUS — standard version for engaged couples
- FOCCUS for cohabiting couples — addresses dynamics specific to couples already living together
- REFOCCUS — for married couples wanting a relationship check-up
- Interfaith version — for couples where one or both partners are not Catholic
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.
2) Each partner completes it individually
You each answer the inventory separately — usually on paper or online. It takes about 30–40 minutes per person. The questions are agree/disagree/uncertain style, not essay format.
3) A trained facilitator reviews the results
Your facilitator (often a deacon, priest, mentor couple, or trained lay minister) receives a summary showing where you agree, where you disagree, and where one or both of you are uncertain.
4) You meet for guided conversations
The most valuable part is the facilitated discussion — usually 1–3 sessions where 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
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?
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 →
How much does FOCCUS cost?
The inventory fee itself is modest (typically $10–$20 per couple), and in many parishes it's included in the overall Pre-Cana program fee. Some dioceses cover the cost entirely.
Pre-Cana programs overall can range from free to a few hundred dollars depending on format (weekend retreat vs. evening sessions vs. individual meetings with a mentor couple).
For a full cost breakdown: How much does premarital counseling cost? →
Find Catholic Pre-Cana programs
If you're looking for a parish or program that uses FOCCUS as part of their marriage preparation:
Find Catholic Pre-Cana programs near you →
Or browse other approaches: