SYMBIS vs FOCCUS: Which Premarital Assessment Should You Use?

Bottom line: If you are choosing between SYMBIS and FOCCUS, price will not decide it. Facilitator certification costs nearly the same, $195 for FOCCUS and $200 for SYMBIS. The real difference is tradition and depth: FOCCUS grew out of Catholic marriage preparation and is built for parish and diocesan programs with 151 statements, while SYMBIS is a modern, visually designed assessment with about 15 core dimensions that is quicker and more engaging, and it leans broadly evangelical and Protestant.

Two very different readers ask this question. One is an engaged couple whose parish, pastor, or counselor told them to complete one of these assessments. The other is a pastor, counselor, or mentor couple deciding which certification is worth the money. This guide is for both of you.

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Why price will not make this decision for you#

Start with the number people expect to be the tiebreaker, and discover that it is not one.

To become a certified FOCCUS facilitator, the online self-paced course is $195. A limited-time live Zoom option has been offered at $99, with the regular price at $195.

To become a certified SYMBIS facilitator, the training is $200 one-time, delivered online, and takes about three hours.

That is a five dollar gap. Whatever else separates these two assessments, budget is not it. The decision is about fit, meaning the tradition you serve, the depth you want, and the setting you work in.

For couples, the cost picture is worth understanding clearly, because the two products publish very different information.

• SYMBIS lists a per-assessment price. It runs roughly $35 per assessment, on top of whatever your facilitator charges for the debrief sessions.
• FOCCUS does not publish a per-couple price. The publisher does not list one publicly. Inventory credits are purchased inside a facilitator login, and the price a couple actually pays is set locally by the parish or facilitator. So when you compare, ask the specific parish or facilitator what their total fee includes.

If a website quotes you a firm, universal FOCCUS price per couple, treat it with suspicion. That number is a local fee, not a publisher list price.

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SYMBIS vs FOCCUS at a glance#

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FOCCUS, the Catholic marriage-prep standard#

FOCCUS comes from a specific world, and understanding that world tells you almost everything about whether it fits.

It is published by FOCCUS Inc. USA, a ministry of the Archdiocese of Omaha. It was built for parish and diocesan marriage preparation, which is why it is deeply woven into Catholic Pre-Cana.

The instrument itself is substantial. The current Pre-Marriage Inventory, Fourth Edition, runs 151 statements. Each partner responds to every statement separately, marking agree, disagree, or uncertain. Nobody is graded, and there is no passing or failing. A statement you both mark uncertain is not a problem, it is a topic your facilitator now knows to raise. Plan on about an hour or less per person.

Facilitator certification is required if you are going to meet with couples and walk them through results. The certification is open to clergy and laypeople, including counselors and mentor couples, so you do not need to be ordained to facilitate. The standard online course is $195, self-paced.

FOCCUS also comes in more flavors than most people realize. The publisher's lineup includes the Pre-Marriage, Cohabiting, Convalidation, Mid-Life and Beyond, REFOCCUS (marriage enrichment), and Deacon Formation inventories. Faith variants include Catholic, Christian, Orthodox Christian, General, and an Easy Reading version. That range is the point. A parish can serve an interfaith couple, a cohabiting couple, a couple preparing for convalidation, and a couple already married who want a check-in.

The trade-off is the shape of the report and the pace. FOCCUS is long by design, and it produces a facilitator report rather than a couple-facing booklet. The depth is the feature, and the length is the cost.

For the full walkthrough, read FOCCUS explained.

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SYMBIS, the quicker and more visual option#

SYMBIS was built for a different setting and a different sensibility.

It is a fully online assessment. Each partner answers separately, on their own device, and most people finish in 20 to 30 minutes. Compared with FOCCUS, that is a meaningfully lighter lift, which is exactly the trade the product makes.

Rather than 151 statements, SYMBIS organizes itself around about 15 core dimensions of married life. It then produces a visual, graphically designed couple report, something a couple can hold and page through together. For church, coaching, and mentor-couple settings, that presentation is a big part of the appeal, because it makes the conversation feel approachable rather than clinical.

The assessment itself runs roughly $35 per assessment, plus your facilitator's sessions. Certification is $200 one-time, completed online in about three hours. It is open to pastors, counselors, coaches, and mentor couples, so it is not limited to licensed clinicians. Certified facilitators are listed in a facilitator directory at symbisassessment.com.

The trade-off is depth. SYMBIS is intentionally faster and more visual, and it is not therapy. If your relationship has heavier issues to work through, a licensed counselor is a better resource than any single assessment, this one included.

For the full walkthrough, read SYMBIS explained.

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Which should you choose#

If you are a couple#

• If your parish or diocese requires FOCCUS, take FOCCUS. A requirement from the marriage-prep process is not a preference you can swap out, and completing a different assessment will not satisfy it.
• If you are Catholic and going through Pre-Cana, choose FOCCUS. It is the standard, your parish likely already uses it, and the faith variants let it fit interfaith and other situations.
• If you are in a broadly evangelical or Protestant church where your pastor or mentor couple already uses SYMBIS, choose SYMBIS. The tool your facilitator knows well will serve you better than the one they do not.
• If you have a genuinely free choice and want something quick and visual, lean SYMBIS. Twenty to thirty minutes per person, about 15 dimensions, and a designed report you can look at together.
• If you want a longer, statement-by-statement deep dive, lean FOCCUS. The 151 statements force more ground to be covered, and a skilled facilitator will use that to surface topics a shorter assessment can skip.
• Either way, check whether your state rewards completion. If you live in a state with a marriage license discount, confirm which completion your state accepts. See our marriage license discount guide.

If you are a pastor, counselor, or facilitator#

• If you serve Catholic couples and work inside parish or diocesan programs, get FOCCUS certified. The editions and faith variants mean one certification covers Pre-Cana, cohabiting couples, convalidation, second marriages, and marriage enrichment.
• If you serve a Protestant or evangelical church, a coaching practice, or a mentor-couple ministry, get SYMBIS certified. The visual report and short completion time fit that setting, and the training is easy to finish.
• Do not choose on price. Certification is $195 for FOCCUS and $200 for SYMBIS, a five dollar difference. Choose the tradition and the setting you actually serve.
• Consider the length of the training. SYMBIS certification takes about three hours. FOCCUS is self-paced online, and the publisher does not state a length for the self-paced course.
• You do not have to pick a side forever. Some facilitators certify in one and refer couples to the other, and some get certified in both. Certification is a one-time cost, so adding the second later is always available.

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Frequently asked questions#

Can we use both SYMBIS and FOCCUS?#

Yes, and some facilitators are certified in both. For a single couple, using two full inventories is usually more work than value, since the conversations matter more than the number of questionnaires. A reasonable pattern is to complete one assessment thoroughly and spend the remaining time in guided conversation. If you are a facilitator, offering both lets you serve Catholic and Protestant couples without referring out, though it means paying two certification fees and managing two accounts.

What if our parish requires FOCCUS specifically?#

Then take FOCCUS. A parish requirement usually ties to the diocesan marriage-preparation process and the sacramental context, and it is not something you substitute around. Completing SYMBIS instead will not satisfy a FOCCUS requirement. Practically, this is rarely a problem, because a parish that requires FOCCUS normally has a certified facilitator on staff or one they work with. Ask your coordinator which edition and faith variant you will be taking, and confirm what the parish charges for the full process.

Which one is better for a couple outside a church setting?#

Neither is only for church couples. FOCCUS offers a General variant with the faith-specific items removed, alongside an Easy Reading version, and SYMBIS is used in coaching and counseling as well as church ministry. That said, both are facilitator-led, so find the facilitator first. If you are not connected to a faith community, ask which assessment they use and why, and whether a licensed counselor would fit better.

Does completing either assessment qualify us for a marriage license discount?#

It depends on your state. Some states reduce the marriage license fee for couples who complete qualifying premarital counseling or education, and what counts varies by state. Some programs require a specific provider type, a set number of sessions, or both. Do not assume that an assessment on its own qualifies. Confirm your state's rules before you count on a discount, and see our marriage license discount guide for what each state requires.

How do we choose if our facilitator is only certified in one?#

Weigh the facilitator more heavily than the tool. The assessment gives your conversations structure, but the person leading them gives them meaning. A facilitator who knows one instrument deeply will usually serve you better than a stranger with the other one. If your facilitator only offers FOCCUS and you expected SYMBIS, ask why they chose it and how they run their debrief sessions. If you genuinely want the other assessment, be prepared to find a different facilitator, since neither can be administered without a certified one.

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Find a facilitator who fits#

Both assessments are led by a real person, and that person shapes the experience more than the questionnaire does. If you are a couple, our directory can connect you with counselors and facilitators who work with engaged couples, including those in church and Catholic settings. If you are a facilitator, decide which community you serve, then certify in the tool that community already uses.

Find a premarital counselor →

Or keep reading:

• FOCCUS explained, step by step →
• SYMBIS explained, step by step →
• Christian premarital counseling →
• Browse all premarital counselors by state →

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Official sources#

• FOCCUS: official site for the assessment and its facilitator training.
• SYMBIS: official site for the assessment and its facilitator training.