How to Make an Examination of Conscience: Complete Catholic Guide
The examination of conscience is one of the most powerful spiritual practices in the Catholic tradition. Done daily, it keeps your conscience sensitive, your relationship with God honest, and your soul prepared for the grace of Confession.
An examination of conscience reviews thoughts, words, and deeds against the Ten Commandments and virtues before Confession — asking where you failed to love God and neighbor. Catholic guides often use commandment lists, Beatitudes, or vocation-specific questions for married, single, or youth.
In a culture that rarely encourages honest self-reflection, the Catholic practice of examining one's conscience stands out as countercultural and profoundly liberating. Rather than suppressing guilt or rationalizing sin, the examination of conscience invites us to look honestly at our lives in the light of God's love — not to condemn ourselves, but to receive His mercy and grow in holiness.
There are two main forms of examination of conscience in the Catholic tradition: the Ignatian Examen, a daily prayer practice developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the pre-Confession examination, which uses the Ten Commandments and other moral frameworks to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Both are essential tools for the serious Catholic. This guide covers both in detail.
What Is the Examination of Conscience?
The examination of conscience (also called the "examen" or "examination of consciousness") is a prayerful review of one's thoughts, words, actions, and omissions in the presence of God. It is not a psychological exercise in self-analysis but a spiritual practice of standing before God and asking: "Lord, how have I lived this day? Where have I responded to Your grace? Where have I failed?"
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "the education of the conscience is a lifelong task" (CCC 1784). The examination of conscience is the primary tool for this education. Without regular self-examination, our conscience becomes dull — we stop noticing our sins, we rationalize our failures, and we gradually drift from God without realizing it.
St. Ignatius of Loyola considered the daily Examen so important that he said if a Jesuit could only pray one thing each day, it should be the Examen — not Mass, not the Liturgy of the Hours, but the Examen. This is a remarkable statement from a man who valued prayer above almost everything else.
The Ignatian Examen: Five Steps
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), founder of the Jesuits, developed the Examen as a structured daily prayer that reviews the day in God's presence. It takes 10–15 minutes and is typically prayed at the end of the day, though some people pray it at midday as well. Here are the five steps:
The Five Steps of the Ignatian Examen
1. Gratitude — Give thanks
Begin by recalling the gifts of the day. What are you grateful for? A conversation, a meal, a moment of beauty, a grace received? Gratitude opens the heart and sets the right tone for honest self-reflection.
2. Petition — Ask for light
Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your conscience. You cannot examine yourself accurately without God's help. Pray: "Lord, show me where I have been faithful and where I have fallen short."
3. Review — Walk through the day
Slowly review the day from morning to now. Notice the moments of consolation (when you felt close to God, at peace, loving) and desolation (when you felt distant from God, anxious, selfish). Where did you respond well to grace? Where did you resist it?
4. Contrition — Express sorrow
For the moments of failure, express genuine sorrow. Not self-flagellation, but honest acknowledgment: "Lord, I was impatient with my spouse. I was dishonest in that conversation. I neglected prayer this morning. I am sorry." Ask for forgiveness and the grace to do better.
5. Resolution — Look forward
End by looking to tomorrow. Is there a specific area where you want to grow? A relationship to repair? A virtue to practice? Make a concrete resolution and ask God for the grace to keep it.
Examination Before Confession: Using the Ten Commandments
Before going to Confession, Catholics are expected to make a thorough examination of conscience — reviewing their sins since their last Confession. The most traditional framework for this is the Ten Commandments, which cover the full range of our obligations to God and neighbor.
Examination by the Ten Commandments
- 1st Commandment (No other gods): Have I put anything before God — money, pleasure, approval, comfort? Have I practiced superstition, consulted horoscopes, or engaged in occult practices?
- 2nd Commandment (No taking God's name in vain): Have I used God's name carelessly or as a curse? Have I made promises in God's name that I didn't keep?
- 3rd Commandment (Keep holy the Sabbath): Have I missed Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation without a serious reason? Have I treated Sunday as just another day?
- 4th Commandment (Honor father and mother): Have I been disrespectful to parents, teachers, or legitimate authority? Have I neglected my duties to my family?
- 5th Commandment (Do not kill): Have I harmed anyone physically or emotionally? Have I harbored hatred, anger, or resentment? Have I supported abortion or euthanasia?
- 6th Commandment (Do not commit adultery): Have I been faithful to my spouse in thought, word, and deed? Have I viewed pornography? Have I engaged in sexual activity outside of marriage?
- 7th Commandment (Do not steal): Have I taken what doesn't belong to me? Have I been dishonest in business? Have I failed to pay just wages or debts?
- 8th Commandment (Do not bear false witness): Have I lied? Have I gossiped or damaged someone's reputation? Have I failed to keep confidences?
- 9th Commandment (Do not covet your neighbor's wife): Have I entertained lustful thoughts? Have I deliberately sought out occasions of sexual temptation?
- 10th Commandment (Do not covet your neighbor's goods): Have I been envious of others' success, possessions, or relationships? Have I been greedy or materialistic?
Daily vs. Pre-Confession Examination
The daily Examen and the pre-Confession examination serve different purposes. The daily Examen is a prayer practice focused on growing in self-awareness and intimacy with God. It is not primarily about cataloguing sins but about noticing the movements of grace and resistance in your soul. It takes 10–15 minutes and is done every day.
The pre-Confession examination is more systematic and thorough. It reviews your sins since your last Confession, using the Ten Commandments or another moral framework to ensure you haven't forgotten anything serious. It is done before going to Confession — ideally the day before, so you have time to reflect without rushing.
The two practices complement each other beautifully. The daily Examen keeps your conscience sensitive throughout the year, so that when you come to Confession, you already have a clear sense of your spiritual state. Catholics who practice the daily Examen consistently report that their Confessions become more honest, more specific, and more fruitful.
Scrupulosity vs. Healthy Conscience
One important caution: the examination of conscience should lead to freedom, not anxiety. Scrupulosity is a spiritual disorder in which a person is excessively anxious about sin, confessing the same sins repeatedly, doubting whether they were truly forgiven, and living in constant fear of damnation. This is not healthy conscience — it is a distortion of it.
A healthy conscience is sensitive but not paralyzed. It notices sin clearly, brings it to God with genuine sorrow, receives forgiveness with trust, and moves forward without excessive guilt. St. Francis de Sales wrote: "Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them — every day begin the task anew."
If you struggle with scrupulosity, speak with a good confessor or spiritual director. The examination of conscience is meant to be a source of peace and growth, not torment.