MoCA Calculation Skills 3

Question 1

How many individual subtraction attempts are made in the MoCA serial 7 task?

Accepted Answer

5 attempts

Answer

The examiner asks for 5 consecutive subtractions of 7 starting from 100 (93, 86, 79, 72, 65), giving 5 individual attempts to score.

Question 2

When evaluating calculation ability with the MoCA serial 7 task, clinicians should be cautious interpreting low scores in patients who:

Accepted Answer

Have limited formal education or low numeracy backgrounds

Answer

Education and cultural background strongly influence performance on arithmetic tasks. Low serial 7 scores in individuals with limited formal education may not reflect cognitive impairment.

Question 3

A patient answers: 93, 86, 79, 72, 65. What is their serial 7 score?

Accepted Answer

3 points

Answer

All five answers are correct (100-7=93, 93-7=86, 86-7=79, 79-7=72, 72-7=65). Five correct answers earns the maximum score of 3 points.

Question 4

The MoCA serial 7 task is classified under which cognitive domain on the score sheet?

Accepted Answer

Attention

Answer

Serial 7 subtraction is placed within the Attention domain on the MoCA score sheet, alongside digit span and letter vigilance.

Question 5

What cognitive processes are simultaneously engaged during serial 7 subtraction?

Accepted Answer

Arithmetic, working memory, sustained attention, and mental flexibility

Answer

Performing serial 7s requires arithmetic knowledge, working memory to hold the running total, sustained attention to stay on task, and mental flexibility — making it a rich multi-domain task.

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

MoCA Calculation Skills 3