MoCA Delayed Recall 3

Question 1

Which of the following best describes why optional cues in MoCA delayed recall do NOT earn full points?

Accepted Answer

Because they distinguish encoding failure from retrieval failure

Answer

The distinction between free recall and cued recall is clinically important. Cuing a word that could not be freely recalled suggests retrieval difficulty rather than encoding failure, a different pattern of impairment.

Question 2

A patient recalls 3 of 5 words freely and retrieves 1 more word with a category cue. The standard MoCA delayed recall score is:

Accepted Answer

3 points

Answer

Standard MoCA scoring for the 5-point delayed recall domain counts only freely recalled words. Three freely recalled words = 3 points. The word retrieved via cue does not add to the 5-point total.

Question 3

The words used in the MoCA delayed recall section are typically drawn from which categories?

Accepted Answer

A person, a fabric, a building, a flower, and a color

Answer

The standard MoCA v7.1 delayed recall words are: FACE, VELVET, CHURCH, DAISY, RED — spanning person, fabric, building, flower, and color categories to represent diverse semantic categories.

Question 4

Which type of dementia most characteristically shows impaired free recall with improved performance on multiple-choice cuing?

Accepted Answer

Subcortical dementias (e.g., vascular, Lewy body)

Answer

In subcortical dementias (e.g., vascular, Lewy body, Parkinson-related), the primary deficit is retrieval. Providing choices often significantly improves performance, distinguishing these from Alzheimer's where encoding itself is impaired.

Question 5

During the MoCA, when is the delayed recall task administered?

Accepted Answer

At the end of the MoCA, after all other tasks are completed

Answer

The delayed recall task is administered at the END of the MoCA, after the other domains have been tested. This ensures the delay time (approximately 5 minutes) has elapsed from the initial word presentation.

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

MoCA Delayed Recall 3