Practice Test Geeks(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test
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MoCA Trail Making (Alternating Trail Making) Flashcards

6 cards from real MOCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 MoCA Trail Making (Alternating Trail Making) flashcards as text

  1. In the MoCA Trail Making task, what is the correct sequence the examinee must draw?

    Answer: Alternating numbers and letters (1-A-2-B-3-C-4-D-5-E)

    The MoCA trail making task requires drawing a line that alternates between numbers and letters in ascending/alphabetical order: 1-A-2-B-3-C-4-D-5-E. It is an abbreviated version of the Trail Making Test Part B and specifically tests cognitive flexibility (set-shifting).

  2. How many points is the Trail Making task worth on the MoCA?

    Answer: 1 point

    The Trail Making task is worth exactly 1 point, awarded only when the examinee completes the full alternating sequence (1-A-2-B-3-C-4-D-5-E) without any uncorrected errors.

  3. Under which MoCA domain is the Trail Making task classified?

    Answer: Visuospatial/Executive

    The Trail Making task falls under the Visuospatial/Executive domain alongside cube copying and clock drawing. It measures executive function through set-shifting and the ability to alternate between two sequences.

  4. What should an examiner do if the examinee makes an error during the MoCA Trail Making task?

    Answer: Point out the error immediately and ask the examinee to continue from the last correct connection

    Per standardized MoCA administration, when an error occurs the examiner immediately points to it and instructs the examinee to continue from the last correct connection. This preserves standardization while allowing task completion; errors are factored into scoring.

  5. What cognitive ability does the MoCA Trail Making task primarily assess?

    Answer: Set-shifting and cognitive flexibility

    The alternating Trail Making task is a measure of set-shifting — the ability to switch mental sets between numbers and letters — which is a core executive function. Impairment is seen early in MCI and frontal lobe dysfunction.

  6. Which of the following is a reason the MoCA uses an abbreviated Trail Making task rather than the full Trail Making Test Part B?

    Answer: The abbreviated version reduces administration burden while still capturing executive set-shifting ability

    The MoCA is designed as a brief cognitive screening tool (~10 minutes total). The abbreviated Trail Making sequence (ending at 5-E rather than continuing further) captures the essential set-shifting measure while minimizing testing time, consistent with the MoCA's screening purpose.