MoCA Practice Test: Video 4 Answers (24 Questions) — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How many individual subtraction attempts are made in the MoCA serial 7 task?
- 7 attempts
- 5 attempts (Correct answer)
- 4 attempts
- 3 attempts
Correct answer: 5 attempts
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: How is the MoCA serial 7 task scored when a patient gives the sequence 93, 87, 80, 73, 66?
- 0 points — the sequence is wrong
- 2 points
- 1 point
- 3 points (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 3 points
Each subtraction is scored independently from the prior answer. 93 is correct (100-7=93); 87 is incorrect (93-7=86); 80 is correct (87-7=80); 73 is correct (80-7=73); 66 is correct (73-7=66). That is 4 correct = 3 points.
Question 3: The MoCA serial 7 task is classified under which cognitive domain on the score sheet?
- Executive function
- Memory
- Attention (Correct answer)
- Language
Correct answer: Attention
Serial 7 subtraction is placed within the Attention domain on the MoCA score sheet, alongside digit span and letter vigilance.
Question 4: What is the maximum score possible for the serial 7 subtraction task?
- 5 points
- 3 points (Correct answer)
- 2 points
- 1 point
Correct answer: 3 points
Serial 7s is scored out of 3 points: 4-5 correct subtractions = 3 pts, 2-3 correct = 2 pts, 1 correct = 1 pt, 0 correct = 0 pts.
Question 5: A patient answers: 93, 86, 79, 72, 65. What is their serial 7 score?
- 5 points
- 3 points (Correct answer)
- 4 points
- 2 points
Correct answer: 3 points
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 6: A patient with 11 years of education earns a raw score of 30. What total is recorded?
- 30 (Correct answer)
- 31
- 30 plus a note of +1
- 29
Correct answer: 30
The education point cannot push the total above the 30-point maximum.
Question 7: How many points are assigned to the clock-drawing task?
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
- 1
- 5
Correct answer: 3
The clock earns one point each for contour, numbers, and hands.
Question 8: A patient with 10 years of formal education scores 25 on the MoCA. What is the adjusted total score?
- 27
- 24
- 26 (Correct answer)
- 25
Correct answer: 26
One point is added for patients with 12 or fewer years of formal education, raising 25 to 26.
Question 9: A patient's total MoCA score drops from 27 to 22 over one year. What is the best interpretation?
- Scoring error
- Expected normal aging
- Meaningful decline warranting further evaluation (Correct answer)
- Likely practice effect
Correct answer: Meaningful decline warranting further evaluation
A drop of several points crossing the cutoff suggests clinically meaningful decline.
Question 10: Since 2019, what is required for clinicians to officially administer and score the MoCA?
- A PhD in psychology
- A neurology board certification
- Completion of the official MoCA training and certification (Correct answer)
- No requirements
Correct answer: Completion of the official MoCA training and certification
MoCA requires completion of official training and certification for administration.
Question 11: Which domain does the clock drawing fall under on the MoCA form?
- Memory
- Orientation
- Language
- Visuospatial/Executive (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Visuospatial/Executive
Clock drawing is categorized under the Visuospatial/Executive domain on the MoCA because it requires both spatial construction and executive planning.
Question 12: The MoCA visuospatial/executive domain contributes how many points to the total score?
- 6 points
- 5 points (Correct answer)
- 4 points
- 3 points
Correct answer: 5 points
The Visuospatial/Executive domain includes: 1 point for Trail Making B, 1 point for cube copy, and 3 points for clock drawing (contour, numbers, hands) = 5 points total.
Question 13: How does Visuospatial Abilities affect cognitive abilities?
- It only applies to memory tasks.
- It directly influences mental functioning. (Correct answer)
- It has no impact on cognitive abilities.
- It is only needed for physical tasks.
Correct answer: It directly influences mental functioning.
Visuospatial abilities are integral to various aspects of mental functioning, including problem-solving, memory, and attention. They allow individuals to perceive and interact with their environment effectively, impacting how they process information and make decisions. Deficits in this area can significantly impair daily cognitive tasks, highlighting its direct influence on overall cognitive abilities.
Question 14: What is the role of Visuospatial Abilities in cognitive assessment?
- It only applies to physical activities.
- It plays a crucial role in cognitive functioning. (Correct answer)
- It helps with motor coordination.
- It is unrelated to cognitive tasks.
Correct answer: It plays a crucial role in cognitive functioning.
Visuospatial abilities refer to the capacity to understand, analyze, and manipulate visual information and spatial relationships. This cognitive domain is fundamental for tasks like navigation, object recognition, and understanding maps or diagrams, making it a crucial component of overall cognitive functioning. Assessing these abilities provides valuable insights into an individual's cognitive health.
Question 15: How does Visuospatial Abilities influence problem-solving?
- It hinders problem-solving abilities.
- It aids in effective problem-solving. (Correct answer)
- It is irrelevant to solving complex tasks.
- It has a negative impact on mental tasks.
Correct answer: It aids in effective problem-solving.
Visuospatial abilities are critical for problem-solving, especially for tasks that involve understanding spatial relationships, visualizing solutions, or mentally manipulating objects. For example, planning a route, assembling furniture, or solving puzzles all rely heavily on these skills. This capacity allows individuals to effectively strategize and execute solutions, thereby aiding in effective problem-solving.
Question 16: A clinician notes a patient recalled 0 words freely but correctly identified all 5 words on multiple-choice. This most suggests:
- Malingering or poor effort
- Normal aging only
- A retrieval deficit rather than a storage/encoding deficit (Correct answer)
- Severe global amnesia
Correct answer: A retrieval deficit rather than a storage/encoding deficit
Intact recognition with failed free recall suggests a retrieval failure rather than storage/encoding failure, a pattern more consistent with subcortical or frontal pathology than Alzheimer's disease.
Question 17: During the MoCA, when is the delayed recall task administered?
- After 30 minutes of a separate distractor task
- Immediately after the word encoding trial
- At the end of the MoCA, after all other tasks are completed (Correct answer)
- At the start, before other tasks
Correct answer: At the end of the MoCA, after all other tasks are completed
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.
Question 18: The five words used in the MoCA delayed recall task are presented how many times before the delay?
- Four times
- Three times
- Twice (Correct answer)
- Once
Correct answer: Twice
To allow encoding, the five words are read to the patient twice. The patient is told they will need to remember them later but is not asked to recall them immediately.
Question 19: How many words must the patient recall after the delay in the MoCA delayed recall task?
- 3 words
- 7 words
- 4 words
- 5 words (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 5 words
Five words are presented twice at the beginning of the MoCA. After a delay of approximately 5 minutes (during which other tasks are completed), the patient is asked to recall all 5 words freely.
Question 20: A patient recalls 3 of 5 words freely and retrieves 1 more word with a category cue. The standard MoCA delayed recall score is:
- 3.5 points
- 2 points
- 3 points (Correct answer)
- 4 points
Correct answer: 3 points
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 21: On the MoCA, is any partial credit given for temporal orientation items (e.g., knowing the month but not the date)?
- Yes — partial answers earn 0.5 points
- No — each item is scored 1 or 0, no partial credit (Correct answer)
- Yes — being within one week earns 0.5 for date
- No partial credit for date but yes for year
Correct answer: No — each item is scored 1 or 0, no partial credit
Each MoCA orientation item is scored as all-or-nothing (1 or 0). There is no partial credit. Knowing the month earns 1 point for the month question; a wrong date answer earns 0 for the date question.
Question 22: On the MoCA, the examiner asks orientation questions in which order?
- Day, date, month, year, city, place
- City, place, year, month, date, day
- Date, month, year, day, place, city (Correct answer)
- Year, month, date, day, city, place
Correct answer: Date, month, year, day, place, city
The standard MoCA administration sequence for orientation asks: date, month, year, day, place, and city — though some flexibility exists as long as all 6 items are queried.
Question 23: How many of the MoCA orientation items specifically assess temporal orientation?
- Two (date and month only)
- Three (date, month, year)
- Four (date, month, year, day of week) (Correct answer)
- Six (all orientation items are temporal)
Correct answer: Four (date, month, year, day of week)
Four of the six orientation items assess temporal orientation: the exact date, the month, the year, and the day of the week. The remaining two (place and city) assess spatial orientation.
Question 24: What is the purpose of assessing orientation to time in a cognitive evaluation?
- It helps assess the individual’s awareness of current time. (Correct answer)
- It has no relation to cognitive performance.
- It is only relevant for physical health.
- It is used to measure memory recall.
Correct answer: It helps assess the individual’s awareness of current time.
Assessing orientation to time in a cognitive evaluation like the MoCA is crucial because it directly measures an individual's awareness of their current temporal reality. This ability reflects their cognitive processing of time and their connection to the present moment. It helps determine if they are grounded in their surroundings and can track the passage of time effectively.
How many individual subtraction attempts are made in the MoCA serial 7 task?
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for MoCA
An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:
- A timed, full-length MoCA mock exam — 30 questions in 20 minutes with a 87% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
- A fixed MoCA question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
- A printable MoCA cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- MoCA flashcards built from the same question bank.
These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
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