MoCA Trail Making (Alternating Trail Making)

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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).

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

1 point

Answer

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.

Question 3

Under which MoCA domain is the Trail Making task classified?

Accepted Answer

Visuospatial/Executive

Answer

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.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

Set-shifting and cognitive flexibility

Answer

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.

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

MoCA Trail Making (Alternating Trail Making)