MoCA PDF 2025 | Montreal Cognitive Assessment Download

MoCA PDF 2025 — Download the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Form

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a 30-point screening tool used to detect mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The official MoCA PDF form and administration instructions are available through the MoCA Cognition website (mocacognition.com). The basic MoCA form is free to download for non-commercial clinical use. However, as of 2020, certification training is required for clinicians who use the MoCA in practice — free training is available online. This guide covers where to get the MoCA PDF, how to administer it, and how to interpret scores.

Official MoCA PDF Download

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment was developed by Dr. Ziad Nasreddine and is owned by the MoCA organization. The official download page is at mocacognition.com. This is the only source for the legitimate, validated MoCA forms.

Access requirements:

As of 2020, clinicians must complete a free MoCA Basic Training certification before using the MoCA in practice. The training is approximately 2 hours and is available at mocacognition.com.
The basic MoCA PDF is free for non-commercial clinical use after completing the training.
Commercial use (research, pharmaceutical trials, large-scale assessment programs) requires a commercial license.

What you download:

The MoCA scoring form (one page, printable) — the actual assessment tool administered to patients
Administration and scoring instructions — a separate PDF covering proper administration, acceptable responses, and scoring rules
Alternative forms (MoCA-ALT1, MoCA-ALT2) for retesting the same patient without memorization effects

MoCA Versions Available

The MoCA organization offers several versions for different clinical situations:

MoCA Standard (MoCA-S): The original 30-point assessment. Requires literacy and ability to draw. Used for most outpatient clinical settings.
MoCA-BLIND: Adapted for visually impaired patients — removes visuospatial tasks (cube, clock drawing, trail making). Maximum score is 22 points.
MoCA-ALT1 and ALT2: Alternate forms with different memory words, clock times, and trail-making sequences to reduce practice effects when retesting.
Telephone MoCA (T-MoCA): Adapted for telephone administration — removes all visual tasks. Maximum 22 points. Validated for telehealth settings.
Translated versions: Available in 100+ languages at mocacognition.com.

MoCA Assessment at a Glance

🔴 Test Format – 30 Points Total

Total score: 30 points maximum
Administration time: Approximately 10 minutes
Setting: Clinician-administered (not self-administered)
Training required: Free MoCA Basic Training at mocacognition.com

🟠 Domains Tested – 8 Domains

Visuospatial/executive: 5 points — trail making, cube, clock drawing
Naming: 3 points — name three animals
Memory: 5 points — delayed recall of 5 words

🟡 Score Cutoff – ≥26 = Normal

Normal cognition: 26–30 points
Mild cognitive impairment: 18–25 points (suspected MCI)
Education adjustment: +1 point if ≤12 years of education

🟢 Download Access – Free (Clinical)

Cost: Free for non-commercial clinical use
Requirement: Complete MoCA Basic Training first
Source: mocacognition.com (official only)

How to Administer the MoCA

The MoCA must be administered by a trained clinician. It is not a self-administered test — the patient completes tasks under the clinician's observation and instruction.

Administration setting:

Quiet environment without distractions
Patient should be seated comfortably, facing the examiner
Required materials: printed MoCA form, pencil, watch or stopwatch

MoCA domains (in order of administration):

Visuospatial / Executive (5 points):
- Trail Making (1 pt): Connect alternating numbers and letters in sequence (1-A-2-B-3-C...)
- Copy a Cube (1 pt): Copy a simple three-dimensional cube drawing
- Clock Drawing (3 pts): Draw a clock face, place numbers, set hands to 11:10
Naming (3 points): Show pictures of a lion, rhinoceros, and camel — patient names each animal.
Memory (5 points — delayed recall): Read five words twice, patient repeats. Recalled later for scoring.
Attention (6 points): Forward digit span, backward digit span, vigilance task (tap at letter A), serial 7s subtraction from 100.
Language (3 points): Repeat two sentences, phonemic fluency (words starting with F in 60 seconds).
Abstraction (2 points): Explain similarity between two paired items.
Delayed Recall (5 points): Recall the five words from the memory section (with optional cuing).
Orientation (6 points): Date, month, year, day, place, city.

Scoring and Interpreting MoCA Results

The MoCA is scored by the administrator, not the patient. Each domain has a fixed point value and specific scoring rules.

Education adjustment: If the patient has 12 years of formal education or fewer, add 1 point to the raw score. This adjustment corrects for the lower baseline performance often seen in individuals with limited formal education.

Score interpretation:

26–30 points: Normal — no significant cognitive impairment detected
18–25 points: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — suggests possible MCI, follow-up assessment recommended
10–17 points: Moderate impairment — consistent with moderate dementia
Below 10 points: Severe impairment

Important limitations:

The MoCA is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. A low score indicates the need for further neuropsychological evaluation — it does not diagnose Alzheimer's disease or any specific condition.
Sensory impairments (poor vision, hearing loss) can artificially lower scores. Use MoCA-BLIND or T-MoCA for these patients.
Cultural and linguistic factors can affect performance — use the validated translated version in the patient's primary language.
Serial testing should use alternate forms (MoCA-ALT1, ALT2) to minimize practice effects.

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MoCA PDF Questions and Answers

Where can I download the official MoCA PDF?

The official MoCA PDF is available exclusively at mocacognition.com, the official website maintained by the MoCA organization. You must register and complete a free MoCA Basic Training certification (approximately 2 hours) before downloading the form. This requirement was introduced in 2020 to ensure proper administration and scoring. Unofficial versions circulating online may not reflect the validated current version.

Is the MoCA free to use?

The MoCA is free for non-commercial clinical use by trained clinicians. After completing the free MoCA Basic Training at mocacognition.com, you can download and use the form in your clinical practice at no cost. Commercial use — including pharmaceutical research, large-scale public health studies, or product development — requires a commercial license from the MoCA organization. The basic training itself is also free.

What is a passing score on the MoCA?

The MoCA is a screening tool, not a pass/fail exam. A score of 26 or higher out of 30 is considered within normal range for cognition. Scores of 18–25 suggest possible mild cognitive impairment and warrant further evaluation. An education adjustment adds 1 point for patients with 12 or fewer years of formal schooling. The MoCA does not diagnose dementia — it identifies individuals who need more comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.

Can patients take the MoCA themselves?

No — the MoCA must be administered by a trained clinician, not self-administered. The test involves tasks that require the examiner to read instructions, present stimuli (animal pictures, digit sequences), time responses, and observe performance. It cannot be meaningfully administered via a website or app without trained oversight. Some digital platforms offer MoCA-like cognitive screening tools, but these are not the validated MoCA and do not produce a comparable score.

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(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test