MoCA Attention and Concentration 3

Question 1

A patient scores 3 points on the MoCA serial 7s subtraction task. How many correct responses did they give?

Accepted Answer

5

Answer

A score of 3 on serial 7s is only awarded when all 5 subtractions are correct.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the scoring rule for the MoCA digit span forward task?

Accepted Answer

1 point only if the full 5-digit sequence is repeated correctly

Answer

The forward digit span awards 1 point only when the entire 5-digit sequence (21854) is correctly repeated.

Question 3

On the MoCA, the backward digit span uses a sequence of how many digits?

Accepted Answer

4

Answer

The backward digit span uses a 3-digit sequence (742), and 1 point is awarded for a correct reversal.

Question 4

What is the maximum score a patient can earn on ALL attention and concentration subtests of the MoCA combined?

Accepted Answer

6 points

Answer

Attention subtests total 6 points: 1 for digit span forward, 1 for digit span backward, 1 for letter vigilance, and 3 for serial 7s.

Question 5

Why is the serial 7 subtraction task considered a measure of both attention AND executive function on the MoCA?

Accepted Answer

It demands sustained mental arithmetic while inhibiting previous answers

Answer

Serial subtraction requires holding a running total, inhibiting prior responses, and performing sequential arithmetic — all aspects of executive control.

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

(MoCA) Montreal Cognitive Assessment Practice Test

MoCA Attention and Concentration 3