MoCA Clock Drawing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: On the MoCA Clock Drawing task, the examiner asks the patient to draw a clock showing 10 minutes after 11. What is the correct target time?
- 10:10
- 11:10 (Correct answer)
- 10:50
- 11:50
Correct answer: 11:10
The standard MoCA clock-drawing instruction specifies 11:10 (ten minutes past eleven).
Question 2: Which clock-drawing error most directly indicates a 'pull-to-stimulus' effect?
- Drawing an oval instead of a circle
- Placing both hands pointing toward the 10 and 11 regardless of the time (Correct answer)
- Writing numbers outside the clock face
- Omitting the minute hand
Correct answer: Placing both hands pointing toward the 10 and 11 regardless of the time
Placing hands on the numerals 10 and 11 (the numbers mentioned verbally) rather than the correct positions reflects stimulus pull, a sign of frontal dysfunction.
Question 3: A patient draws a clock with all 12 numbers correct and a complete circle, but places the hour hand at 2 and the minute hand at 10. The target time was 11:10. Which point is lost?
- Contour point
- Numbers point
- Hands point (Correct answer)
- No point is lost
Correct answer: Hands point
The MoCA awards the Hands point only when both hands are positioned correctly; incorrect hand placement loses this single point.
Question 4: What maximum score can a patient earn on the MoCA Clock Drawing subtest?
- 1
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
- 5
Correct answer: 3
The Clock Drawing subtest on the MoCA is worth a total of 3 points: contour, numbers, and hands.
Question 5: A patient scores 2/3 on the Clock Drawing task, losing the numbers point. Which of the following best describes the observed drawing?
- Circle present, numbers correct, both hands correct
- Circle present, numbers missing or incorrectly placed, both hands correct (Correct answer)
- No circle, numbers correct, both hands correct
- Circle absent, numbers absent, hands present
Correct answer: Circle present, numbers missing or incorrectly placed, both hands correct
A 2/3 score with the numbers point lost means the contour and hands criteria were met but number placement was faulty.
Question 6: In the context of MoCA administration, what cognitive domain does the Clock Drawing task primarily assess?
- Language fluency
- Visuospatial and executive function (Correct answer)
- Verbal memory
- Attention and working memory
Correct answer: Visuospatial and executive function
Clock Drawing probes visuospatial ability (constructing the circle and numbers) and executive function (planning hand placement).
Question 7: When scoring MoCA Clock Drawing, a patient draws a circle with a slight irregularity on one side. How should the contour point be scored?
- 0 — any irregularity disqualifies the point
- 1 — minor distortions are acceptable as long as the shape is recognizable as a circle (Correct answer)
- 0 — only a perfect circle earns the point
- 1 — only if the irregularity is in the lower half
Correct answer: 1 — minor distortions are acceptable as long as the shape is recognizable as a circle
MoCA scoring allows minor distortions; the contour point is awarded if the overall shape is a recognizable closed circle.
MoCA Clock Drawing 2
On the MoCA Clock Drawing task, the examiner asks the patient to draw a clock showing 10 minutes after 11.
What is the correct target time?