MoCA Word Recall 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the MoCA word recall task, what happens if a patient cannot spontaneously recall a word but recalls it after a category cue?
- Full credit of 1 point is awarded
- Half a point is awarded
- No point is awarded, but it suggests encoding vs. retrieval deficit (Correct answer)
- The word list is repeated again
Correct answer: No point is awarded, but it suggests encoding vs. retrieval deficit
Cued recall scores no points but helps distinguish retrieval failures from true encoding deficits.
Question 2: Which condition most specifically impairs free recall while leaving recognition relatively intact on the MoCA?
- Alzheimer's disease (Correct answer)
- Frontal lobe dysfunction
- Cerebellar atrophy
- Peripheral neuropathy
Correct answer: Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease produces a true amnesia where even cued recall and recognition are impaired.
Question 3: A patient recalls 4 of 5 words spontaneously on the MoCA delayed recall. What is their score?
- 0
- 2
- 4 (Correct answer)
- 5
Correct answer: 4
Each spontaneously recalled word earns 1 point, so 4 recalled words = 4 points.
Question 4: Why does the MoCA use a 5-minute delay before testing word recall?
- To test procedural memory
- To allow interference and assess true long-term retention (Correct answer)
- To give the patient rest
- To measure attention span
Correct answer: To allow interference and assess true long-term retention
The delay with intervening tasks creates interference, revealing whether information was truly encoded into long-term memory.
Question 5: On the MoCA, the word recall section is worth a maximum of how many points?
- 3
- 4
- 5 (Correct answer)
- 6
Correct answer: 5
There are 5 target words and each earns 1 point for spontaneous recall, totaling 5 possible points.
Question 6: What type of memory system is primarily assessed by the MoCA delayed word recall task?
- Implicit memory
- Semantic memory
- Episodic memory (Correct answer)
- Procedural memory
Correct answer: Episodic memory
Delayed word recall tests episodic memory — the ability to remember specific items from a recent personal experience.
Question 7: If a patient scores 0 on spontaneous recall but correctly identifies all 5 words on multiple choice recognition, what does this suggest?
- Severe dementia
- A retrieval deficit rather than an encoding failure (Correct answer)
- Malingering
- Normal aging
Correct answer: A retrieval deficit rather than an encoding failure
Intact recognition with impaired free recall points to a retrieval deficit, often seen in subcortical or frontal pathology.
MoCA Word Recall 2
In the MoCA word recall task, what happens if a patient cannot spontaneously recall a word but recalls it after a category cue?