MOCA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield MOCA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. How many orientation questions are asked on the MoCA, and what do they cover? → 6 questions: date, month, year, day of week, place, and city
2. Which cognitive domain does the trail-making portion of the MoCA (alternating number-letter sequence) primarily assess alongside visuospatial skills? → Executive function
3. How does a score of 0 on both abstraction pairs affect the total MoCA score? → It reduces the total by 2 points
4. How does Sentence Repetition affect cognitive abilities? → It directly influences sentence repetition and overall cognitive function.
5. If a patient makes 2 errors on the letter vigilance (tapping) task, how is this scored? → 0 points — threshold exceeded
6. On the MoCA orientation section, what is the maximum number of points a patient can earn for time and place combined? → 6 points
7. How does Visuospatial Abilities affect daily functioning? → It improves overall daily functioning.
8. A patient draws all 12 numbers but places them all on the right side of the clock face. Which scoring criterion is affected? → Numbers only
9. Please repeat the following sequence of digits: 7 - 1 - 9. → 7 - 1 - 9
10. Which answer best explains WHY the MoCA uses the specific pair 'watch and ruler' for abstraction? → They are both common household objects with a shared measurement function
11. Which of the following correctly continues the serial 7s sequence started at 100: 93, 86, ___? → 79
12. Why is recall of previously learned material important in cognitive testing? → It provides insight into how well a person retains and retrieves information.
13. On the MoCA repetition task, sentences are read aloud and the patient must repeat them verbatim. How many sentences are presented? → 2
14. On the MoCA cube copy task, what features must the copied cube demonstrate to earn 1 point? → It must be three-dimensional with parallel lines of approximately equal length
15. What does the inability to recall the current time or date suggest in a MoCA test? → It can be a sign of cognitive dysfunction, particularly in the temporal awareness area.
16. The MoCA orientation domain is clinically valuable because orientation deficits: → Help distinguish MCI from moderate-to-severe dementia
17. A patient tells the MoCA examiner the correct season but not the correct month. How is this scored? → 0 points for the month item, since the MoCA asks for the month specifically.
18. Why is Abstract Thinking important in cognitive health? → It contributes to overall cognitive health.
19. A neuropsychologist describes a patient as having 'poor cognitive flexibility.' On the MoCA, this most directly impairs performance on which task? → Trail Making alternating sequence
20. The MoCA repetition task is most sensitive to deficits in which cognitive-linguistic ability? → Phonological working memory and syntactic processing
21. I will show you a picture of a pen. Can you tell me what this is? → A pen
22. Which two drawing tasks in the MoCA assess visuospatial abilities? → Cube copy and clock drawing
23. How does Abstract Thinking affect cognitive abilities? → It directly influences mental functioning.
24. How is the MoCA serial 7 task scored when a patient gives the sequence 93, 87, 80, 73, 66? → 3 points
25. Early Alzheimer's disease most characteristically impairs which aspect of the MoCA memory task? → Spontaneous delayed free recall
26. What does a patient's score of 0 on the MoCA serial 7 subtraction task most likely indicate? → Either refusing or getting 0-0 correct subtractions
27. What is the purpose of assessing orientation to time in a cognitive evaluation? → It helps assess the individual’s awareness of current time.
28. The MoCA digit span forward sequence (21854) must be read by the examiner at which pace? → One digit per second
29. Why must the examiner avoid rehearsing the five words with the patient during the intervening tasks between registration and delayed recall? → Rehearsal would make the task too easy and reduce test validity
30. A neuropsychologist adapts the MoCA for a patient with dyscalculia. Which accommodation is most consistent with standard MoCA guidelines? → Skip serial 7s and note the omission