President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted about “acing” a cognitive test, but experts say the assessment is designed to detect early signs of dementia, not to measure intelligence. The test in question is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), created by neurologist Dr Ziad Nasreddine in 1996.
During a Fox News interview with Chris Wallace, Trump claimed the last five questions were “very hard” and bet that Wallace could not answer them. However, an analysis of the MoCA test shows that for anyone without cognitive impairment, these questions are straightforward.
The test begins with simple tasks such as drawing a clock, naming animals (lion, rhino, camel) and repeating a sequence of numbers. The final sections include counting backwards from 100 by sevens, repeating a sentence, naming words beginning with F, identifying similarities between objects (e.g., train and bicycle are both modes of transport), recalling previously learned words, and stating the date and place.
Dr Nasreddine told MarketWatch that the test “is supposed to be easy for someone who has no cognitive impairment” and stressed that “this is not an IQ test.” He added that it helps physicians detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Trump’s suggestion that the last five questions are exceptionally difficult is misleading. The test is not timed, and mentally healthy individuals should be able to complete it without trouble.
