President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted about 'acing' a cognitive test, claiming it proves his mental sharpness. However, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) he took is not an IQ test but a screening tool for early signs of dementia, according to its creator, Dr Ziad Nasreddine.
In a recent Fox News interview, Trump challenged host Chris Wallace, saying he could not answer the last five questions. The test, designed in 1996, is meant to be easy for those without cognitive impairment, Nasreddine told MarketWatch. 'This is not an IQ test or the level of how a person is extremely skilled,' he said.
The MoCA includes tasks such as drawing a cube, naming animals, repeating numbers, and recalling words. The final sections involve fluency, abstraction, and orientation—questions like naming words starting with F or identifying similarities between objects. For a healthy person, these are straightforward.
Trump's claim that the last five questions are 'very hard' contradicts the test's purpose. Experts stress that the MoCA is a basic screening tool, not a measure of intelligence or exceptional ability.
