The MoCA, MMSE, and Mini-Cog are brief clinical screening tools. Online memory assessments serve a different, educational purpose. Here is how they differ.
| Tool | Time | Scale | Covers | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MoCA | ~10 min | 30 points | Memory, attention, executive function, language, orientation | Clinician-administered |
| MMSE | ~7–10 min | 30 points | Orientation, registration, recall, attention, language | Clinician-administered |
| Mini-Cog | ~3 min | 5 points | Three-word recall plus clock drawing | Clinician-administered |
| The Memory Index | 8–12 min | Descriptive band | Visual, sequence, working, spatial memory tasks | Self-administered online, educational |
Developed by Nasreddine and colleagues (2005), the MoCA was designed to be more sensitive to mild cognitive impairment than the MMSE. It includes trail-making, cube copying, clock drawing, naming, delayed five-word recall, and abstraction items. A score of 26 or more is conventionally treated as within the normal range, with an adjustment for education.
Introduced by Folstein et al. (1975), the MMSE is one of the most widely used screeners. It is quick and familiar but less sensitive to subtle change, and results are strongly influenced by education and language.
The Mini-Cog (Borson et al., 2000) combines three-word recall with a clock-drawing task. It takes about three minutes and is often used in primary care as a first-pass screen.
The Memory Index is not a screening or diagnostic instrument. It is a structured, educational exercise across four memory-task categories, useful for curiosity and for tracking your own performance over time. Read the full methodology for its design and limitations.
The Memory Index is a 20-task assessment across visual, sequence, working and spatial memory. It takes about 10 minutes and your score is free.
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