30-point cognitive screening test for dementia and cognitive impairment. ≈ 10 min to complete. Free with attribution.
MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 30-point cognitive screening test for dementia and cognitive impairment.. It is most often used for 30-point cognitive screening test for dementia and cognitive impairment.. The instrument contains 11 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 10 min.
Source / attribution: Copyrighted; free for clinical use
30-point cognitive screening test for dementia and cognitive impairment. MMSE is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, MMSE is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 11 items below to see your MMSE score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 6-point scale (0–5). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Sum correct responses across orientation, registration, attention, recall, language, and visuospatial domains. Max 30.
Scoring notes: Sum correct responses across orientation, registration, attention, recall, language, and visuospatial domains. Max 30.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 24–30 | Normal cognition | None |
| 18–23 | Mild cognitive impairment | Further evaluation |
| 0–17 | Severe cognitive impairment | Comprehensive assessment |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orientation to time — year, season, date, day, month (1 point each, max 5) | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | Orientation to place — country, state, city, building, floor (1 point each, max 5) | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Registration — name 3 unrelated objects, 1 point each on first try | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Attention and calculation — serial 7s or spell WORLD backwards (max 5) | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | Recall — recall the 3 objects from registration | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | Naming — name 2 common objects shown (e.g., pencil, watch) | 2 (max) | 2 |
| 7 | Repetition — repeat the phrase 'No ifs, ands, or buts' | 1 (max) | 1 |
| 8 | 3-stage command — take paper, fold in half, place on floor (1 point per step) | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | Reading — read and obey 'Close your eyes' | 1 (max) | 1 |
| 10 | Writing — write a complete sentence | 1 (max) | 1 |
| 11 | Drawing — copy intersecting pentagons | 1 (max) | 1 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 18
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 18 falls between 18 and 23 → Mild cognitive impairment
Mild cognitive impairment. Further evaluation
A score is one input alongside history and examination. MMSE supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If MMSE doesn't fit your context, related instruments in cognitive include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPCOG | 9-item cognitive screen designed for general practice with patient and informant components. | 15 | ≈ 5 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
| MELD-Na | 3-month mortality in advanced liver disease; transplant prioritization | 5 | — |
MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) is a validated instrument that assesses 30-point cognitive screening test for dementia and cognitive impairment. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. It takes about 10 min to complete, and the 11 items are summed to produce a total score.
MMSE typically takes about 10 min to administer. The exact duration varies a little depending on whether it is self-administered or completed with a clinician. Its brief format is part of what makes it practical for routine clinical use and for repeat administration when tracking change over time.
MMSE contains 11 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 0 to 30, grouped into 3 interpretation bands from ‘Normal cognition’ up to ‘Severe cognitive impairment’.
On the MMSE (total score 0–30), scores of 0–17 fall in the ‘Severe cognitive impairment’ band — interpreted as: Comprehensive assessment. The full ladder is: 24–30 — Normal cognition: None.; 18–23 — Mild cognitive impairment: Further evaluation.; 0–17 — Severe cognitive impairment: Comprehensive assessment. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 24–30 fall in the ‘Normal cognition’ band: None. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
MMSE has reported Cronbach's α of 0.84 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.8. Most widely used cognitive screen; validated in 100+ languages. In practical terms, a Cronbach’s α around 0.84 indicates good internal consistency (the items hang together well), and a test–retest reliability of 0.8 means scores are strongly stable when the scale is repeated without real clinical change.
MMSE is free to use with attribution — clinical, educational, and research use is permitted provided the original source is credited. If you publish results or reproduce the scale, include the citation to the source paper.
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). Mini-mental state. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12(3), 189-198. This is the original publication for the MMSE — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. MMSE is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of 30-point cognitive screening test for dementia and cognitive impairment — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
MMSE is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: