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Biden is resistant to taking a cognitive test. Try a short one yourself.


A brain cross-section where the inside is a puzzle

This isn’t a real cognitive test, but it should give you an understanding of how simple screenings work.

July 12, 2024 at 11:45 a.m.

President Biden has rebuffed questions about taking a cognitive test after his disastrous June 27 debate performance, reiterating Thursday that his doctors have not recommended one.

Donald Trump, who is just three years younger than Biden, has yet to offer details on undergoing similar screening beyond a letter from his physician last year saying Trump’s “cognitive tests were exceptional.” He previously made dubious claims about doing “amazing” on such a test in 2018.

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We assembled a quiz to illustrate the kinds of questions asked in tests known as the Mini-Cog and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, known as MoCA, which are preliminary screening tools for mental impairment.

We can’t stress this enough: This is NOT an actual cognitive assessment — which should be administered by a health-care professional! We are not scoring you, and we definitely aren’t diagnosing you.

That said, let’s take a look at how these tests work.

We can’t explain this one to you yet! Stay tuned.

Four clocks with varying degrees of accuracy
animal with four legs and hump
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Please answer all the questions. You’re missing questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Design and development by Alexis Arnold, Emma Kumer and Aadit Tambe. Design editing by Madison Walls. Editing by Sarah Frostenson and Tracy Jan.