mental test score/10

Last reviewed 08/2023

This is a set of ten questions designed to give the examiner a rough idea of the mental state of the patient.

The questions, and their conditions for one point each, are:

• 1) age - must be correct

• 2) time, without looking at a timepiece, correct to the nearest hour

• 3) 42, West Street - given as at test of immediate memory and retested at the end

• 4) month - must be exact

• 5) year - exact, except in Jan or Feb when last year is OK

• 6) name of place, or type of place or town ("in hospital" is insufficient (1))

• 7) date of birth - exact

• 8) start of WWI, exact - 1914

• 9) name of the present monarch

• 10) counting backwards from 20 to 0, can prompt to 18 and patient may self-correct or hesitate

• check the address

Notes:

There is evidence that clinicians use variants on these questions when undertaking a 10-point mini-mental test score (1). The above mini-mental test score is based on the format taught to Oxford University medical students (2). The stated mini-mental test varies from the original by questioning about month when the original mini-mental test asked about

• recognition of two people - score if roles of two people correctly recognised - for example, doctor and nurse

Reference:

1. Holmes J, Gilbody S. Differences in use of abbreviated mental test score by geriatricians and psychiatrists. BMJ. 1996 Aug 24;313(7055):465
2. R. Turner, R. Blackwood, R. Jones; Guide to History and Examination for Clinical Students; Oxford University Medical School publication.