Step 1 - Register three words

Say "Please remember these three words and then repeat them back to me when asked."

Then select one of the following sets of words and slowly read them out one at a time.

Then ask "please repeat the three words back to me."

If the subject fails to get all three words correctly, repeat the three words and ask them to repeat them back to you again. Give the subject up to three tries before moving on to the clock drawing test.

Step 2 - The clock drawing test

Say "Please draw me a clock face. Draw a large circle then put all the numbers in the clock as you would normally see them. Put the hands of the clock showing the time as eight twenty."

Give the subject a score of 2 if they do the following correctly:

Put all twelve numbers in the clock.

Put all the numbers in the correct places.

Each number only occurs once.

Put the numbers in the correct order.

Show two hands (of any length) with one pointing to the 8 and the other to the 4.

Otherwise give the subject a score of 0.

Step 3 - Word recall

Ask the subject "Can you repeat back to me the three words that I asked you to remember?"

Score 1 point for each word correctly recalled.

Interpretation

A score of 0-2 suggests that dementia is likely, and a score of 3 to 5 suggests dementia is unlikely.