Reviewed by the Help Dementia Editorial Team — our editors review every article for accuracy against guidance from the National Institute on Aging, the Alzheimer’s Association, and peer-reviewed sources.
Understanding slums test helps families ask better questions at the memory clinic. The points below build on the slums test basics above with the practical detail most doctors do not have time to explain.
Related guide: Cognitive Tests for Dementia — our comprehensive resource on this topic.
This guide is part of our pillar resource: Cognitive Tests for Dementia: MMSE, MoCA, SLUMS, Mini-Cog Compared.
The SLUMS test — Saint Louis University Mental Status Exam — is a free 11-item cognitive screen built at a VA hospital. It scores 0 to 30 and adjusts cutoffs by education. Many veterans’ clinics still prefer it because it is open and easier to administer than the MoCA.
What the SLUMS Test Measures
Orientation, short-term memory, calculation, naming, animal-naming fluency, attention, and a clock-drawing task. The animal-naming task is the SLUMS signature — patients name as many animals as they can in 1 minute.
SLUMS Score Interpretation
For high-school-educated patients: 27 to 30 normal, 21 to 26 mild neurocognitive disorder, 1 to 20 dementia. For less-than-high-school education: 25 to 30 normal, 20 to 24 mild, 1 to 19 dementia.
SLUMS vs MoCA
SLUMS catches mild impairment at rates close to MoCA in head-to-head VA studies. MoCA has more published research and more international use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the SLUMS test free?
Yes. Saint Louis University publishes it free of charge for clinical use.
Read more at the MedlinePlus cognitive testing overview.
