Worried about your own memory — or noticing changes in someone you love? This free self-check asks 20 questions about everyday memory, language, judgment, and mood changes compared with a few years ago. It takes about 3 minutes, runs entirely in your browser (your answers are never sent or stored anywhere), and ends with a concern score, a plain-language breakdown, and a printable summary you can take to a doctor. Its questions and scoring are grounded in published cognitive-screening research; the methodology and sources are documented below.
This is an educational awareness tool, not a medical test. It cannot diagnose dementia — only a clinician can. If you notice sudden confusion that appeared over hours or days, seek medical care now rather than using any online tool.
What this self-check is — and what it isn't
Every question above is original and asks about change from your own baseline — the signal doctors care about most. This is deliberately not a memory test: it is not the MoCA, MMSE, SAGE, or Mini-Cog, and it borrows nothing from them. Those are clinical instruments that must be administered and scored by a trained professional to mean anything. What a browser tool can do honestly is organize your observations, weigh them the way an intake conversation would, and tell you whether the pattern is worth a doctor's time.
Your answers never leave this page. There is no account, no email capture, and nothing is transmitted or stored — close the tab and your answers are gone.
How this self-check was built: methodology and scientific sources
This is an awareness tool, not a clinical instrument — but its design follows established cognitive-screening research at every step. Here is how, and where each piece comes from.
Why these six domains
The questions are grouped into memory, language and communication, orientation, judgment and problem-solving, daily function, and mood and personality. These are the same cognitive and behavioral areas the National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer's Association criteria require a clinician to assess when evaluating all-cause dementia [1], and they overlap directly with validated brief screens such as the AD8 informant interview, which asks about judgment, reduced interest in activities, repeating, trouble with finances and appointments, and everyday memory [2].
Why it asks about change, not a snapshot
Every item is phrased as a change "compared with a few years ago." That mirrors the core design principle of the AD8: it detects dementia by measuring intra-individual change from a person's own prior baseline rather than performance against a population norm, which is what lets a brief question set work without a proctored test [2]. It is also why we offer a loved-one mode. Awareness of one's own deficits is frequently lost as dementia progresses (anosognosia), so informant report becomes more reliable than self-report over time [3] — the same reason validated screens like the AD8 are built around a knowledgeable informant.
Why some items are weighted as red flags
A handful of answers escalate the concern tier on their own. Getting lost on a familiar route and abrupt, out-of-character decisions are weighted most heavily because they are among the strongest real-world signals in the literature. Diminished ability to detect scams, for example, was shown in a prospective cohort to precede and predict incident mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia — low scam awareness carried roughly a 50% higher risk of progressing to dementia [4]. That is why the tool treats a new lapse in financial judgment as a flag, not a footnote.
What the tool deliberately does not do
It does not administer or score any copyrighted test, and it does not output a clinical score. Where a real evaluation goes next is a standardized in-office screen — most commonly the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a validated 10-minute tool designed to catch mild cognitive impairment that a normal conversation misses [5] — plus blood work and sometimes imaging. This self-check is built to get you to that appointment with organized, specific observations, which is exactly what a 15-minute visit needs.
Honest limitations
This questionnaire has not itself been validated in a clinical trial, and no online tool can diagnose dementia or rule it out. Treatable conditions — thyroid disease, B12 deficiency, depression, sleep apnea, medication effects — produce the same picture, which is why every result points to a clinician.
Sources
- McKhann GM, Knopman DS, Chertkow H, et al. The diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease: recommendations from the National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer's Association workgroups. Alzheimer's & Dementia. 2011;7(3):263–269. PMID 21514250
- Galvin JE, Roe CM, Powlishta KK, et al. The AD8: a brief informant interview to detect dementia. Neurology. 2005;65(4):559–564. PMID 16116116
- Starkstein SE. Anosognosia in Alzheimer's disease: diagnosis, frequency, mechanism and clinical correlates. Cortex. 2014;61:64–73. PMID 25481465
- Boyle PA, Yu L, Schneider JA, Wilson RS, Bennett DA. Scam awareness related to incident Alzheimer dementia and mild cognitive impairment: a prospective cohort study. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2019;170(10):702–709. PMID 30986826
- Nasreddine ZS, Phillips NA, Bédirian V, et al. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA: a brief screening tool for mild cognitive impairment. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2005;53(4):695–699. PMID 15817019
What a real cognitive evaluation involves
A typical evaluation starts with a 5–15 minute standardized screening — most memory clinics now use the MoCA rather than the older MMSE because it catches early changes about a year sooner. Your doctor should also order blood work to rule out treatable causes (thyroid, B12) and may add imaging. Depending on results, the next step is a fuller work-up — here is how to prepare a loved one for cognitive testing — or a referral for neuropsychological testing. Score guides: MoCA score interpretation, the MMSE score chart, and Mini-Cog vs MMSE. Tempted to try the real thing yourself first? Read why the MoCA can't be self-administered at home.
When to skip the self-check and call a doctor
- Sudden confusion that developed over hours or days — this can signal infection, stroke, or medication trouble and needs same-day care.
- Getting lost in a familiar place, even once.
- A fall plus new confusion, or new confusion after starting a medication.
- Safety incidents — a stove left on, wandering, giving money to strangers.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a real dementia test?
No. It is an educational self-check of warning signs. Real cognitive tests are standardized instruments given in person by a clinician, and dementia is only diagnosed from testing plus history, labs, and often imaging.
Is this the MoCA test?
No. The MoCA is a copyrighted clinical instrument that requires a trained administrator. This self-check uses entirely original questions about everyday changes and produces an awareness score, not a clinical score.
Are my answers private?
Yes. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Answers are never transmitted, stored, or shared, and there is no sign-up.
What score means someone has dementia?
No score on this or any online quiz can mean someone has dementia. A high concern score means the pattern of changes is worth prompt medical attention — several treatable conditions, from thyroid disease to depression, produce the same picture.
What's the difference between normal aging and a warning sign?
Normal aging: occasionally misplacing keys, needing a moment to find a word, forgetting a name but recalling it later. Warning signs: forgetting entire events, getting lost on familiar routes, new trouble managing money, and changes other people notice. Change from a person's own baseline matters more than any single slip.
Does Medicare cover cognitive testing?
Yes. Cognitive impairment detection is a required part of the free Medicare Annual Wellness Visit, and Medicare also pays for a separate, longer cognitive assessment visit (no referral needed) when a concern is found.
Medical disclaimer: HelpDementia.com provides educational information only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or qualified health provider with any questions about a medical condition.