Download the official English SLUMS Test PDF from Saint Louis University's website. The same one-page form contains the core administration wording, so you do not need a separate instructions PDF. The Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination, or SLUMS, is a brief cognitive screening tool. It checks several thinking skills but does not, by itself, establish a diagnosis.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- What is included in the official PDF?
- How is the SLUMS test administered?
- What do the score ranges mean?
- Why clinical context matters
- Are translated forms available?
What is included in the official PDF?
The form contains all 11 test items, spaces for recording answers and scores, an education field, a clinician-signature line, and a scoring table. This makes it both the test form and the basic administration guide.
Saint Louis University describes SLUMS as copyright-free. Readers can therefore obtain the university's form directly instead of paying for a repackaged copy or relying on a third-party PDF library. For questions about the assessment tool, the official form lists `[email protected]` as the university contact.
How is the SLUMS test administered?
The form supplies the wording for five-word recall, one-minute animal naming, backward digits, clock drawing, figure identification, and story recall. Administrators should follow that wording consistently rather than improvising questions or prompts. A U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs evidence review describes SLUMS as a 30-point, 11-item screen that takes about seven minutes on average. It covers attention, calculation, recall, verbal fluency, digit span, clock drawing, figure tasks, and paragraph recall. Having the questions does not make the score self-explanatory. The way the test is presented and the conditions in which it is completed can affect the result.
What do the score ranges mean?
The official form adjusts its interpretation ranges according to education. Its printed categories are: These are the education-adjusted ranges printed on the SLU form.
They are screening categories, not a stand-alone explanation for why someone had difficulty with the test. A result can indicate that further clinical evaluation is appropriate. It cannot identify the underlying cause of impaired performance on its own.
- High-school education: 27–30 normal, 21–26 mild neurocognitive disorder, and 1–20 dementia.
- Less than high school: 25–30 normal, 20–24 mild neurocognitive disorder, and 1–19 dementia.
Why clinical context matters
The UCSF Memory and Aging Center cautions that cognitive-test validity depends on correct administration, a suitable setting, and consistency with the patient's clinical history. Language, education, culture, and literacy may also complicate interpretation. Someone reviewing a result should consider whether the person understood the language, could hear and see the materials, and completed the test without avoidable distractions.
These factors do not automatically invalidate a score, but they can change how much confidence to place in it. If a score raises concern, bring the completed form and relevant observations to a clinician. Useful context includes which tasks were difficult and whether the result matches changes noticed in daily life.
Are translated forms available?
Saint Louis University hosts localized SLUMS PDFs, including German and Romanian versions. A person being screened should use an appropriate official language form rather than an unverified translation of the English questions.
Translation matters because word recall, verbal fluency, and story comprehension depend on language. If the needed version is unclear or unavailable, contact SLU at `[email protected]` before substituting independently translated wording.
