Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Duo

What is it?

The MoCA Duo is a digital, tablet-based version of the MoCA (version 8.1). It offers guided administration, automated scoring, and integrated reporting, reducing scoring variability and improving efficiency.

Purpose: The MoCA Duo is designed to facilitate test administration and scoring, making cognitive screening more reliable and time-efficient while maintaining the validity of the original paper MoCA.

Administration time

Approximately 10 minutes.

Setting

The MoCA Duo should be administered in a clinical setting or other calm, controlled, distraction-free environment.

Form

The app is available on iPad and iOS 9.0 and above, as well as on Android tablets, and is administered in a manner similar to the paper version. The examinee may complete the drawing tasks either directly on the screen (with finger or stylus) or on paper, after which a photo of the drawing is uploaded to integrate it into the digital test sheet.

Cost

Freely available for clinical and educational use; a license is required for commercial use.

Cognitive Domains Assessed

The MoCA Duo evaluates the same core cognitive domains as the standard paper version, including:

Executive functions

Memory

Language

Visuoconstructional abilities

Conceptual reasoning

Calculations

Orientation

Results

The total score ranges from 0 to 30 points, with higher scores indicating better cognitive functioning. Scores of 26 or higher are generally considered within normal limits. The completed test can be printed, emailed, or saved in the examinee’s file, allowing for easy comparison subsequent administrations.

Psychometric Properties

Property	Summary of Findings Across Studies	Typical Values / Ranges	Interpretation
Score Equivalence to Full MoCA	High correlation between electronic and paper forms	r ≈ .79 to .96; high ICC	Indicates strong equivalence of test scores across formats.
Internal Consistency	Comparable across electronic and paper administrations	-	Cognitive domains are captured similarly between formats.
Mean score differences	No clinically significant differences in total scores	-	Electronic administration does not inflate or depress performance.
Concurrent Validity	Electronic scores highly correlate with paper scores	-	Confirms the electronic format assesses the same cognitive domains.
Clinical Validity	Berg et al. demonstrated similar ability to distinguish cognitive impairment in memory clinic populations	-	Diagnostic utility is preserved in the electronic versions.

References

Managoli, M. V., Garcia, J., Johnson, M., Kauss, M. C., Kim, Y., Miller, H., Pascoe, M., Vera, E., Wollet, A. R., Guedes, V. A., Gilbert, M. R., Armstrong, T. S., & Acquaye-Mallory, A. (2024). Abstract B042: A survey of Neuro-Oncology (NOB) clinical providers to assess the feasibility and utility of the administration of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) cognition duo app in an outpatient
clinic. Cancer Research, 84(5_Supplement_1), B042. https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.BRAIN23-B042 mocacognition.com
Wallace, S. E., Donoso Brown, E. V., Simpson, R. C., D’Acunto, K., Kranjec, A., Rodgers, M., & Agostino, C. (2019). A comparison of electronic and paper versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 33(3), 272–278. PubMed
Berg, J. L., Durant, J., Léger, G. C., Cummings, J. L., Nasreddine, Z., & Miller, J. B. (2018). Comparing the electronic and standard versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in an outpatient memory disorders clinic: A validation study. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 62(1), 93–97. PubMed