The Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) Test:
A screening test of cognitive abilities

The Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) is one of the most widely used screening instruments for dementia. The Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) test has incorporated:

• four additional items (on long-term memory, abstract thinking, category fluency, delayed recall),
• more uniform administration and
• refined scoring, plus some other minor changes,

in order to sample a broader variety of cognitive functions, cover a wider range of difficulty levels, and enhance the reliability and validity of the test scores. 

The 3MS test has a score range of 1–100. It can provide an estimated score of the MMSE, and can also be used to monitor cognitive change over time.  By now a large body of literature has shown the usefulness of the 3MS test in both research and clinical studies.  

Time for administration and scoring:  8 -15 min
User Friendliness:  High
Administered by: Individuals with general background in cognitive testing and specific training with the 3MS Manual

Downloads that will be available after satisfactory completion of the Request Form:

• The 3MS Manual in English.  
• The 3MS quizzes, Form A and Form B, on the administering and scoring of the 3MS items, and correct answers to the quizzes.
• Two early articles on the 3MS test.  (Additional references are in the Manual.)