What Trump's saying about his cognitive test results

• The desire picked up as former President Biden left office at 82 years old and Trump retook the White House at 79.

Driving the news: Trump mentioned the cognitive test while bashing Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), 36, and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44, calling both of them "low IQ" and suggesting they wouldn't do well on the tests.

• "Those are really hard, they're really aptitude tests, I guess, in a certain way. But they're cognitive tests," Trump said.
• "The first couple of questions are easy. A tiger, an elephant, a giraffe, you know. When you get up to about five or six, and then when you get up to 10 and 20 and 25, they couldn't come close to answering any of those questions," Trump added.

The other side: Ocasio-Cortez responded to Trump's comments: "Out of curiosity, did those doctors ask you to draw a clock by any chance? Was that part hard for you, too? Asking for 340 million people," she wrote on X.

Indeed, drawing a clock is one of the parts of the cognitive test that Trump has taken in the past.

Here's what we know about the test.

Trump's cognitive test results

The intrigue: Trump didn't offer specific details about his score, nor confirm if this was his April test or the same assessment he spoke of earlier in October.

• The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Monday afternoon.

Flashback: Earlier this month, Trump said he earned a "perfect score" on cognitive test when visiting Walter Reed for his "semi-annual physical."

• "I also did a cognitive exam, which is always very risky, because if I didn't do very well you'd be the first to be blaring it, and I had a perfect score," Trump said.
• "And one of the doctors said he's almost never seen a perfect score. I had a perfect score. I had the highest score. And that made me feel good."

In April, the president's doctor, Sean Barbabella, similarly said Trump's cognitive functions were evaluated through the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a common test used to identify cognitive impairment.

• Trump earned a perfect 30 score, his doctor said at the time.

• "A comprehensive neurological examination revealed no abnormalities in his mental status, cranial nerves, motor and sensory function, reflexes, gait, and balance," Barbabella said in a statement.

How the cognitive tests work

The MoCA test requires participants to answer a series of questions, often taking 10 minutes to complete.

• Test takers are asked to draw a clock, identify animal pictures and repeat a number of words.
• A score of 26 out of 30 is considered normal.

What the test is used for

The test was designed to measure cognitive impairment, and is not used to measure intelligence or IQ.

• In fact, many of the questions are answerable by toddlers, per the New York Times.
• The MoCA normally assesses short-term memory, executive functions and memory.

Zoom in: "Through research and innovation, we provide for the most accurate assessment of cognitive performance," the test's website reads.

• "Our leading cognitive screening tools are key in early diagnoses and treatment plans to improve brain health and well-being."

Trump's history of cognitive tests

In 2020, Trump bragged about passing a cognitive test in an interview on Fox News.

• "The first two questions are easy, but I bet you couldn't even answer the last five questions. They get very hard."

Go deeper: Trump underwent previously undisclosed MRI during Walter Reed visit