You lose a word mid-sentence, and the conversation moves on without you.
Put your everyday memory changes into clear words
Forgetting a name or misplacing your glasses happens to everyone. If you have started to wonder whether something has changed, reflect on six areas of everyday memory and thinking and see a free first reading of your answers. This is a self-check, not a cognitive test or a diagnosis.
- Clear words for what you have been noticing
- Six areas linked to real everyday situations
- Examples and questions to bring to your doctor
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The moments that make you wonder
A bill, a recipe, or a new phone feels harder to manage than it did a few years ago.
You are not sure whether what you notice is ordinary aging or worth mentioning to a doctor.
You may recognize several of these moments, one, or none. Everyday slips are common, and only a clinician can assess memory and thinking.
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Six areas of everyday memory and thinking
Remembering recent conversations and events
How well recent conversations, plans, and the places you put things stay with you.
Finding words and following language
Finding the word you want, recalling familiar names, and following spoken or written language.
Attention and keeping track
Holding a thought in mind, following conversations or stories, and staying with one task.
Keeping track of time and place
Knowing the day, date, and season, and finding your way in places you know.
Planning, money, and multistep tasks
Handling bills, recipes, new devices, paperwork, and other tasks with several steps.
Change noticed by me or others, and its effect on daily life
Whether you or people close to you have noticed a change, and how it affects your confidence and everyday life.
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From everyday moments to a clearer next step
Describe what happens
Answer 48 questions about everyday situations and 14 unscored questions about your context and needs.
Read your free preview
See which descriptions fit your answers more closely and which fit less well.
Choose useful detail
Use the free help information or choose the optional paid report for a fuller explanation and a summary to bring to your doctor.
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Information you can use beyond the result page
A six-area profile that separates different kinds of everyday changes
Your answer examples alongside timing, health context, and uncertainty
Clear examples and questions for your primary care doctor
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Who this self-check is for
- You are an adult answering about your own everyday memory and thinking.
- You have noticed changes, someone close to you has mentioned them, or you are simply curious.
- If you are concerned about someone else, this self-check is not designed to be answered on their behalf; a doctor can talk with both of you.
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Plain-language questions with clear limits
48 questions form six descriptive scores; 14 context answers personalize the explanation without changing the scores. This is a self-report reflection, not a cognitive test, a dementia screening, or a diagnosis, and it cannot tell ordinary aging apart from a medical condition.
62 questions · 6 areas · About 8–12 minutes
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Questions before you begin
Is this a dementia test, or the kind of memory test doctors use?
No. Clinicians use brief cognitive screening tools, such as the MoCA or the Mini-Cog, in which a trained professional asks you to complete short tasks. This self-check is not one of those tools and does not test your memory. It asks how much you agree with 48 statements about everyday life, plus 14 unscored context questions, and describes your answers in six areas. It cannot diagnose dementia, mild cognitive impairment, or any other condition.
Is some forgetfulness a normal part of aging?
Many people find that learning new things takes longer or that names come back more slowly as they get older. Occasionally misplacing things or losing a word is common. Changes that keep happening, get worse, or make everyday tasks harder are worth discussing with a doctor. This self-check can help you describe what you notice, but it cannot decide which kind of change you have.
What else can cause memory changes?
Many things besides dementia can affect memory and thinking, and many of them are treatable. Examples include thyroid problems, vitamin B12 deficiency, medication side effects, sleep problems, depression, anxiety, stress or grief, and alcohol use. Hearing or vision difficulties can also make conversations and reading harder to follow. Only a clinician can look into these causes, which is one reason to talk with a doctor rather than guess.
Should I see a doctor about my memory?
If you or someone close to you has noticed a change, it is reasonable to make an appointment with your primary care doctor and say that you would like to talk about memory. A family member or friend can come along to share what they have noticed. If you have Medicare, the Annual Wellness Visit is one opportunity to raise memory concerns. You do not need this report, or any score, to ask for help.
Can I take this for a parent or spouse?
This self-check is designed to be answered by a person about their own experience. If you are worried about someone else, you can gently share what you have noticed and offer to go with them to a doctor. The National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association offer free information for family members.
Is the self-check free, and do I need the paid report?
The questions and initial preview are free. You can choose a paid full report to read online and download as a PDF. You never need to buy a report to talk with a doctor or read the free help information.