Which of the following is NOT one of the six domains of the Mental Status Exam?

• A. Mood and Affect
• B. Memory
• C. Appearance, Attitude, and Activity
• D. Insight and Judgment

Answer: (B)

Memory isn’t treated as its own domain in the Mental Status Exam. The six domains are organized to capture how a person presents and how they think and function, with cognition serving as the umbrella for cognitive abilities. Within cognition you assess attention, orientation, recall and memory, language, problem-solving, and related skills. So memory is evaluated as a part of cognitive functioning rather than as a separate domain. That’s why memory is the correct choice for NOT being listed as one of the six domains. The other options align with distinct areas you’d document in the MSE: appearance, attitude, and activity describe how the person presents; mood and affect capture their emotional state; and insight and judgment reflect awareness and decision-making within cognitive assessment.