Cognitive Performance Test
What It Measures
The Cognitive Performance Test (CPT) measures functional cognition: not what a person can recall on a memory test, but whether they can carry out the everyday tasks that thinking is for. Someone may score well on word recall and still be unable to plan a bus route or set up a pillbox.
Seven subtasks are observed in one session: Medbox, Shop, Toast, Phone, Wash, Dress, and Travel. Each varies the cues available and the working memory the task demands. Scoring reflects how much cueing a person needed, and subtask scores average into an overall level. Because the same construct is measured across all seven, the CPT tracks change over time and produces profiles that translate directly into what support a person will need at home.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: CPT kit includes the manual, administration protocols, and props for Medbox, Shop, Wash, and Toast; Phone, Dress, and Travel are location-specific, with prop instructions supplied rather than materials. Reproduction requires publisher permission.
Learn More: A five-task short version, the CPT5 (Medbox, Shop, Toast, Phone, Wash), was developed for primary care and shows close agreement with the full battery.
