Jimmy Kimmel Takes the Same Cognitive Test as Donald Trump—And Shares the Results on Air

The late-night host says he wanted fairness, transparency, and a clearer understanding of the exam the former president keeps celebrating

Jimmy Kimmel decided to put curiosity—and satire—to the test. After Donald Trump publicly boasted about passing his third consecutive cognitive exam, the longtime late-night host revealed that he took the very same assessment to see what all the fuss was about.

On Monday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the 58-year-old comedian explained that his decision was rooted in both fairness and fascination. “We’ve been hearing so much about these cognitive tests he keeps acing,” Kimmel said during his opening monologue. “I’ve even offered him the opportunity to take the test live on television. He still hasn’t gotten back to me on it.”

So, Kimmel took matters into his own hands.

“In the interest of fairness—and also to get a sense of what he keeps babbling about—I asked a doctor who administers these exams regularly to give one to me,” he said.

Before revealing the results, Kimmel emphasized transparency, noting that he had not seen the questions in advance and was willing to release the full, unedited version of the test if necessary. “Let’s find out just how difficult this big, beautiful test is,” he joked, “and how my brain stacks up against our ‘stable genius’ president’s.”

The show then cut to a pre-recorded segment cheekily titled “Is Jimmy a Moron?” In the clip, Kimmel sat across from Dr. Sarah Swanson, who confirmed that the exam he was taking was likely the same one administered to Trump.

The test measured a range of cognitive functions, including spatial awareness, memory, language, and basic reasoning. Kimmel was asked to draw a cube, identify animals, repeat number sequences, solve simple math problems, and memorize a list of words that he was later asked to recall.

At the end of the assessment, Dr. Swanson delivered the verdict: a perfect score.

“You’ve got a perfect score,” she told him, as an on-screen graphic revealed that Kimmel had earned all 30 out of 30 possible points.

“So I can be president?” Kimmel quipped in response.

Swanson simply shrugged.

Another graphic flashed across the screen moments later, reading: “Aced it!”

The segment was a direct response to Trump’s Jan. 2 social media post, in which the former president declared that he had “ACED” his third straight cognitive exam—adding that “no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take” such a test.

Trump went on to argue that cognitive exams should be mandatory for anyone running for the nation’s highest offices. “Our great Country cannot be run by ‘STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!” he wrote.

Kimmel’s televised test may not settle the political debate, but it certainly added a dose of humor—and a measurable result—to an already buzzy conversation.