The late-night host explained that he took the test “in the interest of fairness” and to “get a sense of what he [Trump] keeps babbling about.”

Jimmy Kimmel takes same cognitive test as Donald Trump to ‘get a sense of what he keeps babbling about’

The late-night host explained that he took the test "in the interest of fairness" and to "get a sense of what he [Trump] keeps babbling about."

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and *NME*.

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January 6, 2026 12:44 p.m. ET

Donald Trump; Jimmy Kimmel. Credit:

Chip Somodevilla/Getty; Jesse Grant/Variety/Getty

After Donald Trump bragged about passing his third straight cognitive exam on social media last week, Jimmy Kimmel is getting in on the action. **

The late-night host, 58, revealed on Monday’s episode of *Jimmy Kimmel Live* that he recently took the same test as Trump in order to see how just his brain measures up against the president's. **

“We’ve been hearing so much about these cognitive tests he keeps acing… and I’ve offered him the opportunity to take the test live on television. He still hasn’t gotten back to me on it,” Kimmel explained in his opening monologue. “So, in the interest of fairness, and also to get a sense of what he keeps babbling about, we got in touch with a doctor who gives these tests regularly, these cognitive exams, and I asked her to administer one to me.”

Jimmy Kimmel, winner of the Best Talk Show Award for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" poses in the press room during the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 04, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Prior to showing the results of his test, Kimmel clarified that he “did not see the questions ahead of time” and is “willing to release the full, unedited version” of the test if necessary. **

“Let’s find out just how difficult this big beautiful test is and how my brain stacks up against our stable genius president’s,” he added.

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The footage then cut to a segment that was thoughtfully titled, “Is Jimmy a Moron?” In it, Kimmel sat across from Dr. Sarah Swanson, who administered the test to him and confirmed that it was likely the same one taken by Trump. **

The exam tested Kimmel's different cognitive functions, from drawing a cube to identifying several animals. He was also asked to repeat back numbers, complete basic math equations, and memorize a collection of words that were revisited at the end of the test. **

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“You’ve got a perfect score,” Swanson told Kimmel at the end of the assessment, with a note onscreen revealing that he received 30 of the possible 30 points.

“So I can be president?” Kimmel replied, to which Swanson simply shrugged.

A graphic then appeared onscreen that read, “Aced it!”

On Jan. 2, Trump boasted that he had “ACED” his third straight cognitive exam, a test that he claimed “no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take” before him. **

“P.S., I strongly believe that anyone running for President, or Vice President, should be mandatorily forced to take a strong, meaningful, and proven Cognitive Examination,” the former reality star wrote on Truth Social. “Our great Country cannot be run by ‘STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!”**

Watch Kimmel take the test in the clip above.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Talk”