The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was administered to 530 individuals, categorized by age and educational level, to assess the impact of these factors on cognitive performance. The study found that age did not significantly affect scores, but educational level did, with significant differences (p<0.0001) between four levels of education (illiterate, low, medium, and high). Cut-off values were established for each group, based on the 5th percentile of the distribution of MMSE scores: 13 for illiterate, 18 for low and medium, and 26 for high. When compared to 94 individuals with confirmed cognitive deficits, the cut-off values showed high sensitivity (82.4% for illiterate, 75.6% for low and medium, and 80% for high) and specificity (97.5% for illiterate, 96.6% for low and medium, and 95.6% for high). The study emphasizes the need for education-specific reference values to minimize diagnostic errors, particularly in populations with low educational levels.The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was administered to 530 individuals, categorized by age and educational level, to assess the impact of these factors on cognitive performance. The study found that age did not significantly affect scores, but educational level did, with significant differences (p<0.0001) between four levels of education (illiterate, low, medium, and high). Cut-off values were established for each group, based on the 5th percentile of the distribution of MMSE scores: 13 for illiterate, 18 for low and medium, and 26 for high. When compared to 94 individuals with confirmed cognitive deficits, the cut-off values showed high sensitivity (82.4% for illiterate, 75.6% for low and medium, and 80% for high) and specificity (97.5% for illiterate, 96.6% for low and medium, and 95.6% for high). The study emphasizes the need for education-specific reference values to minimize diagnostic errors, particularly in populations with low educational levels.