A short examination for aphasia is presented, by means of which the examiner may determine which of the basic cerebral processes underlying language are defective, and classify patients in clinical groups which carry reliable prognoses for recovery. Five groups are described, and the diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, prognosis and recommendations for treatment stated for each group. Test items are selected from the research edition of the Minnesota test for Differential Diagnosis of Aphasia, which is the result of 7 years of systematic investigation of aphasic disorders.