Objective To evaluate the performance of a French version of the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (F‐TICS‐m) in identifying cognitive decline among elderly women. Methods All women aged 72–86 participating in the ‘Etude Epidémiologique auprès de Femmes de l'Education Nationale’ (E3N) cohort and living in or near Paris constituted the target population of the validation study. Volunteer women (n = 120) underwent both a 20‐min telephone interview and a face‐to‐face neuropsychological examination at an interval of few days (median interval: 10 days). The telephone interview included F‐TICS‐m, as well as a recall of key elements of a short story, arithmetic/verbal problems and two verbal fluency tests. Neuropsychological examination consisted of a standardized battery of cognitive tests (including the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test‐FCSRT, Trailmaking tests A and B, the similarities subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale‐III, etc.) the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living questionnaire, and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Neuropsychological examination led to classification of each subject as cognitively normal (n = 92) or impaired/demented (n = 28). Results F‐TICS‐m showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.69). It correlated linearly with MMSE (Pearson's r = 0.72). Concurrent validity against the gold‐standard classification was satisfactory, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.83. The combination of F‐TICS‐m and the other telephone tests had no additional effect on discrimination power in our sample (AUC = 0.81). Conclusion F‐TICS‐m is a valid instrument for assessing the overall cognitive status of French elderly women. Its validity in men and its reproducibility warrant further studies. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.