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Background Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are high-risk factors for dementia. We developed a cognitive measurement tool for screening SCD and MCI in community-dwelling elderly individuals.Objective This study investigated the feasibility of using the Brief Elderly Cognitive Screening Inventory (BECSI) as a screening measure for MCI and SCD in community elderly.Design A cross-sectional validation study.Participants The study included 1642 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years.Outcome measures The Cronbach’s α and split-half coefficients were calculated to test its reliability. The BECSI scores of the normal control group, SCD group and MCI group were compared. The internal consistency analysis, correlation analysis with the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI) and core neuropsychological test (CNT) were conducted. The screening efficacy of BECSI was verified by receiver operating characteristic curve.Results BECSI was a self-report questionnaire. Its Cronbach’s α coefficient and split-half coefficient were respectively 0.923 and 0.888. The correlation coefficients between the total score and individual items ranged from 0.185 to 0.813, and were also significantly correlated with NPI and CNT. Statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups in the total scores. The areas under the curves for distinguishing SCD from normal cognitive and MCI from SCD are 0.835 and 0.889, respectively, with the optimal cut-off points of 12.5 and 16.5.Conclusion BECSI is quick and easy to administer, and can be used as a feasible and useful measure for screening SCD and MCI in community-dwelling older adults.