Objective: The aim of this study is to compare an empirically derived classification of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from a sample of adults with subjective cognitive complaints by using cluster analysis of their performance on the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) with a classification of aMCI based on standard clinical criteria. Method: Three hundred ninety-one individuals aged 48 years and older were diagnosed as aMCI or healthy controls. Cluster analysis of the CVLT performance was conducted, followed by logistic regression analysis. Results: A two-cluster solution performed on the CVLT measures correctly classified 98.0% of the aMCI patients and 73.4% of the healthy controls diagnosed by using standard aMCI criteria. Discussion: The empirically derived classification of aMCI is consistent with the classification based on standard criteria; however, standard criteria should also be considered to prevent false positives.