How the number memory test works
A number appears on the screen for a few seconds, with a bar that shows how long you have left. When it disappears, type it in and press Enter. Get it right and the next number is one digit longer. The first round has one digit; the time grows by 0.6 seconds for every digit.
Your score is the longest number you typed back correctly. Your best score and your last ten runs are saved in this browser.
What is a good score?
This test only compares you with yourself: your best and the average of your recent runs. For reference, memory research has long found that most adults can hold about seven digits in mind at once (the “seven, plus or minus two” idea). With practice and a few tricks, many people go well past that.
Tips
- Split the number into chunks of two or three digits, like a phone number: 482 913 57.
- Say the chunks to yourself in a steady rhythm while the number is on screen.
- Turn chunks into things you know: a year (1984), a time (7:45) or a price.
- Start typing right away when the number goes; waiting makes it fade.
Questions
Can I use a number pad? Yes. On a phone the box opens the number keyboard.
Does a mistake end the test? Yes, one wrong number ends the run. You see the number next to what you typed, with the wrong digits marked.
More tests: try Sequence Memory, Visual Memory, the Aim Trainer or the Reaction Test.