Memory Tests & Games
Six short tests of short-term and working memory, each one a game that gets harder until you slip. Find your digit span, your visual span, how many positions you can hold, how long a sequence you can repeat and how many words you can keep track of, with the typical scores for comparison.
- Memory GameFlip the cards and match every pair in as few moves as you can.
- Chimp TestNumbers hide when you click 1: tap them in order from memory, one more each level.
- Number Memory TestA number flashes up, you type it back; one digit longer every level.
- Visual Memory TestTiles light up and go dark; click the ones that were lit as the grid grows.
- Sequence Memory TestRepeat a growing sequence of flashing tiles in the right order.
- Verbal Memory TestWords appear one by one: seen before in this round, or new?
Which memory test should you take?
Each test probes a different part of short-term memory. The number memory test is the classic digit span: a number appears for a few seconds and you type it back, one digit longer every level. Most adults manage about seven. The chimp test comes from a Kyoto University study in which a chimpanzee beat students at remembering the positions of numbers on a grid; here the numbers hide when you click 1 and you tap the rest in order.
The visual memory test flashes a pattern of tiles and asks you to click the ones that were lit, with the grid growing every level. The sequence memory test is the Simon game: tiles flash in order and you repeat the order, one step longer each time. The verbal memory test shows words one at a time and asks whether each one appeared earlier in the round, a test of recognition memory against a pool that keeps growing. The memory game is the card matching game with boards from 12 to 48 cards, scored on moves and time.
What counts as a good score
- Number memory: 7 digits is average, 9-11 is above average, 12 or more is exceptional.
- Chimp test: 7-9 numbers is average, 10-13 above average, 14 or more exceptional.
- Visual memory: level 6-9 is average, 10-13 above average, 14 or more excellent.
- Sequence memory: level 6-9 is average, 10-14 above average, 15 or more excellent.
- Verbal memory: 20-50 words is average, 50-100 above average, over 100 excellent.
- Memory game: divide moves by pairs; under 1.5 is excellent, under 2 is good, 2-3 is normal.
How the tests relate to each other
Psychologists describe working memory as a central executive with two stores: a phonological loop for sounds and words, and a visuospatial sketchpad for images and positions. The number and verbal tests load the loop; the chimp, visual and sequence tests load the sketchpad. People often score well on one side and ordinarily on the other, which is normal. All of them share a capacity limit of a handful of chunks, so the way to score higher on any of them is the same: group items into chunks, rehearse while the information is still on screen, and give abstract items (digits, tiles) a name or a shape.
Are these tests diagnostic?
No. Versions of these tasks are used in clinical memory assessments, but there they are administered in a fixed way and scored against age norms as one part of a wider evaluation. Scores here depend heavily on sleep, attention, practice and the device you use. Treat them as games and as a way to compare your own sessions over time. If you are worried about your memory, talk to a doctor; a low score on a web page is not evidence of anything.
Related tests
The Stroop test measures attention and inhibition rather than memory, and the reaction time test measures processing speed. Both are in the benchmarks hub along with the typing tests.
Frequently asked questions
Which memory test is the most accurate?
What is a normal short-term memory span?
Can I improve my memory with these games?
Why is my score different each time?
Do the tests work on a phone?
Are my scores stored anywhere?
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