Number Memory Test
This number memory test shows you a number for a few seconds. Then it hides the number, and you type it back. Each right answer adds one digit, so the test finds how long a number you can hold in mind.
- A number appears for a few seconds. It starts with 3 digits.
- When it disappears, type it and press Enter.
- Each right answer adds one digit. You have 3 lives.
Keys: digits, then Enter
Saying the digits in groups of two or three in your head helps.
How does the number memory test work?
The first number has 3 digits. Longer numbers stay on screen a little longer. A bar under the number shows how much time is left.
When the number goes, type it and press Enter. A right answer moves you up one digit. A wrong answer costs one of your 3 lives and gives a new number of the same length. Your score is the longest number you typed back.
How many digits can most people remember?
A classic paper, Miller’s “magical number seven”, summarized evidence that people hold about 7 items in short-term memory. That is why digit span is often quoted as about 7.
Later research refined this. Cowan argued that seven was a rough estimate. He put the true limit at 3 to 5 chunks. A chunk is a group you treat as one thing, such as a year or a familiar pair of digits.
So a score near 7 is in the range people often reach. Scores above that usually come from grouping digits well.
How can I remember longer numbers?
- Group the digits in pairs or threes, like a phone number.
- Say the groups to yourself in a steady rhythm.
- Link a group to something you know, such as a date or an age.
- Look at the whole number once, then rehearse it. Do not read it again and again.
These tricks work because memory limits are counted in chunks. Three groups of three are easier than nine single digits.
What does number memory say about intelligence?
Holding and working with information is part of working memory. Full IQ tests such as the WAIS-5 have a working memory section. This game is not that test. It has no norms, so it cannot give a score on the IQ scale.
A large review of brain training found that practice improves the game you practice. It found little proof that the gains spread to other tasks. Play to have fun and to track your own score.
For a reasoning score with a range, take our free IQ test. You can also try sample IQ test questions first. Our methodology explains how that score is made.
FAQ
What is a good score on a number memory test?
About 7 digits is the figure most often quoted for adults. Grouping digits well can take you past it.
Why did the number disappear so fast?
Each number shows for a short time on purpose. The test checks what you can hold after it goes. Longer numbers get a little more time.
Is my score saved?
Your best and your last few results are saved in this browser. When a game ends, its score is also counted anonymously: one number, with no name, account or device details, so the site can show how plays compare once a game has enough of them. The cookie policy lists the storage item.