Number Memory Test

How the number memory test works

1. Press Start. A number appears for a few seconds, with a bar that shows how long you have left.
2. When it disappears, type it in and press Submit.
3. If you are right, the next number is one digit longer. The first mistake ends the test.

The first number has three digits, and each extra digit adds a little more time to look. Your result is the longest number you remembered correctly, your digit span, and your best is kept on this device.

How many digits can people remember?

In a famous 1956 paper, the psychologist George Miller described short-term memory as holding about seven items, give or take two: “the magical number seven”. Later research suggests the true limit is smaller, and that people reach longer spans by grouping items together. So a result around seven is ordinary, and the tricks below can push it further.

Tips for remembering longer numbers

• Group the digits. 4 8 2 9 1 7 is six things to hold; 482 917 is two. Phone numbers are written in groups for this reason.
• Say it to yourself. Repeating the number in your head while you wait keeps it fresh.
• Find patterns. A year, a date, a repeated digit or a run like 3 4 5 all reduce what you need to remember.
• Picture it. Some people remember numbers better as an image of the digits, or as positions on a phone keypad.

For colours instead of numbers, try the Simon game. To measure how quickly you react, try the reaction test.