Number memory test

A study that tested 763 adults aged 18 to 65 on a computer found that most of them repeated between 5 and 7 digits forwards; far fewer were below or above^[1]. The digits were spoken there and are shown here, so we draw that range beside your result as a guide and never rank you against other visitors. An older rule of thumb from memory research says much the same: adults hold about seven things at once, give or take two^[2].

Your own span moves from day to day. It is lower when you are tired or hurried and higher when you are rested, so your own earlier results are the fairest thing to compare with. How we measured this shows them as short ticks on a ruler beside the range.

A number is judged right only when every digit you typed matches, in order. Letters, spaces and anything pasted are left out: only digits you typed count, and the field takes no pasted text. Digits written in other numeral systems are read as the digits they stand for.

The test is a forward digit span with two tries at each length, the way memory researchers have long run it. Your span is the longest length with at least one try right. If you answer two tries wrong at the first length, your span is zero, which is also a result. If you reach the longest number the test can show, which is 16 digits, the result is marked so that you know your true span may be higher.

The speed of the digits matters, and so does how the answer is scored, so your number is not the same as one from a test with another pace. Nothing about your answers leaves this browser: the result is saved here and never goes into a link. You can read about us to see who makes the site.

Most people remember digits by saying them silently to themselves, so the span depends a lot on how quickly you can do that. Long or awkward number names are harder to rehearse than short ones, which is one reason a span can differ between languages.

• Grouping: breaking a number into chunks of two or three digits, as you would a phone number, holds more than one long string.
• Meaning: a chunk that looks like a date or a year is easier to keep than a random pair.
• Rest and attention: a distracted or tired mind drops digits sooner.
• Pace: digits that come more slowly are easier to rehearse than quick ones.

Practice helps, mostly through better habits of chunking and rehearsal rather than a bigger memory. Try grouping the digits as they arrive, repeat each group quietly, and type them before you start to doubt them. Take the test a few times on different days and watch your own ticks on the ruler rather than a single number.