Free digit span test โ how many digits can you hold in short-term memory? Measure your working memory and compare on a global leaderboard
How the test works
A 3-digit number appears for about 1.9 seconds, then vanishes. Type it back exactly. Get it right and the next number is one digit longer (and stays on screen a little longer). Get it wrong and you lose one of two hearts โ you retry the same length once, and a second miss ends the game. Your score is the longest number you recalled correctly; save it to the leaderboard with a nickname or share it as a challenge link.
- Press START. A 3-digit number appears in large type and a green bar underneath shrinks to show how long it will stay visible.
- When the bar runs out, the digits turn into question marks and the input field opens (set to a numeric keypad on phones). Type what you remember and press Check or Enter.
- If you type the wrong number of digits you only get a reminder to enter exactly n digits โ that does not count as a miss.
- A correct answer turns the number green, and 0.9 s later a new number one digit longer appears.
- A wrong answer shows the correct number for 1.5 s and turns off one heart. With a heart left you get a new number of the same length; with none left you go to the result screen.
Rules and scoring
| Start | 3 digits, 2 hearts |
|---|---|
| Display time | 1 s + 0.3 s per digit: 1.9 s for 3 digits, 2.5 s for 5, 3.1 s for 7, 4.0 s for 10 |
| Number generation | First digit is 1โ9 (never a leading zero); the same digit never appears twice in a row |
| Wrong answer | Lose one heart, keep the same length, get a freshly generated number. Zero hearts ends the run |
| Score | The longest number you typed back correctly. Clear 8 digits and fail twice at 9, and your score is 8 |
| Result message | 11+ "memory-champion territory", 9โ10 "top tier", 7โ8 "above average", below that "average ยท try chunking" |
| Leaderboard | More digits rank higher; ties share the same rank. You need at least 1 digit to submit |
Your personal best is stored in this browser, and a nickname of up to 12 characters on the result screen puts you on the global top 10.
What is a normal digit span?
The famous "magical number seven, plus or minus two" comes from exactly this task. Most adults manage about 7 digits forward; 9 or more is well above average, and 11+ usually means you are using a memory technique. The Wechsler intelligence scales use a digit span subtest the same way to measure working memory, and span tends to peak in your twenties and drift down slowly with age, fatigue and stress.
What the task measures is the capacity of verbal (phonological) working memory. You see the digits, but most people immediately convert them into inner speech and rehearse them, so the test taps the same system that holds a sentence you just heard for a few seconds. That is why it tracks everyday skills such as copying an unfamiliar phone number or a one-time passcode in a single pass. Because you answer in the original order, this is a forward span: it is mostly about holding information, with less of the manipulation load that a backward span (reciting the digits in reverse) adds.
How to remember more digits
- Chunking. Turn 4 8 2 7 1 9 into "48 ยท 27 ยท 19" โ three items instead of six. It is why phone numbers are written in groups.
- Rehearse out loud in your head. Repeat the digits in a rhythm the moment they disappear; the "phonological loop" keeps them alive for a few seconds.
- Attach meaning. 1994 becomes a birth year, 007 becomes James Bond โ one chunk instead of three or four digits.
- Say it as you type. Typing while sub-vocalizing keeps the sequence from collapsing halfway through.
- Group while the number is still visible. You have 1.9 to 4 seconds of display time; read the digits in pairs or triples then, so you are not trying to chunk after they are gone.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get the same number again after a miss?
No. The length stays the same but a new number is generated. The correct answer is shown for 1.5 s so you can see where you slipped; there is no need to memorize it.
Is there a time limit for typing?
No. The shrinking bar only covers the display phase. Once the input field opens, the clock is not running.
Can a number start with zero?
The first digit is always 1โ9. Numbers are also built so that the same digit never appears twice in a row, so you will never lose a heart to a missed double like 55 or 33.
My record disappeared
Your personal best is stored in the browser, so switching devices or browsers, or clearing site data, resets it. Scores submitted to the leaderboard stay on the server.
How do I compare with a friend?
The share link on the result screen carries your digit count. When a friend opens it, the title screen shows "Your friend got n digits" and they can take the same test right away.
Related tools
Working memory is just one piece. Test attention with the Schulte table, inhibition with the Stroop test, or raw speed with the reaction time test โ all free, no sign-up.
- Sequence Memory Test โ the visual counterpart: the same working memory measured with positions and order.
- N-back Test โ working memory under pressure, where you must keep updating what you hold.
- Schulte Table โ attention and peripheral vision instead of memory: find 1 to 25 in order.
- Stroop Test โ inhibitory control: pick the ink color, not the word.