The same light gantry as a grand prix start. Five red lights come on one at a time, then after a gap you cannot predict they all go out together. Go on lights out — move early and it is a jump start. Your score is the average of five runs.
How this differs from a plain reaction test
In a reaction time test you simply wait for green with nothing else going on. A start gantry is different. Tension builds as each light comes on, and the gap after the fifth one may be 0.2 seconds or three. Your body is already loaded to go, so you have to hold and release at the same time — which is why the same person scores differently on the two tests.
| 150–200 ms | What F1 drivers actually produce on the grid |
|---|---|
| 200–240 ms | Top-level esports and sim racing |
| 250–300 ms | Typical adult average |
| Over 300 ms | Tired, or confirming the signal visually before moving |
| Under 100 ms | Not a response to the signal — that is a guess |
How to play
- Press START; five unlit lights appear.
- They turn red one by one from the left, about a second apart. Once all five are on, keep your finger ready.
- Between 0.2 and 3 seconds later all five go out at once. Tap the screen or press Space right then.
- Moving before lights out is a jump start: the run is discarded and that same run is repeated.
- After five valid runs you get your average and can post it with a nickname.
Why jump starts are counted
The gap is drawn fresh every time, so guessing only works if you are lucky. If void runs simply vanished, you could keep guessing until one landed — so the result screen also shows how many jump starts you had. Same average, fewer jump starts, better drive.
Tips
- Do not stare at the fifth light. Hold a loose gaze over the whole gantry and react to the overall change in brightness. Fixating on one spot suppresses peripheral vision and costs you time.
- Do not hold your breath. Holding tenses the hand. Breathing out gently while the lights come on keeps the finger quick.
- Rest your finger almost on the screen. Striking from above costs you the travel.
Scoring and the leaderboard
Your score is the average of five runs in milliseconds, lower is better. Jump starts do not enter the average but the count stays on the result. An average under 80 ms cannot come from reacting to the signal, so it is not accepted on the leaderboard. Your personal best follows your account once you sign in; the leaderboard keeps one row per signed-in account.
Frequently asked questions
Can my screen or device give me an advantage?
Yes. A high refresh rate display (120 Hz and up) shows lights out sooner, and low-latency input helps. The spread is usually 10–30 ms, so comparing your own scores on one device is the most meaningful.
Is the interval between lights random too?
No — lights come on about one second apart. What changes every time is the gap between the fifth light and lights out, exactly as in the real procedure.
Can I use a keyboard?
Space or Enter both work, and a keyboard is usually a touch faster than a touchscreen.
Related tests
- Reaction Time Test — one signal, pure reaction
- Impulse Control Test — telling "go" from "hold"
- Aim Trainer — reaction plus accuracy
- Dynamic Vision Test — reading things in motion