Number Memory Test — How Many Digits Can You Remember?
A number flashes. Type it back, one digit longer each time.
- Working memory
- 3 min
- Medium
This is a digit span test you can take in the browser. A number appears for a few seconds, then disappears, and you type it back from memory. Level 1 shows 3 digits and every correct answer adds one more, up to 22 digits at level 20. The textbook average for adults is about 7 digits. You get 2 lives, and the result screen tells you how many digits you held.
Play Number MemoryDifficulty map
From level 1 to the final stop. Percentages come from real HumanCalc players.
- Stop 1 of 20, Easy: level 1.
- Stop 2 of 20, Easy: level 2.
- Stop 3 of 20, Easy: level 3.
- Stop 4 of 20, Easy: level 4.
- Stop 5 of 20, Easy: level 5.
- Stop 6 of 20, Medium: level 6.
- Stop 7 of 20, Medium: level 7.
- Stop 8 of 20, Medium: level 8.
- Stop 9 of 20, Hard: level 9.
- Stop 10 of 20, Hard: level 10.
- Stop 11 of 20, Hard: level 11.
- Stop 12 of 20, Hard: level 12.
- Stop 13 of 20, Hard: level 13.
- Stop 14 of 20, Hard: level 14.
- Stop 15 of 20, Hard: level 15.
- Stop 16 of 20, Hard: level 16.
- Stop 17 of 20, Hard: level 17.
- Stop 18 of 20, Hard: level 18.
- Stop 19 of 20, Hard: level 19.
- Stop 20 of 20, Hard: level 20.
Easy
Lvl 1–5
Medium
Lvl 6–8
Hard
Lvl 9–20
How it works
1A number appears for a few seconds. A thin bar shows how long is left.
2It disappears. Type back every digit in order.
3Each correct answer adds one digit. A wrong answer costs a life.
How to play
- 1
Look at the number
A number with 3 digits appears in large type. A thin bar above it shows how long it stays: 2.5 seconds for 3 digits, a half second more for each extra digit.
- 2
Type it back
When the number disappears, enter it with the on-screen keypad or your keyboard and press Submit or Enter. Every digit has to be right and in the right place.
- 3
Go one digit longer
A correct answer moves you up one level, which means one more digit. A wrong answer costs one of your 2 lives and shows the number next to what you typed, with the wrong digits marked. The next number has the same length. The run ends when you run out of lives or clear level 20.
What it trains
Hold and update information while under load. Miller (1956) summarised early experiments showing that people can hold about seven items, plus or minus two, in immediate memory. Cowan (2001) argued that when people cannot rehearse or group items, the limit is closer to four chunks, so grouping digits is one way to get past seven. Your result here describes this game on this device, not a clinical memory score.
- Practice focus
- Working memory
- Based on
- Miller, 1956; Cowan, 2001
Research background
- Miller (1956): The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information
- Cowan (2001): The magical number 4 in short-term memory: A reconsideration of mental storage capacity
These sources describe related tasks or concepts. HumanCalc adapts them for browser practice; a game score is not a clinical result.
Leaderboard
Resets every Monday 00:00 UTC. The overall weekly top 3 earn a medal and +500 / +300 / +150 XP. How scores work. Scores here show as Lvl 5.
Leaderboard
Questions
How many digits can the average person remember?
About 7, according to the figure most psychology textbooks take from Miller (1956). In this game that is level 5. A single run depends on sleep, distraction and practice, so one result is a rough reading, not a fixed trait.
Does chunking count?
Yes. Nothing stops you from grouping digits in your head, such as reading 4829173 as 48, 29, 173 or as a date. The game does not group the digits for you, so any chunking is your own. It is the main way people get past seven digits.
How do I improve my digit span?
Group the digits into pairs or triples and say them quietly in a steady rhythm. Tie each group to a number you already know, such as a year. Short, regular sessions beat one long one. Practice raises your score on this kind of task; how far it carries over to other tasks is less certain.
How long is the number shown?
One second plus half a second per digit: 2.5 seconds for 3 digits, 4.5 seconds for 7 digits and 12 seconds for 22 digits.
What counts as my score?
The highest level you cleared, out of 20. Level 1 is 3 digits, so level 5 means you held 7 digits. The result screen shows the digit count.
Is this the same as a clinical digit span test?
No. Clinical versions are read aloud by a trained examiner at about one digit per second and scored with set rules. This is an on-screen version for practice and comparison with your own earlier runs. It cannot diagnose anything.
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