How HumanCalc scores work
Every game stores one number per run, and that number means something different in each game. This page lists what it means, how to compare your own results and what a score does not tell you.
What each game's score means
| Game | Shown as | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Dual N-Back | N-3 | The N of a completed round: how many turns back you were matching position and sound. After a round with at least 80% accuracy you are offered the next N. |
| Flash Anzan | Lvl 7 | The highest level you cleared in the run. Higher levels flash more numbers, faster, with larger values. |
| Mental Arithmetic | Lvl 4 | The highest level you cleared. Levels move from two-term sums to multi-step expressions with less time per question. |
| Serial Addition | Lvl 4 | The highest level you cleared. You add each number to the one before it, and the interval shortens as levels rise. |
| Reaction Time | 260ms | Your average reaction time across five rounds, in milliseconds. Lower is better; an early tap counts as a 1,500ms round. |
| Math Chain | Lvl 3 | The highest level you cleared. Longer chains of operations and less time between steps at higher levels. |
| Missing Operator | Lvl 5 | The highest level you cleared. The timer shrinks from eight to four seconds and expressions gain parentheses. |
| Stroop Test | 38 correct | The number of correct responses in a 45-second run. |
| Flash Recall | Lvl 6 | The highest level you cleared. Later levels show more shapes for less time. |
| Time Sense | 812 / 1,000 | Mean timing accuracy over five rounds, out of 1,000. Each round scores max(0, 1 − error ÷ actual duration) × 1,000. |
Comparing your own results
- Compare runs of the same game with the same settings, such as the same starting level or the same N.
- For timing games, keep the same device, browser and input method. A touchscreen and a keyboard give different reaction times.
- Look at accuracy as well as level. A higher level reached by guessing is a weaker result than a steady one.
- Judge several sessions, not one. A single run can be unusually good or bad.
XP, streaks and the daily challenge
Signed-in players earn XP for scored runs; the amount depends on the game and the result. Playing on consecutive days builds a streak, and the weekly leaderboard adds up XP from Monday 00:00 UTC. Guests can play the open games freely, but their results stay in the browser.
The Daily Challenge is scored separately: correct answers out of ten, with the time questions were on screen shown alongside. Everyone gets the same questions on the same UTC day.
Questions
Is a HumanCalc score an IQ score?
No. Each score describes performance on one browser game under that game's rules. None of them is a validated intelligence, memory or clinical measure.
Can I compare my score with other players?
Only loosely. Leaderboards show who played and what they reached, but device, input method, browser and practice all affect results. HumanCalc does not publish population norms or percentiles.
Why did my best score not change after a run?
Your profile keeps the best result for each game. A run that does not beat it still counts as practice and can still earn XP if you are signed in.
When does the weekly leaderboard reset?
Every Monday at 00:00 UTC. The weekly ranking adds up XP from scored runs during that week.
For the research behind the games and its limits, read what brain training evidence does and doesn't show.