How the Number Memory Test Works
Watch the Number
A number will appear on screen for a brief time. The display time scales with the number of digits.
Type It Back
After the number disappears, type the exact digits you remember and press Enter or click Submit.
Level Up
Get it right and one more digit is added. Level 1 = 1 digit, Level 7 = 7 digits, and so on.
Game Over
The test ends when you enter the wrong number. Your score is the highest level you completed.
Understanding Digit Span Memory
The digit span test is one of the oldest and most widely used measures of working memory in psychology. First introduced by Jacobs in 1887, it has been included in major intelligence tests including the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Stanford-Binet test. Your "digit span" is the longest sequence of numbers you can reliably remember and reproduce in correct order.
George Miller's landmark 1956 paper, "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two," established that the average human can hold approximately 7 items in short-term memory. This is why telephone numbers in the US were designed to be 7 digits. Our number memory test lets you discover your personal digit span.
Digit Span Score Interpretation
| Digits | Rank | Percentile | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Below Average | Bottom 15% | May indicate distraction or fatigue |
| 5-6 | Average | 15-50% | Normal working memory |
| 7-8 | Good | 50-80% | Miller's magic number range |
| 9-11 | Excellent | 80-95% | Strong short-term memory |
| 12-15 | Outstanding | 95-99% | Likely using chunking strategies |
| 16+ | Exceptional | Top 1% | Memory athlete territory |
Tips to Remember More Numbers
- Chunking — Group digits into 2-3 digit chunks. Instead of 4-8-2-7-5-1, remember 48-27-51. This effectively triples your capacity.
- Rhythmic rehearsal — Repeat the digits with a rhythm, like a phone number: "four-eight-two, seven-five-one."
- Visual patterns — Notice the number pad layout. Some sequences form shapes on a numeric keypad.
- The Major System — Advanced technique that converts digits to consonant sounds, then words. 42 = "rain," 87 = "fog."
- Practice daily — Working memory is trainable. Even 5-10 minutes per day yields measurable improvement within 2-3 weeks.