Key evidence & numbers
| Ability | Reported pattern | Which data? |
|---|---|---|
| Digit-symbol processing speed | Peaked in the late teens. | Published norming data. |
| Visual and verbal working memory | Peaked around age 30. | An online experiment. |
| Vocabulary | Peak around 50 in the norming data; about 65 in the online sample. | Different samples and testing periods. |
These are approximate ages of peak raw task performance, not average IQ scores. The paper reports 48,537 online participants overall, alongside its separate analysis of published norms. Study and public paper
What affects it?
The ability tested and the sample matter. The vocabulary estimates differ across samples; the authors discuss possible cohort and education-related explanations rather than a fixed biological deadline. Cross-sectional age curves also do not trace each person's life. Study
Try the related free test
Processing speed test
Test yourself: processing speed. This is a task result, not a measurement of your brain's age.
Common questions
Does passing a peak mean I cannot learn?
The curves describe average performance on particular tasks. They do not set a limit on what you can learn.
Why do different articles give different ages?
They may refer to different abilities, samples or definitions of a peak. Ask which task the age describes.
Is this the same as average IQ by age?
No. Age-normed IQ and raw performance across age groups are different comparisons.
Sources
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