Key evidence & numbers
| Forward recall measure | Average | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional stopping-rule span | 6.35 digits | Score when the traditional failure rule is applied. |
| Maximum span across the test | 6.77 digits | Longest successful list reached during the fuller test. |
Source: original paper, experiment results and means table. The sample comprised 763 community volunteers aged 18–65 in Rotorua, New Zealand. Digits were heard and recalled in order; Helibrain displays a number visually, so these are not interchangeable norms.
What affects it?
Presentation, recall order, grouping and the stopping rule change what a span score means. The study demonstrates that different scoring rules can give different values even in the same sample. Study
Try the related free test
Number memory test
Test yourself: number memory. Use the same grouping strategy when comparing your own runs.
Common questions
Why is an average a fraction of a digit?
Each person's span can be a whole number while the average across people is fractional.
Is backward recall the same task?
No. Reversing the order adds a different demand. Do not mix forward and backward benchmarks.
Can this tell me my IQ?
We have no validated conversion from this visual number-memory score to IQ.
Sources
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