Hoo lang a nummer can ye mind? It flashes up, then ye type it back, ae digit langer ilk time. A wheen meenits, free, nae sign-up.
Bi the Helibrain teamChecked bi Robert(Inglis), PhD candidate in biophysicsPit oot Last checked
Whit this test measures
It measures yer nummer span: the langest string o digits ye can repeat richt efter seein it. Nummer span is ane o the maist widely uised tests o short-term mindin, the wee store that hauds information for a few seconds while ye uise it 1.
In clinics the digits are uisually read oot lood, ane ilka second. Here they appear on screen aw at ance for 1 seconds plus 0.6 seconds per digit, sae yer score isnae the same as a clinical nummer span score.
Hou the test works
- The first nummer has 3 digits. Type it back and ilk richt answer adds ae digit.
- Ye get 2 tries at ilk length. When ye miss ilka try at ae length, the test ends.
- Yer score is the langest nummer ye typed back exactly richt.
Whye grouping digits helps
In a classic paper, George Miller pyntit oot that the limit o short-term mindin is set by the nummer o chunks ye haud, no the nummer o digits, and that fowk stretch it by grouping items intae bigger chunks 2. Readin 4-9-1-7 as "forty-nine, seventeen" is a chunkin trick. It is fine tae uise ane, but uise the same gate ilk time sae yer scores bide comparable.
Whit changes yer score?
In a computerised study o 763 adults aged 18 to 65, forward nummer span (repeatin digits in the order heard, as on this page) didnae change wi age. Only backward span, repeatin them in reverse, drapped a wee bit wi age. Fowk wi mair years o education scored a wee bit heicher 1. Practice at the task, weariness and distraction can shift it frae day tae day an aw. Ae run is a snapshot; several runs on different days tell ye mair.
Ither short-term mindin tests on this site: order mindin (the order o places on a grid) and n-back(Inglis) (haudin things in mind while they keep chyngin).
Related tests
- Order mindin testHou lang a sequence o places ye can repeat in order.
- Chimp testHou mony nummers on a grid ye can tap in order fae memory.
- N-back testInglisHou muckle ye can haud in mind while it keeps chyngin.
Want tae wark on this ilka day? The Helibrain app (in Inglis for noo) has a free plan an paid plans.
Cite this page: Nummer Mindin Test. Helibrain. 2026. https://helibrain.com/sco/number-memory-test. CC BY 4.0.
Common questions
How this test works
This test measures your digit span: how many digits you can hold in mind for a few seconds. A number appears on screen, then disappears. Type it back. The first number has 3 digits, and each right answer adds one digit. You get two tries at each length, and two misses at the same length end the test. Your score is the longest number you typed back exactly right. Psychologists have measured digit span since 1887.
Version 1 · Cite this test:
Helibrain (2026). Number memory test, v1. https://helibrain.com/number-memory-test/methods
Sources
- Woods DL, Kishiyama MM, Yund EW, Herron TJ, Edwards B, Poliva O, Hink RF, Reed B (2011). Betterin nummer span assessment o short-term verbal mindin. Journal o Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 33(1):101–111.
- Miller GA (1956). The magic nummer seven, plus or minus two: some limits on oor capacity for processin information. Psychological Review 63(2):81–97.
How we made this page: scrieved bi the Helibrain team fae the studies listed abuin, an checked bi Robert(Inglis) (PhD candidate in biophysics) on 11/3/2026. We update it when the soorces chynges.