Short-Term Memory Test — free online test with benchmark
About this test
The digit-span test is the oldest and most widely used measure of short-term memory: a sequence of digits appears, disappears, and you type it back. The length grows until the sequence breaks. The longest sequence you can reproduce is your digit span — one clean number that has been measured in labs since the 1880s.
This is the same protocol used in cognitive psychology research and clinical assessments: two trials at each length, the span counts only what you can reproduce correctly, and the test ends when a length beats you twice. It takes about two minutes.
How the short-term memory test works
- 1A sequence of digits appears for a few seconds — starting with just 3.
- 2Type the sequence back exactly as shown, then press Submit.
- 3Each correct answer makes the next sequence one digit longer.
- 4You get two attempts at each length; the test ends when both fail. Your span is the longest length you reproduced.
What your score means
The average adult digit span is about 7 digits — the famous “magical number seven” from Miller's 1956 paper, and the number modern textbooks still quote. Most people land between 5 and 9. A lower score usually says more about attention, sleep and reading strategy than about memory itself: the test measures one narrow buffer, not your memory overall.
What genuinely moves the number is chunking — grouping digits into meaningful units (a phone number is 3 chunks, not 10 digits). Trained memory athletes use it to reach 80+ digits, and it is completely learnable. The training game below and the full article explain the method step by step.
- 3–4:Below the typical range.
- 5–9:Typical range.
- 10–12:Above typical.
How to improve your score
- Chunk digits into groups of 2–3 and read them as units — the single fastest gain. .
- Train the full progressive version in Number Memory.
- Read the science and the chunking method in Digit Span: How Many Digits Can You Hold in Mind?.
- A few minutes daily beats one long session — the daily workout.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the short-term memory test take?
About two minutes. The test starts at 3 digits and grows one digit at a time; it ends automatically when a length defeats you twice, so the exact time depends on how far you get.
What is a good digit span score?
The average adult digit span is about 7 digits, and most people score between 5 and 9. Scoring 10 or more without chunking is rare. Trained memory athletes score far higher — but by grouping digits into chunks, not by holding a bigger raw sequence.
Is this a clinical memory test?
No. This is a free self-test modeled on the digit-span task used in research. Clinical memory assessment uses supervised test batteries and a professional interpretation. If memory problems affect your daily life, please see a doctor.
Why do I score lower when I am tired?
Digit span is highly sensitive to attention, sleep and stress — it measures a working buffer that those factors drain first. Retaking the test rested usually raises the score by 1–2 digits without any training at all.
Benchmark: Miller, G. A. (1956), “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two”. This test is part of the MemoryGames Test Center — it pairs with the training game Number Memory, and the full science is covered in Digit Span: How Many Digits Can You Hold in Mind?. This is a training and self-knowledge tool, not a medical instrument. Memory screening in clinics uses supervised batteries; if you are worried about memory loss, talk to a doctor.