Number memory test:
what is your digit span?
A number appears for a few seconds, then disappears. Type it back. Each correct round adds one digit.
A number will appear for a few seconds. When it disappears, type it back. Each correct round adds one digit.
Train the underlying working memory
Digit span is the verbal side of working memory. Blanked trains the visuospatial side, which is the parallel system. Two minutes a day, free on iOS.
Download Blanked freeWhat this test measures
Digit span is one of the oldest and most-used tests in cognitive psychology. Jacobs introduced it in 1887; Miller\'s famous 1956 paper on "the magical number seven, plus or minus two" established the typical adult span at 7 (±2). The same task appears in the Wechsler intelligence scales, in clinical neuropsychology batteries, and in countless lab studies of working memory.
The forward digit-span (what this test measures) is the simplest version: just remember the digits in order. The backward digit-span (reproduce in reverse order) is the more demanding working-memory version. Typical adults are one to two digits shorter on backward than forward.
See our glossary entry on short-term memory for the longer technical version.
How to actually improve your score
Chunking. As soon as the number appears, group it into pairs or triples and remember the groups, not the individual digits. "8473902916" becomes "84-73-90-29-16". You are now holding five chunks instead of ten digits, which is much closer to the natural capacity of short-term memory.
The trick scales. Ericsson and Chase\'s 1980 study trained a college student named SF with chunking strategies until his digit span reached 79. He was holding three- and four-digit chunks tied to running-race times (he was a runner, so "3492" became "3 minutes 49.2 seconds, a near-world-record time"). The underlying capacity of his working memory did not change; the chunking did all the work.
Beyond chunking, the same daily-practice principle applies as for other working-memory tasks. Two minutes a day on the same task type produces measurable gains within weeks (Klingberg, 2010). For broader working-memory practice, see our working memory exercises page.
Frequently asked questions
What does this test measure?
Digit span: how many digits you can hold in short-term memory and reproduce in order. It is one of the oldest and most-used tests in cognitive psychology, dating back to Jacobs (1887) and refined by Miller's 1956 paper on the "magical number seven, plus or minus two".
What is a normal digit span?
Most adults score between 5 and 9, with the typical figure being 7. The figure is so robust across populations and decades that "the magical number 7 plus or minus 2" became one of the most famous numbers in psychology.
Can I improve my digit span?
Some, mostly by using chunking strategies (group digits into pairs or triples and remember the groups). The classical example is Ericsson's 1980 study of SF, a college student who reached a digit span of 79 by training with chunking. The underlying capacity barely changes; the technique does.
Is this the same as Human Benchmark number memory?
Same task family. The display timing and the result interpretation differ; Human Benchmark uses a fixed display time and visitor-percentile bars, here the display time scales with sequence length and the result cites Miller's digit-span norms.
How do I get better quickly?
Chunk. As soon as the number appears, group it into pairs (or threes for longer sequences) and remember the groups. "8473902916" becomes "84-73-90-29-16" which is much easier to hold. Try it on the next round.
Related: the parallel visual memory test, the sequence memory test, and the Human Benchmark alternative page.
- Miller (1956), “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two”
- Jacobs (1887), “Experiments on prehension” (the original digit-span study)
- Ericsson, Chase & Faloon (1980), “Acquisition of a memory skill”, Science (the SF study)
- Klingberg (2010), “Training and plasticity of working memory”, TICS