Free Interactive Short-Term Memory Tests

Try a variety of short-term memory tests to see how your brain stacks up against cognitive research benchmarks. This is a no-judgement space. See where you're at, try some memory-boosting techniques, and then re-test yourself later to see how you've progressed.

Here are the short-term memory tests we provide:
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1. Digit Span Memory Test
2. Letter Span Memory Test
3. N-Back Memory Test
4. Stroop Test
5. Visual Memory Matrix Test

1. Digit Span Memory Test

Your brain's working memory can only juggle about 4-7 pieces of information at once before everything falls apart. This test finds your exact limit by showing you sequences of digits that get progressively longer until your mental capacity taps out.

How it works: Numbers flash on screen, then you type them back in the correct order. Forward mode tests basic recall (like remembering a phone number), while backward mode forces your brain to work harder by reversing the sequence (much trickier).

Most people max out around 6-7 digits forward and 4-5 backward. If you're consistently hitting 9+ forward, you might have superhuman working memory. If you're struggling with 4, don't panic — that's still within normal range, and working memory can be improved with practice.

Want to learn more about the Digit Span Test (and tips to improve your score)? Check out this complete resource.

2. Letter Span Memory Test

Same concept as digit span, but with letters instead of numbers — and your brain will probably hate it even more.

How it works: Random letters appear on screen, then you recall them in order (forward mode) or reverse order (backward mode). We've excluded visually confusing letters like I, L, O, Q, S, and Z by default because your brain doesn't need that extra torture, but you can turn off "confusables" if you're feeling masochistic.

Your brain processes numbers and letters differently. While digits feel naturally sequential (1, 2, 3...), random letters have no logical order, making them much harder to hold in working memory. Most people score 1-2 items lower on letter span than digit span.

Interested in what makes the letter span test so difficult? Learn the science behind this test (and how to improve your score) here.

3. N-Back Memory Test

This is where working memory testing gets brutal. Instead of just remembering a sequence, you have to constantly update what you're tracking while ignoring everything else.

‍How it works: Letters appear one at a time. Your job is to identify when the current letter matches the one from N steps back. In 1-back, you match the previous letter. In 2-back, you match two letters ago. In 3-back... well, good luck.

Warning: This test is cognitively exhausting and will make you question your basic mental competence. That's normal.

You're not just storing information — you're continuously updating, comparing, and discarding it in real-time. It's like trying to remember a grocery list while someone keeps changing the items and asking you what was on the list three changes ago.

Most people struggle with 2-back and find 3-back nearly impossible. If you can consistently perform well at 3-back or higher, you have genuinely exceptional working memory capacity.

The N-Back test isn't quite as easy as it looks, huh? You're not alone. That's why we published this complete resource on it.

4. Stroop Memory Test

Your brain is about to have an identity crisis trying to ignore what words say and focus on what color they're printed in.

‍How it works: Words appear in different colors, and you must identify the font color while completely ignoring what the word actually says. Press R for red, G for green, B for blue, Y for yellow. Sounds simple until you see the word "RED" printed in green ink and your brain short-circuits.

Reading is so automatic that your brain processes word meaning faster than color recognition. When the word says "BLUE" but appears in yellow, two different brain systems give conflicting answers simultaneously. The mental effort required to override your reading instinct is exhausting.You're not just storing information — you're continuously updating, comparing, and discarding it in real-time. It's like trying to remember a grocery list while someone keeps changing the items and asking you what was on the list three changes ago.

Most people are significantly slower and less accurate on incongruent trials (when word and color don't match). The bigger the interference effect, the more your automatic processes are overpowering your conscious control.

It's not just about answering correctly with the Stroop test — it's about how quickly you do it with congruent and incongruent words. Learn what we mean here.

5. Visual Memory Matrix Test

Your brain is surprisingly bad at remembering where things are, even when you're staring right at them.

‍How it works: Tiles flash in sequence on a grid, then you click them back in the same pattern. Start with a few tiles on a small grid, but each level adds more tiles and eventually expands the grid size. You get three lives to see how far your visual memory can stretch.

Most people peak around level 6-8 before their visual memory capacity maxes out. The jump from 3x3 to 4x4 grid (around level 4) typically causes a noticeable difficulty spike as your brain struggles to track more locations simultaneously.
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Unlike digit span, you can't use verbal tricks here — your brain has to actually remember spatial relationships and visual patterns.

Really, this visual memory test is probably the most fun (if you could call these tests that) of the bunch. Learn everything you need to know to improve your spatial memory limits here.