The chimp test, in your browser
The chimp test checks your visual working memory: how many positions you can hold after a single look. Each clean round adds one more number, and you have three chances before the game ends. Your best score stays saved on this device.
The study behind the chimp test
The chimp test is named after research at Kyoto University. In 2007, Sana Inoue and Tetsuro Matsuzawa reported in the journal Current Biology that young chimpanzees, including a famous chimp called Ayumu, could remember the positions of numbers 1 to 9 flashed on a screen for a fraction of a second and then touch the empty squares in the right order. In the fastest version of the task, the young chimps did better than the university students they were compared with.
The result caused a stir, and later studies showed that humans can reach similar levels with enough practice. Either way, the task became a popular test of visual working memory: how many places you can hold in mind from a single look.
How the test works here
Numbers appear scattered across a grid. Take as long as you like to study them. When you click the 1, all the other numbers are hidden, and you must click the rest of the squares in order from memory. Each clean round adds one more number. A mistake costs one of your three strikes, and the game ends when they are gone.
A method that works
- Plan the route before you start. Follow the numbers with your eyes from 1 to the end. You are learning a path through the grid, not a list of numbers.
- Split the path into chunks. “1 to 4 go down the left side, 5 to 7 jump to the top” is easier to hold than seven separate points.
- Say the chunks, then click steadily. Rushing leads to slips on the last few squares, where memory is weakest.
- Use your strikes to learn. When you miss, notice where the path broke. Usually it is where two numbers were far apart.
Most people reach 8 to 10 numbers. With the chunking method above, many players add two or three more within a few sessions.
Try these memory tests next
If you enjoyed the chimp test, try the visual memory test, which asks you to rebuild a flashed pattern of tiles, and the sequence memory test, which tests memory for order. For digits alone, the number memory test is the classic digit span task.
How to play Chimp Test
- Numbers appear in squares scattered across the grid.
- Click the 1. As soon as you do, all other numbers are hidden.
- Click the rest of the squares in order, from memory.
- Each clean round adds one number. Three mistakes end the game.
Chimp Test tips
Trace a path first
Before you click 1, follow the numbers with your eyes from 1 to the end. You are memorizing a route, not a list.
Group nearby numbers
Numbers that sit close together are easier to remember as one shape than as separate spots.
Take your time
The grid only hides when you click 1. There is no clock, so study it as long as you need.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the chimp test?
It is based on a well-known study in which young chimpanzees did remarkably well at remembering the positions of numbers flashed on a screen.
What is a good chimp test score?
Most people reach 8 to 10 numbers. Getting past 12 is very strong.
Is this a medical test?
No. It is a memory game for fun and practice.
