Visual Digit Span Test
— Free Online
A short browser-based working-memory test. Digits appear one at a time; you recall them on a tap grid. The span grows until you miss. Forward, Backward, and Sequencing variants. No signup needed.
What you'll get
You choose one variant, then watch a sequence of digits flash one at a time and reproduce it on a number pad. Sequences start short and get one digit longer each time you succeed, stopping once a length is too long for you. From your attempts we report:
- Your maximum span — the longest sequence you recalled correctly
- How many sequences you got right out of those you saw
- The same figures for whichever variant you ran (Forward, Backward, or Sequencing)
These are raw scores. They are not norm-referenced: there is no percentile and no comparison to a published reference sample, because span depends heavily on how the digits are presented and timed. A single session is indicative, not diagnostic.
Common questions
What is the difference between the three variants?
Forward asks you to repeat the digits in the order shown. Backward asks you to repeat them in reverse order, which loads more on mental manipulation. Sequencing asks you to repeat the digits sorted from smallest to largest, which loads on reordering. Forward typically yields a slightly longer span than Backward or Sequencing.
How long does it take?
Usually about five minutes for one variant. Each length is presented twice, and the task ends soon after you reach a length you cannot recall, so faster spans mean shorter sessions.
Is it really free?
Yes. The Visual Digit Span task is free to take with no signup, and you see your span profile immediately at the end. Clinician and researcher reporting is arranged separately and does not affect whether you can run the task.
Why is there no percentile or IQ-style score?
We deliberately do not attach borrowed test norms to this task. Published digit-span norms come from specific, standardized administrations with their own timing and instructions; applying them to a different browser task would misrepresent your result. We report the honest raw span instead.
Can I retake it?
Yes, as many times as you like. Span scores are noisy and a little practice effect across the first attempts is normal.