How many digits can you hold?
The real digit span task from cognitive testing. Digits appear one at a time; type them back in order. Every success adds one more.
Digits appear one at a time. Type them back.
Starts at 4. Every success adds one more.
Common questions
What is a normal memory span?
Most adults can hold 5 to 9 digits in order, and 7 is the classic average, which is one reason phone numbers were designed at that length. Reaching 6 or 7 here is entirely normal. Span drifts down slightly with age, and that alone is not a warning sign.
Is this the test doctors use?
Digit span is a real component of standard cognitive batteries like the WAIS, where a clinician reads digits aloud and also asks for them backward. This version is self-run on a screen, so treat it as an honest practice version: good for watching your own trend, not a diagnosis of anything.
Why is my score worse some days?
Working memory is the most weather-dependent part of thinking. Short sleep, stress, pain, background noise and trying to do two things at once all shave digits off. A single low score means very little; your typical score across quiet attempts is the number that matters.
When is memory worth seeing a doctor about?
When the change is persistent and noticed by other people too: repeating questions in the same conversation, getting lost on familiar routes, or trouble managing money or medicines that used to be easy. One forgotten name or a bad test day is not that. A doctor can check hearing, thyroid, B12, mood and medicines, which explain a surprising share of memory complaints.