Chimp Test — Free Number Memory Challenge (Can You Beat a Chimp?)
- Free
- ~3 min
- No sign-up
- Instant result
The chimp test: memorize scattered numbers like a snapshot, then tap the masked squares in order. About 3 minutes, climbing from 4 up to 15 numbers, with your best score and every retake saved so you can track your trend. Free.
What's included
- Time
- ~3 min
- Price
- Free
How a chimp test round unfolds
The chimp test runs on a grid of 30 squares, 5 across and 6 down. At the start of each round, the numbers from 1 up to the current count appear in random squares, and you can study them for as long as you like. When you're ready, tap 1 — at that instant every other number turns into a blank tile of the same color. From then on you rely only on the layout in your head, tapping the hidden squares in order: 2, 3, 4 and so on.
Tap a wrong square and the round ends on the spot; the remaining numbers reappear so you can see where they actually were. After about 1 second the next round begins: a success adds one number, a miss keeps the same count for another try. You start at 4 numbers and can climb to 15, and 3 strikes end the test. Positions are reshuffled every round, so remembering a layout from an earlier attempt won't help.
Reading your best score and the two timings
The big number on the result screen is the highest count you fully cleared, with the number of rounds you played shown underneath. The interpretation text follows that best score: up to 5 is the basic range of spatial memory, 6 to 8 is a solid result where human visuospatial working memory usually falls, 9 to 10 is on par with the chimpanzee in the study (9), and 11 or more is described as a rare top-tier score. Treat these as reference lines for reading a tendency, not as a grade of ability.
The detailed results add two timing measures. Average memorize time runs from the moment the numbers appear until you tap 1 — the study time you chose for yourself. Average tap interval is the gap in milliseconds between taps after the numbers are masked, calculated from successful rounds only; shorter gaps mean you pulled the layout out of memory faster. A round-by-round list and your strike count (out of 3) show exactly at which count you got stuck.
The Ayumu study and how this version differs
This task is modeled on the chimpanzee numeral working-memory study that Inoue and Matsuzawa of Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute published in Current Biology in 2007 (Inoue & Matsuzawa, 2007). The heart of the original was the masking step — tap 1 and the remaining numbers are covered — and Soundary keeps that structure while leaving memorizing time unlimited. As a result, this version leans less on how quickly you can take in a single glance and more on how many positions you can hold as one scene once you have looked as long as you need.
Your score can rise or fall with screen size, background noise and notifications, fatigue, or a short night's sleep. Because the grid stretches to fill the screen, switching between a phone and a tablet changes the distance between squares, so compare runs made on the same device. Results are saved, and each retake can be compared with your previous record. For a class or a study, a group link lets you hand out the test anonymously, with no sign-in needed.
FAQ
Why is it called the chimp test?
It comes from a famous 2007 study by Inoue and Matsuzawa at Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute, where a young chimpanzee named Ayumu recalled the positions of briefly flashed, then masked numerals faster and more accurately than university students. This test mirrors that setup: you encode the whole number layout at once, then tap the masked squares in order from 1, measuring instant visuospatial working memory.
How is the score calculated, and how do I read it?
You start with 4 numbers and gain one more with each success, up to 15. There is no time limit for memorizing, but the moment you tap 1 the rest are masked; a mistake costs a strike and you retry the same count, and three strikes end the test. Your score is the highest count you fully cleared. Rather than chasing an absolute benchmark, the most useful reading is how your own record moves across repeated runs under similar conditions.
Can practice get me to chimp level?
Practice clearly helps. Once you stop memorizing digits one by one and start chunking the layout into shapes captured as a single scene, scores rise noticeably. That said, the original study's intriguing conclusion was that Ayumu's split-second, near-perfect encoding is a knack of young chimpanzees that humans struggle to match even with training. Losing to a chimp is perfectly normal — aim to beat your own record instead.
How often should I retake it, and how does the trend feature help?
Every one to two weeks works well. Retesting too often mixes in a practice effect from strategy learning, making real memory changes harder to see. Results are saved and each retake shows the change from your previous records, so a best-score trend measured at a similar time of day on the same device helps you spot periods when your focus is sharp versus scattered.
Source
This task is based on the paradigm from: Inoue, S., & Matsuzawa, T. (2007). Working memory of numerals in chimpanzees. Current Biology, 17(23), R1004–R1005. This task is a Soundary implementation based on a published academic paradigm. It is not any commercial test product or its test form.
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This is a self-screening tool, not a medical diagnosis. If the result concerns you, please consult a mental health professional.