IQLab

Free Working Memory Test

18 short tasks where remembering is only half the job: hold a few numbers in mind while you reverse, sort, update or compare them.

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Working Memory Practice

Hold it in mind — then do something with it

✓18 tasks, shorter lists first
✓Each task tells you what to do before the numbers appear
✓Numbers stay on screen for a few seconds; answering is untimed
✓About 8 minutes, with every answer explained at the end

Unofficial practice test, for self-assessment and entertainment only. A browser-based exercise — not a medical, diagnostic or standardized assessment.

Task 1 of 18

Read
Memorize
Hold
Answer

Checking your answers...

About This Test

What it explores: Working memory: keeping a few pieces of information active while you rearrange, update or compare them — the mental scratchpad you use for things like following directions or doing sums in your head
Tasks: 18 tasks, three of each kind, getting longer and more involved
Timing: The numbers are shown for 3–7 seconds; there is no time limit for answering
How scoring works: One point for each task answered exactly right, with no partial credit. You see your total out of 18, the percentage, your results by task type, and the longest list you reversed correctly.

Working Memory Tasks You Will Practice

Backward span. See a short list of numbers, then type it from the end to the start.
Reordering. Remember a jumbled list and type it sorted, smallest to largest or the other way round.
Updating. Keep a list in mind while changes arrive one at a time — swap two numbers, replace one — then type the final version.
Remember + transform. Add or subtract a small amount from every number you saw, or reverse the list and change it at the same time.
Compare in memory. Hold one row of numbers while a second appears, then say where — or how often — they differed.
Hold through a distraction. Answer one quick unrelated question, then rearrange the list you were keeping in mind.

Memory vs. Working Memory

Remembering something and working with it are different jobs. The Memory Test asks you to memorize numbers, symbols, words and grid positions and then recall or recognise them. This test goes one step further: nothing is simply repeated back — every answer requires changing what you saw while keeping it in mind.

A useful habit for these tasks is to keep saying the list to yourself while you work on it, and to apply changes one at a time rather than all at once.

More Free Tests

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