Chimp Test
Numbers flash on the grid, then vanish. Click them in order from 1 up — from memory. Each round adds a number. Can you beat a chimpanzee?
Numbers hide once you click 1.
What is a good chimp test score?
The test comes from research in which a chimpanzee named Ayumu handled around nine numbers with ease, faster and more reliably than the human participants.
| Rating | Numbers reached | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Starting out | 4–6 numbers | Positions are being memorised individually. |
| AverageMost people | 7–8 numbers | Typical for a first few attempts. |
| Good | 9–11 numbers | Matching the level the research chimps managed comfortably. |
| Strong | 12–14 numbers | Grouping numbers into spatial shapes rather than points. |
| Exceptional | 15+ numbers | Well past what most people reach in a session. |
Reading the numbers: The window before the numbers hide is the whole test. Spending that moment tracing the path from 1 to the highest number as a shape, rather than trying to store each position, is what separates a score of eight from a score of twelve.
The test a chimpanzee beat humans at.
Numbers reveal, then hide the moment you commit to the first click — after that it is pure memory.
Reveal then hide
Numbers vanish the instant you click 1.
Grows each round
Every cleared round adds another number.
Three strikes
Three mistakes end the game.
Best count saved
Your highest number count is stored locally.
Wide grid
A large board supports high counts.
Private by default
Board layouts and counts stay in your browser.
How a chimp test round works.
One look, then the grid goes blank and you click in order.
Start at four
Click to begin with four numbers.
Study positions
Take in where each number sits.
Click 1
The rest hide the moment you do.
Continue in order
Click the blanks in ascending order.
What the chimp test reveals.
A quick and fairly unflattering read on spatial working memory.
Working-memory training
Build how many positions you can hold at once.
Spatial recall
Practise snapshotting a layout in an instant.
Brain-training challenge
A famously tricky test to push against.
Beat the chimps
See how you compare to the research primates.
Snapshot memory
Train taking in a scene in a single glance.
Compete with friends
Trade high counts and try to top them.
How the chimp test works
Numbers appear scattered across the grid. Click 1 and the rest instantly hide — now click the blank tiles in ascending order from memory. Clear a round and the next adds another number; three mistakes end the game.
The test is named after research showing chimpanzees can memorize on-screen number positions faster than humans. Reaching a count of 9–12 is solid. The trick is to snapshot the whole layout in the moment before the numbers vanish, and to group nearby numbers into shapes rather than memorizing each one alone. Your best count is saved locally.
Chimp Test questions, answered.
What is the chimp test?
It's a working-memory test based on research showing chimpanzees can memorize the positions of numbers on a screen faster than humans. Numbers appear, hide, and you click them in order from memory.
Why can chimpanzees beat humans at this?
The leading explanation is that humans trade raw visual memory for language. Chimpanzees appear to take in the whole layout in a single glance, while people tend to convert what they see into words and rehearse them — slower, and it holds fewer items. Young children tend to outperform adults on this task, which fits that account.
How do I get better at it?
Take the moment before the numbers hide to lock in their positions, and group nearby numbers into shapes. Trying to memorize each position in isolation falls apart quickly as the count rises.
How is it different from the memory tests?
The chimp test hides the numbers the instant you start and asks for a numerical order across the whole grid. The visual and sequence memory tests use flashing tiles and a set or an order respectively.
Tests closest to the Chimp Test test.
How much you can hold in mind at once — patterns, ordered sequences, grid positions and words.
Memory
A pattern of tiles flashes on the grid. Memorize it, then click them back. Each level adds another tile — see how many you can hold in mind.
Sequence Memory
Watch the tiles light up one by one, then repeat the sequence in the same order. Each round adds a step — how long a chain can you remember?
Verbal Memory
Words appear one by one. Say whether you've SEEN each before or if it's NEW. Keep going as the list grows — three mistakes and it's over.