Working Memory
A classic digit span test: hear a sequence, repeat it back. Find your working memory capacity and where you fall on Miller's 7±2 distribution.
Digits will appear one at a time. Remember the sequence and type it back in order. The test starts easy and gets longer until you make two mistakes.
A classic digit span test. We'll start with 3 digits and work up. Most people peak around 7±2 digits.
Your working memory span
0 digits
better than <1% of people
Classification
Below average
Population avg
7 ± 2
Miller's Magic Number
Digit Span Distribution
Working memory is your mental scratch pad — the capacity to hold and manipulate information in mind. A span of 7±2 is found across virtually all adult populations and cultures. Working memory capacity predicts academic achievement, problem-solving ability, and fluid intelligence better than IQ scores alone.
Put It In Context
George Miller's 1956 paper "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two" is one of the most cited papers in psychology. Working memory capacity is distinct from long-term memory — it's about how much you can actively hold in mind right now. Chunking (grouping digits into phone-number-like patterns) can dramatically increase effective span. Expert chess players don't have better raw memory — they chunk board positions into meaningful patterns, giving them an effectively unlimited game-specific "span."
Curiosity Trail — explore next