Sequence Memory Test: Free Online Memory Game
Watch the squares light up, then tap them back in exactly the same order. Every round adds one more step to the sequence. How long can you keep going before your memory slips?
- Free
- About 2 minutes
- No sign-up
- Works on phone and computer
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How to play the sequence memory test
- Press Start. One of the nine squares lights up.
- Repeat it. Tap the same square. If you are right, the sequence plays again with one new step added at the end.
- Keep going. Each round the sequence gets one step longer. Tap the squares in exactly the order they lit up.
- One mistake ends the game. Your score is the longest sequence you repeated correctly. Your personal best is saved on this device.
On a computer you can also use the number keys 1 to 9, which match the squares from top left to bottom right.
What is a sequence memory test?
A sequence memory test measures how many steps of a spatial sequence you can hold in mind and repeat in the right order. It is a test of visuospatial working memory: your ability to remember where things were and in what order, for a few seconds, while you use that information.
Psychologists have measured this skill for more than 50 years with the Corsi block-tapping test, created by Philip Corsi at McGill University in the early 1970s. In the original version, an examiner taps a series of wooden blocks on a board, and you tap the same blocks in the same order. The sequence gets longer until you can no longer repeat it. Our online game works on the same principle, with squares that light up instead of blocks being tapped.
In the working memory model developed by Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch, this kind of memory relies on the visuospatial sketchpad, the part of working memory that holds images and positions. It is separate from the part that holds words and numbers, which is why some people are much better at our Number Memory Test than at sequences, or the other way round.
What is a good score on the sequence memory test?
In this game the sequence builds on itself: each round repeats the previous steps and adds one more. Because you get to rehearse the earlier steps every round, scores are usually higher than on a classic Corsi test, where each sequence is brand new. Use this table as a rough guide to your result:
| Level reached | Rating | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 15 or more | Exceptional | Outstanding spatial memory and focus. Very few players get this far. |
| 11 to 14 | Strong | Well above a typical first attempt. You are probably grouping steps into chunks. |
| 8 to 10 | Good | A solid score. Most players who practise a few times reach this range. |
| 5 to 7 | Typical | A normal result, close to the classic adult span of about five to six steps. |
| 1 to 4 | Getting started | Try again when you are relaxed and focused. Scores usually rise quickly with practice. |
These ratings are a guide for this game only. They are not based on a representative population sample and are not a clinical measure. On the standardised Corsi test, healthy adults typically repeat sequences of about five to six blocks.
How to improve your sequence memory
- Number the squares in your head. Think of the grid as 1 to 9, like a phone keypad. "3, 7, 5, 1" is easier to rehearse than four positions.
- Chunk the sequence. Group steps into twos or threes, such as "top row, then corner". Working memory holds a few chunks far more easily than many single items.
- Look for shapes. Long sequences often trace lines, triangles or zigzags. Remembering a shape is easier than remembering points.
- Use rhythm. Tap at a steady pace. Rushing causes most mistakes on easy steps.
- Rest between attempts. Tiredness and distraction lower working memory scores. Play when you are fresh.
Practice will raise your score on this game, but research suggests that training one memory task mostly improves that task rather than general intelligence. Play it because it is a fun challenge, not as a guaranteed brain boost.
Is sequence memory linked to IQ?
There is a real link, but they are not the same thing. Working memory is one of the main abilities measured in full IQ tests, and research reviews have found a moderate correlation between working memory and general intelligence. A 2005 meta-analysis by Phillip Ackerman and colleagues estimated the correlation at about 0.48, which means the two overlap but each also captures something the other misses.
So a high sequence memory score is a good sign for one important part of thinking, but it is not an IQ score. For an estimate across several kinds of reasoning, take our free IQ test, or read what an IQ test measures.
Sequence memory vs other memory tests
| Game | What you remember | Main skill |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence Memory Test | The order in which squares light up | Spatial working memory for order |
| Visual Memory Test | Which squares lit up, all at once | Visual pattern memory |
| Number Memory Test | A growing string of digits | Verbal and numeric working memory |
| Chimp Test | Where numbered squares were before they hide | Spatial memory under time pressure |
Frequently asked questions
What is a sequence memory test?
A sequence memory test shows you a series of squares lighting up and asks you to repeat them in the same order. Each round adds one more step. It measures visuospatial working memory, the ability to hold positions and their order in mind for a short time.
What is a good sequence memory score?
On this game, reaching level 8 to 10 is a good score, 11 to 14 is strong and 15 or more is exceptional. A first attempt of 5 to 7 is typical. These bands are a rough guide rather than a scientific norm.
What is the average sequence memory span?
On the standardised Corsi block-tapping test, healthy adults typically repeat sequences of about five to six blocks. Games where the sequence builds on itself, like this one, usually produce higher scores because you rehearse earlier steps every round.
Is this the same as the Corsi block test?
It works on the same principle as the Corsi block-tapping test, which psychologists use to measure spatial working memory. Unlike the clinical version, this game adds one step to the same sequence each round, so it is a fun practice version rather than a clinical assessment.
Is sequence memory related to IQ?
Yes, moderately. Working memory is one of the abilities measured in full IQ tests, and research has found a correlation of roughly 0.5 between working memory and general intelligence. A sequence memory score is not an IQ score, though.
How can I improve my sequence memory?
Give each square a number, group the steps into chunks of two or three, look for shapes in the sequence and keep a steady rhythm. Practice raises your score on the game, although it may not improve general intelligence.
Is the sequence memory test like the game Simon?
Yes, it is similar. Like Simon, the sequence grows by one step each round and you repeat it from memory. This version uses a 3 by 3 grid of squares instead of four coloured buttons, which makes it harder.
Does the sequence memory test work on a phone?
Yes. The test works on phones, tablets and computers. On a computer you can also use the number keys 1 to 9.
Is this sequence memory test free?
Yes. The game and your personal best are free, with no account or email needed. Your best score is saved only on your own device.
Try next
- Visual Memory TestRemember a growing pattern of squares and tap them back from memory.
- Number Memory TestHow many digits can you hold in mind at once?
- Chimp TestThe memory game where chimpanzees beat humans.
- IQScore Cognitive Assessment36 questions with an estimated IQ score.
- All brain gamesEvery IQScore test on one page, free and without sign-up.
Sources
- Corsi, P. M. (1972). Human memory and the medial temporal region of the brain. Doctoral thesis, McGill University.
- Kessels, R. P. C., van Zandvoort, M. J. E., Postma, A., Kappelle, L. J. and de Haan, E. H. F. (2000). The Corsi block-tapping task: standardization and normative data. Applied Neuropsychology, 7(4), 252 to 258.
- Baddeley, A. D. and Hitch, G. (1974). Working memory. In G. H. Bower (ed.), The Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 8, 47 to 89. Academic Press.
- Ackerman, P. L., Beier, M. E. and Boyle, M. O. (2005). Working memory and intelligence: the same or different constructs? Psychological Bulletin, 131(1), 30 to 60.
- Simons, D. J. and others (2016). Do "brain-training" programs work? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(3), 103 to 186.
IQScore tests are for education and entertainment. Scores are not a clinical or diagnostic result. If you have concerns about your memory, please speak to a qualified health professional.