Memory tasks

Study twelve words, fill thirty seconds, then recall them

Study twelve words, take a short distraction task and recall as many as you can.

12 words, 30-second gap
2 min
Free, no sign-up

For the fairest comparison, retake on the same device.

Results on screen · no email

About this test

Study 12 words, complete 30 seconds of odd-or-even judgements, then recall the words without seeing them. Results show recalled words, their list positions and any unstudied words recalled.

How the task works

Twelve everyday words appear for under two seconds each. Read each one and try to keep it.
Then thirty seconds of something else: two-digit numbers to call odd or even, with the O and E keys or the buttons.
That gap is the point of this route. It is there so the list cannot be said over to yourself, which is what makes what comes back afterwards recall rather than holding.
Then write down every word you still have, one at a time, in any order, with no time limit and nothing on screen to recognise.
A word one letter out still counts; this is recall, not spelling. Answer fewer than three in five of the numbers and no recall figure is printed, because the gap was not filled.

Task accessibility

Time: 2 minutes
Length: 12 words, 30-second gap
Result: your times and counts

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Use the result

What this test adds

The 30-second arithmetic task fills the delay before free recall. Results show recalled words and list position; low arithmetic accuracy prevents a recall figure.

A small next step

Take it again tomorrow on a fresh list and watch where in the list the survivors sit; the end of a list is what a filled gap takes first.

Questions people ask

What does this measure, and how is it different from the other memory tests here?

It measures free recall after a 30-second distraction. Unlike recognition or immediate digit repetition, you recall the words without seeing them.

Why is there something else to do in the middle?

The odd-or-even task fills the 30-second delay so you cannot rehearse the word list. A recall result is shown when you answer at least three-fifths of those items correctly.

Does spelling count, and what if I write a word that was not on the list?

A one-letter spelling variation counts if it matches only one studied word. An unstudied word is listed separately as an intrusion.

Are the words the same every time?

No. Every run deals a fresh list of twelve from a pool of a hundred and twenty words, so taking it again tomorrow tests your memory rather than your memory of yesterday's run.

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