Why this test has that name
In 2007, researchers in Japan showed that young chimpanzees — most famously Ayumu — could recall the positions of the digits 1 through 9 after seeing them for a fraction of a second, a performance that embarrassed most human visitors. The viral version of the task is this: numbers appear in random cells, you touch 1, the rest become blank squares, and you have to finish the sequence from memory. We start at 4 (not 9) and give you three strikes, which is the humane version of a test chimps were trained on for years.
What it measures in a human who just opened a webpage is a mix of visuospatial memory, numeral recognition, and nerve. It is not a fair fight with Ayumu, and it is not an IQ test. It is a very sharp, very shareable probe of how many unbound locations you can hold for a couple of seconds.
Chimp test scores
| Numbers cleared | Reading |
|---|---|
| 4 – 5 | Getting started |
| 6 – 8 | Average |
| 9 – 10 | Strong (Ayumu’s set size) |
| 11 – 12 | Excellent |
| 13+ | Exceptional |
How to improve your score
- Photograph the layout, not the digits. Once you know they will hide, stop reading “seven” and start remembering “top-right, then low-left.” The digits are only labels on locations.
- Find 1 last, everything else first. You have to tap 1 to hide the rest, so encode 2..N while they are visible, then hit 1. People who hunt for 1 first throw away encoding time.
- Do not move the cursor during the reveal. A hovering hand is a distraction. Look, encode, then move. The board is not going anywhere until you tap.
- Use strikes to learn your tell. Most humans always lose the same position — often the second-to-last number. If that is you, encode that cell twice.
- Go for 9 before you go for speed. The chimpanzee result that made this famous was about set size, not about how fast you tap. Accuracy to 9 is the interesting human goal.
FAQ
Can chimps really beat humans at this?
Young chimps trained on the task, shown the digits for ~200 ms, can recall 9 positions at high accuracy. Untrained humans on a webpage usually cannot. Working memory plus thousands of training trials is not the same as a lunch-break test. Still: the gap is real, and it is why the test went viral.
What is a good chimp test score?
Consistently clearing 8 is solid. Hitting 9 or 10 is the number worth texting someone about. 5 is a normal first try.
Why do the numbers hide after I click 1?
That is the whole test. If they stayed visible you would be reading, not remembering. The hide-on-first-click rule is the one the original chimp studies used in the “masking” condition.
Do I have to start at 4?
Yes. Four is hard enough to be a test and easy enough that a first-time player can actually play. Starting at 9 is a party trick, not a curve.
Is this the same as number memory?
No. Number memory is one string in the center of the screen. The chimp test is many numbers in space, then a spatial sequence. Related family, different skill.
Try a related test
- Number Memory Test — A number appears. Then it's gone. How many digits can you hold?
- Visual Memory Test — Squares flash white. Click them all back. Three lives.
- Sequence Memory Test — Watch the tiles flash. Repeat the pattern. It only gets longer.