Short-Term Memory Test

Short-term memory is a memory system that allows a person to hold a small amount of information for use in the near future. In the late twentieth century, Atkinson and Shiffrin’s multi-store model, which divided memory into long-term and short-term stores, became highly influential.

It drew many supporters and competing models and shaped later research on human memory. However, how information is encoded, how it moves from short-term to long-term storage, and how much can be held at once are still widely debated.

Problems with short-term memory can be caused by everyday fatigue, but severe, persistent symptoms can also point to dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or other conditions. If you feel your short-term memory has slipped, this free memory test can be a useful first step in deciding whether to seek further evaluation.

Use our free test to check your short-term memory. Only about 2% of test takers answer every item perfectly, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t hit 100% — a score above 60% is generally considered good.

During the test, you will memorize a sequence of images and then recreate that sequence. Good luck!