Dual N-Back · Guides
Chimp memory test: rules, examples and scores
Understand the chimp memory test, practise remembering numbered positions and compare scores fairly. Discover the memory exercises in Dual N-Back for iPhone.
In this guide6
What is the chimp memory test?
The chimp memory test asks you to remember where numbered tiles appear, then select their positions in numerical order after the numbers disappear. It combines remembering locations with remembering which number belongs to each location. This guide explains the task; the iPhone app provides the exercises. Your result describes performance in that version of the task, not an IQ score.
How do you play?
Read the rules before starting: some versions hide numbers after a fixed time; others hide them when you select the first number. Find the smallest number and follow the ascending order. Notice whether an incorrect response ends the round or uses an attempt. Do not assume that two websites or apps use identical timing, layouts or scoring.
A three-number example
Imagine 1 at the top left, 2 at the bottom right and 3 in the centre. After hiding the numbers, the correct order is top left, bottom right, centre. Remembering only the three occupied positions is insufficient: you also need their order. Try describing a path between the positions. This is an illustrative practice strategy, not evidence of a photographic memory.
Three tasks, three different rules
What counts as a good score?
There is no universal score threshold across all versions. Record the number of tiles successfully recalled, how long the numbers were visible and how many attempts were allowed. A record obtained with unlimited viewing time cannot be compared directly with a result after a brief display. Compare repeated attempts under the same conditions rather than converting the result into an intelligence label.
Why is it called the chimp test?
Inoue and Matsuzawa studied memory for numerals in chimpanzees in 2007. The familiar game draws on this research tradition, but commercial versions can change the procedure. An online result does not establish that you are more or less intelligent than a chimpanzee. The task, participants, preparation and timing all matter when interpreting research or comparing scores.
How does it differ from dual n-back?
The chimp task hides a layout and asks you to recall an ordered path. Dual n-back presents a continuing sequence and asks whether each position or sound matches the one N steps earlier. The App Store description of Dual N-Back includes chimp memory and other cognitive exercises. Explore the current app features, use comparable settings and treat progress as improvement on the task you practised.
How to play dual n-back: a clear first sessionFurther reading
Guides
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