CompetitiveMedium≈ 2 min

The Chimp Test

Can you beat a chimpanzee at working memory?

By Dmitry Baluev · Updated May 21, 2026

About this test

Numbered tiles flash on a grid, then the numbers disappear. Tap them in order from memory — lowest to highest. Each round you clear adds another tile. Three mistakes and the game is over. How far can you climb?

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#memory#working-memory#competitive#chimp#skills

What your result could be

Every possible result for this test, and what each one means.

Chimpion — Working memory in a class of its own.
You cleared 14 tiles or more — territory most people never reach. Holding that many positions in your head after they vanish takes exceptional visual working memory and ruthless focus. This is the score the test was named after: you're playing in the same league as the trained chimpanzees that started the legend. Share it and watch your friends fail to catch up.
Mastermind — Sharp, fast, and hard to rattle.
You cleared 10 to 13 tiles — a seriously strong result. You can snapshot a whole grid in an instant and play it back from memory while the pressure mounts. A handful more and you're in Chimpion country; tighten your focus on the first glance and you'll get there. Most people won't.
Tracker — Solid memory, room to climb.
You cleared 7 to 9 tiles — right around where most people land, and a good honest result. Your visual memory holds a respectable run before it slips. The trick to going higher is to take one calm beat to memorise the layout before you tap, instead of rushing the first move. Run it back and see how far you get.
Sapling — Everyone starts somewhere.
You cleared fewer than 7 tiles this time — a warm-up run. Number-position memory is a skill that climbs fast with a few attempts: glance, lock in the layout, then tap. Don't rush the first move, and don't worry about the strikes. Take another go — the jump from your first try to your third is usually the biggest.

Frequently asked

How does the Chimp Test work?

Numbered tiles appear on a grid. The moment you tap the lowest number, the rest hide — and you have to tap the remaining tiles in ascending order from memory. Clear a round and the next one adds a tile. Three mistakes end the game; your score is the most tiles you cleared in one round.

What is a good score?

Most people clear somewhere between 7 and 9 tiles. Getting past 12 is genuinely strong, and clearing the full board is rare. Famously, chimpanzees trained on this task can outperform most humans — that's where the name comes from.

Is this a memory or IQ test?

It's a game that measures one narrow skill — visual working memory for number positions — under pressure. It is not an IQ test or a clinical memory assessment, and it says nothing about your intelligence. Treat the score as a game, not a verdict.

How does the leaderboard work?

The most tiles you clear in one round is recorded on a leaderboard. The weekly board resets every Monday (UTC); the all-time board never resets. Impossible scores are auto-rejected.

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