Chimp Test

The chimp test measures rapid visual encoding and working memory: you briefly see numbered squares, then must tap them in order after the numbers vanish. It is inspired by Kyoto University experiments in which a young chimpanzee named Ayumu was strikingly fast at remembering briefly-shown number layouts.

Cognitive domain: Attention

The numbers 1 to N appear on a grid. The moment you tap the first square, the rest hide — you then tap the remaining squares in ascending order from memory. Clear a level and the grid grows by one number.

Your score is the highest level (count of numbers) you cleared. MindSprint starts you at four numbers and the scale tops out around 18. Getting past the first several levels quickly is a sign of strong visual working memory, since the count soon exceeds the handful most people hold at a glance.

• Take a mental snapshot of the whole grid at once instead of reading numbers one by one.
• Anchor each number to its position on the grid, not to the numbers around it.
• Commit to the full layout before you tap the first square.
• Stay calm — your memory of the flash lasts a little longer than the flash itself.

Did a chimpanzee really beat humans at this?

In the Kyoto studies, young chimps were remarkably fast at this specific task — a real and widely-cited result.

Why does it get hard so quickly?

Each added number pushes past the small set your working memory can capture in a single glance.

Is this observation or memory?

Both — quick visual encoding followed by short-term recall.