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Testpartout

Human performance · Memory

Sequence Memory Test

This sequence memory test measures how long an order of positions you can hold and reproduce. Pads light up one after another on a fixed 3 × 3 board, and when playback ends you repeat the same order.

Level 1 plays three pads, and each level you complete adds one more. Your result is your sequence span: the longest sequence you reproduced in full. It runs entirely in your browser, with no permissions and no sign-in.

  • Fixed 3 × 3 board
  • Starts at 3 pads
  • 3 lives
  • No permissions required

Not started

Level 1 · 3 pads · Lives remaining 3 of 3

Press Start test. Level 1 plays a sequence of 3 pads, then you repeat it in the same order. Pads are only selectable while you are repeating the sequence; presses during playback do nothing. Keyboard users can move between pads with Tab and select the focused pad with Enter or Space.

Session in progress

Not started
Sequence span
—

Shown when the session ends

Highest level completed
—
Successful rounds
0
Lives used
0 of 3
Personal best
—

Saved in this browser after your first completed session

Only your best sequence span, the level it was reached at and a timestamp are stored in this browser. No sequence, pad press or session history is kept, and nothing is uploaded.

Your result

What your result means

Sequence span is the longest order you reproduced exactly, from the first pad to the last, without a single wrong press. It is a count of items, not a score, a percentage or a rating.

It describes one short session, on one device, under whatever conditions you were in. Attention and interruptions can affect it, so the useful comparison is with your own earlier sessions rather than with anyone else.

  • Only fully reproduced sequences count. Getting most of a sequence right does not raise your span, and a session that never completes a round reports 0.
  • Order matters. The right pads pressed in the wrong order fails the round, because the test measures sequence, not set.
  • Repeated pads are normal: a sequence can visit the same pad twice, so you must remember how many times as well as where.
  • A failed round costs one life and gives you a brand-new sequence at the same level, so you can never re-attempt the exact order you just missed.
  • Testpartout shows no percentile, no global average and no performance label, because no real aggregated data exists yet. When it does, it will come from measured results — never from estimates.

Procedure

How the test works

  1. 01

    Start when you are ready

    Nothing plays until you press Start test, so a sequence never begins while you are still reading the page.

  2. 02

    Watch the playback

    Pads light one at a time, each for about 450 ms with a short gap between them. Lit pads carry a filled marker as well as a colour.

  3. 03

    Your turn

    When playback ends the board becomes pressable. Nothing you press during playback is counted.

  4. 04

    Repeat in order

    Press the pads in the same order they lit. Each correct press is confirmed, and the counter shows how many items are left.

  5. 05

    One wrong pad ends the round

    A wrong press fails the round immediately, costs one life and marks the pad you pressed.

  6. 06

    Progress or retry

    A completed round moves you up a level and adds one pad to the next sequence. A failed round repeats the level with a new sequence. After three failed rounds the session ends and reports your sequence span.

Methodology

How Testpartout measures this

The method below is exactly what the code on this page does — nothing is described that is not implemented.

What the implementation does

  • The board is a fixed 3 × 3 grid of 9 pads for every level. Board geometry never changes between levels in this version.
  • Level 1 uses a 3-item sequence. Each completed level increases the length by exactly one, so level 2 uses 4 items, level 3 uses 5, and so on.
  • Each round's sequence is generated fresh in your browser, using crypto.getRandomValues() where available. Repeats are permitted, so the same pad can appear more than once.
  • Playback shows each item for a nominal 450 ms followed by a 250 ms gap, scheduled by the browser. Cues never overlap.
  • The board is only pressable after playback finishes. Presses during playback, and presses after a round has resolved, cannot affect the round.
  • A round succeeds when every item has been reproduced in the original order. Progress within a round is reset the moment a round fails.
  • A single wrong press fails the round immediately. A resolved round cannot fail twice, so rapid extra presses never cost more than one life.
  • A session has 3 lives. A failed round costs one life and repeats the same level with a newly generated sequence — never the sequence you just failed.
  • After the third failed round the session completes. Sequence span = the length of the longest sequence reproduced in full; a session with no completed round reports 0.
  • Every round begins from an explicit action: Start test, Start next level or Retry level. That control sits outside the board and is never part of the measured input.
  • There is no speed bonus. Reproducing the order correctly is all that is scored; how quickly you press is not measured.
  • If the page becomes hidden while a sequence is playing or being repeated, the whole session is cancelled, every pending playback timer is cleared, and no result is produced.

Limits of a browser measurement

  • Playback timing is browser-scheduled. Background load, battery-saver modes and display refresh mean the 450 ms cue and 250 ms gap are nominal rather than laboratory-exact.
  • Screen size, brightness and viewing distance change how easily a playback can be followed, and none of those can be measured from a web page.
  • This is a browser interaction test, not an assessment instrument. It is not standardised, not validated and not a clinical measure of memory.
  • A single session is noisy. Attention lapses, interruptions and unfamiliarity with the playback rhythm can move the result more than small differences in ability.
  • Nothing prevents writing the order down as it plays. A local result that was not produced from memory is meaningless, but it only affects your own browser storage.
  • There is no sound or vibration in this version, so the test relies on vision alone and cannot be completed without watching the board.

Privacy

What happens to your data

This section describes the behaviour of the code on this page, not an intention.

  • The test runs in this page. No sequence, pad press or session history is sent anywhere.
  • No account, sign-in or device permission is required to run the test.
  • Only your best result is written to this browser's local storage: the sequence span, the level it was reached at and a timestamp. No sequence, no press log and no identifier are stored.
  • Random sequences exist only in memory for the round being played and are never persisted, so a restart cannot replay an earlier order.
  • Clearing your browser storage removes the personal best. There is no copy of it anywhere else.
  • Results are not uploaded, aggregated or ranked. If Testpartout ever offers aggregated comparisons, it will be explicit and based on real measured data.

Troubleshooting

If the test does not behave as expected

Nothing happens when I press a pad

Pads are only pressable after playback finishes, and they are disabled again as soon as a round resolves. This is deliberate, so a stray press during playback cannot score.

The playback felt too fast

Cue and gap timing is fixed in this version and cannot be adjusted. Because every round starts from a button, you can take as long as you like between rounds.

The session was cancelled

Switching tabs, minimising the window or locking the screen hides the page, and a hidden page cannot play a sequence honestly. The session is discarded and your personal best is untouched.

I pressed the right pads but failed

Order is part of the answer. The round also fails if you miss a repeat — a sequence can light the same pad more than once.

My result did not save

Only a completed session that beats your stored best is saved, and a cancelled session never saves. Private browsing and storage-blocking settings can also prevent writing to local storage.

I want to use the keyboard

During your turn the pads are ordinary buttons: Tab moves between them and Enter or Space presses the focused pad. The start and retry controls are separate, so activating one never presses a pad.

Factors

Factors that affect a sequence memory result

The same person can produce different spans on different days and different devices. These factors can move the number without your ability changing.

Attention and distraction

A sequence has to be followed from the first cue to the last, so a glance away during playback can cost the round.

Chunking strategy

Grouping the order into pairs, shapes or paths is a common strategy and can change results. It is not cheating, but it means two people are not necessarily doing the same thing.

Screen size and visibility

Brightness, glare, a dimmed battery-saver screen and a very small board can all make individual cues easier to miss.

Playback rhythm familiarity

Familiarity with the cue and gap timing can influence repeated sessions, so early and later sessions may differ.

Interference between rounds

Starting the next round immediately after a long sequence can leave the previous order still in mind, which can cause confident wrong presses.

Fatigue and time of day

Tiredness can affect short-term memory tasks, so sessions late in a long day may not be comparable with fresh ones.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What does sequence span mean?
It is the length of the longest sequence you reproduced in full, in the correct order, without a wrong press. Completing a round of seven pads gives a sequence span of 7.
How fast does the sequence play?
Each pad lights for a nominal 450 ms with a 250 ms gap between items, scheduled by the browser. Background load and display refresh mean those durations are approximate rather than exact.
Can the same pad appear twice in one sequence?
Yes. Repeats are part of the design, so a sequence such as 2 → 5 → 2 → 8 is valid. You have to remember how often a pad appears as well as where it is.
Does pressing faster improve my result?
No. There is no speed bonus and your press timing is not measured. Only reproducing the order correctly matters, so taking your time costs you nothing.
What happens after I lose a life?
You keep the same level and get a completely new random sequence of the same length. The sequence you missed is never repeated. After three failed rounds the session ends.
Does switching tabs cancel the test?
Yes. If the page becomes hidden while a sequence is playing or being repeated, the session is cancelled, pending playback timers are cleared, no result is produced and your personal best is left untouched.
Is my sequence or press history uploaded?
No. Nothing leaves your browser. Sequences exist only in memory for the round being played, and only your best sequence span, its level and a timestamp are stored locally.
Why don't I see a percentile or an average?
Because Testpartout has no real aggregated data yet, and inventing one would be misleading. Comparisons will appear only when they can be built from real measured results.
Does this test diagnose memory problems?
No. This is a browser interaction test, not a medical or psychological assessment. It cannot diagnose or rule out any condition, and a low or high result says nothing about your health. If you are concerned about your memory, speak to a qualified clinician.