Attention Span Test
A real attention span test you can finish in about two minutes: track moving balls, recall what you saw, and catch the change the moment it happens. Scored out of 100 with a breakdown by skill. Free, no sign up — and no, it cannot diagnose ADHD.
Free to play in your browser — no download, no sign up.
How it works
- Three tracking rounds: a few balls flash gold, then everything moves. Keep your eyes on the marked ones and pick them out when the field stops. Each round adds balls and speed.
- One recall round: watch a field of colored balls, then answer two honest counting questions from memory. No tricks — the answers are exactly what was on screen.
- One vigilance round: a single ball, twenty seconds, a handful of brief color changes. Respond the moment it changes. Responding when nothing changed counts against you.
What it measures
- Tracking. Multiple-object tracking: holding several moving things in attention at once. The skill air-traffic controllers and parents of toddlers run on all day.
- Counting. Recall of what you just watched — how much of the scene actually made it into memory, measured with plain counting questions.
- Vigilance. Sustained attention: staying ready through a long stretch where almost nothing happens, then reacting fast when something finally does.
How it is scored
The composite score is out of 100: tracking counts for 45%, counting for 25%, vigilance for 30%. Tracking is the fraction of marked balls you actually found. Counting scores each answer by how close it was. Vigilance combines how many changes you caught, how fast you caught them, and how often you clicked at nothing. The tier names — Sieve up to Unblinking — are honest object metaphors, not percentiles: we have not run a norming study on the general population, and we are not going to invent one.
When you are done here, there is another attention test on this site. It is not like this one. The quick-fire instruments — a reaction time test, a CPS test, and seven more — live in the Reflex Lab.
FAQ
Is this an ADHD test?
No. This is a browser game that measures how you did with some bouncing balls today. It cannot diagnose ADHD or any other condition — attention on a given afternoon is shaped by sleep, caffeine, stress, and whether a dog is barking near you. If you have real concerns about your attention, talk to a clinician, not a burger website.
What does the attention span test measure?
Three things: multiple-object tracking (following several moving balls at once), recall (how much of what you watched made it into memory), and vigilance (staying ready through a quiet stretch and reacting fast when something finally changes). You get a separate score for each, plus a composite out of 100. Together they cover holding attention across about two minutes — which is what people usually mean by attention span.
How is the attention span test scored?
The composite is a weighted mix: tracking 45%, counting 25%, vigilance 30%. There are no percentiles and no 'top 8% of users' claims, because we have not normed this against a population and inventing that number would be lying. You get a score, a tier, and the option to try again.
How long does the attention span test take?
About two to three minutes: three tracking rounds, one recall round, and one twenty-second vigilance round.
How long is the average attention span?
Nobody can honestly tell you. The famous claim that the average human attention span is eight seconds — shorter than a goldfish's — is a myth: it traces to a 2015 marketing report citing a statistics website that cited no research, and nobody has measured a goldfish's attention span either. Researchers who study attention measure it per task, and it varies enormously — the same person who drifts off during a two-minute video will happily concentrate on a game for three hours. So the honest answer is: it depends on the task, the day, and you.
How can I improve my attention span?
Modestly, and with boring methods: enough sleep, some exercise, fewer notifications, doing one thing at a time, and taking actual breaks. Practice helps too, but it is specific — retaking this test will mostly make you better at this test. None of this is clinical advice; if your attention worries you in a way that affects your life, that is a conversation for a clinician, not a burger website.
Is the attention span test free?
Yes. Free in your browser, no download, no sign up, no account. It is a burger site.