Attention span test
Circles will appear one at a time. Click (or tap) when you see green. Do nothing when you see a red circle with an X. Stay with it: it's longer than it feels.Circles will appear one at a time. Tap when you see green. Do nothing when you see a red circle with an X. Stay with it: it's longer than it feels.
About 2–3 minutes · 80 circles · Saved only if you choose
Private by design: your answers never leave this page.
Practice round
Click (or tap) when you see green. Do nothing when you see a red circle with an X.Tap when you see green. Do nothing when you see a red circle with an X.
Practice complete
Ready for the real test? 80 circles with no feedback so you stay in flow.
Test paused
The window lost focus or was hidden. To keep scores accurate, please restart the test.
What does it mean?
What can change it?
Sleep, phone notifications, noise and how interested you are in the task.
These bands are our own guide to help you read your result. They're not compared with a population, and they're not a diagnosis.
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What’s happening in this test?
Practise first. Six practice circles with feedback come first. They don't count.
Green or red. Circles appear one at a time for half a second each. Click or tap for green, and do nothing for a red circle with an X. A press only counts while the circle is on screen.
Stay with it. The real run is 80 circles, 60 green and 20 red, with no feedback.
Keep this tab in front. If you switch tabs or the window loses focus, the run stops and you start again, so the timing stays fair.
Your score. Your score out of 100 is the average of two numbers: the share of greens you caught and the share of reds you held back on. Your speed is shown but doesn't change the score.
What can change your result: sleep, phone notifications, noise and how interested you are in the task.
Read more: Attention span: myths, and what helps
Questions
What is attention span?
How long you can keep your focus on one task. It isn't one fixed number: it changes with the task, your mood and how tired you are.
Is the average attention span really 8 seconds, shorter than a goldfish?
No. That claim is widely repeated but has no solid research behind it.
What is a Go/No-Go task?
A classic psychology task: respond to one kind of signal and hold back on another. It measures focus and self-control together.
How can I improve my attention span?
Remove notifications, work in focused blocks (for example 25 minutes), sleep well, and take short breaks before you're exhausted.
Can this test tell if I have ADHD?
No. It's not a diagnosis. If focus problems affect your daily life, talk to a doctor or psychologist.
Learn more: Attention span: myths, and what helps
Sources
- Gomez, P., Ratcliff, R., & Perea, M. (2007). A model of the go/no-go task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
- Donders, F. C. (1969). On the speed of mental processes (W. G. Koster, Trans.). Acta Psychologica, 30, 412–431. (Original work published 1868; the first go/no-go style reaction task.)