How to take the reaction time test
- Click the box to start. After that you can use Space instead of clicking. The box turns red and shows Wait for green….
- After a random wait of 1.5 to 4.5 seconds it turns green and says Click!. Click or press Space as fast as you can.
- Each try shows your time in milliseconds. After 5 tries you get your average and your fastest time.
How the test works
The box waits a random time between 1.5 and 4.5 seconds before it turns green, so you can’t predict the moment. The timer starts when the green frame is drawn and stops the instant you press the mouse button down, not when you let go. Pressing Space works the same way.
One try can be lucky or slow for no real reason. That’s why a round is 5 tries and the main result is the average. Your fastest try is shown too, but the average is the fairer number to compare.
What affects your score
- Your screen. A 60 Hz screen draws a new picture about every 16.7 ms. A faster screen shows the green sooner, and some screens add their own processing delay on top.
- Your mouse, keyboard or touch screen. Every input device takes a moment to tell the computer it was pressed. Touch screens are often slower than a mouse.
- A busy computer. Lots of open tabs or a heavy program in the background can delay the page slightly.
- You. Focus, tiredness and how much you’ve practised all show up in the result. Keep your finger resting on the button so it only has to press.