Reaction Time Test
Tap the moment the board turns green. Five attempts; your score is the average, and a miss counts 5 seconds.
Reaction time test: how it works
This reaction time test measures how fast you respond to something you see. The board turns red: wait. When it turns green, tap anywhere on it, or press Space, as fast as you can. You get five attempts, and your score is their average in milliseconds.
Tap while the board is still red and it says Too soon: that attempt counts as 1000 ms. The same goes for a tap under 120 ms after the green, which is a guess rather than a reaction. Switching tabs before the green replays the attempt. No tap within 5 seconds of the green, or leaving once it shows, counts as a miss at 5000 ms. The wait before the green is random, between 1.5 and 5 seconds, so it cannot be timed.
What is a good reaction time?
A typical average on this test is about 377 ms. 287 ms puts you in the top quarter, 244 ms in the top tenth and 189 ms in the top 1%. Your score includes the delay of your own screen, mouse or touchscreen, which can add tens of milliseconds, so a desktop with a mouse usually reads faster than a phone.
Reaction time is fastest in your twenties and slows gently with age. Sleep, caffeine, warming up and simply trying a few times all move it by a few milliseconds.
The chess version
A reaction test asks you to see one thing. A chess player has to see what matters on a full board. Find the Check times how fast you spot the piece giving check.
Questions
What is the average human reaction time?
For a visual test like this one, most people react in about 200 to 350 ms. A typical first run here averages about 377 ms: the score also carries the lag of your screen and your mouse or touchscreen, and any false start.
Is this like the Human Benchmark reaction time test?
It is the same task: wait for green, tap, five attempts, the average as your score. Here your result also lands on a strength tier, and the chess version is one tap away.
Is 200 ms a good reaction time?
Yes. On this test 244 ms is already the top tenth and 189 ms the top 1%, so an average near 200 ms is among the fastest. Under 120 ms is not a reaction but a guess, which is why a tap that quick counts as a false start.
How can I improve my reaction time?
Play on a desktop with a wired mouse, rest your finger on the button, look at the center of the board and relax. Being rested helps more than any trick.