TMB Cognitive Tests
TestMyBrain digital cognitive tests have been used extensively in research studies around the globe focused on answering important scientific questions across multiple domains including COVID-19, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, diabetes, genetics, cancer, sport concussion, multiple sclerosis, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's and related dementias. Our tests are designed for self-administration and use across devices and browsers. Please see below for individual test information.
Normative samples of up to > 100,000 participants per test
Validated for ages 10-89
Smartphone and tablet compatible (unless otherwise indicated)
Laptop and desktop computer compatible
Generate raw data and summary scores (with fully transparent scoring algorithms for reproducibility)
Ultra-brief and alternate test forms for longitudinal, high-frequency testing, measurement burst, and ecological momentary assessment study designs
Open-source (LGPLv3 license)
The TMB Test List contains full test demos and references. If you would like to learn more about cognitive testing supported by TestMyBrain, please contact us at info@testmybrain.org .
TMB Digit Symbol Matching
About the test
Using a symbol-number key shown on screen, match as many symbols and numbers as possible in 90 seconds. This test measures processing speed and visual short term memory .
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Test Versions Available: - 2 minutes Ultra-brief - 1.5 minutes EMA - 1.5 minutes with instructions/practice & 45 sec without
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 100,000
Languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Finnish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese
About the test
Indicate the direction of the arrow that is a different color from the rest. This test measures processing speed , response selection/inhibition , and attention .
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Test Versions Available: - 1.5 minutes Ultra-brief - 1 minute EMA - 1 minute with instructions/practice & 45 sec without
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 40,000
Languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese
About the test
Press a key whenever a green square appears. This test measures basic psychomotor response speed .
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Test Versions Available: - 1.5 minutes Ultra-brief - 1 minute
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 70,000
Languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French
TMB Gradual Onset Continuous Performance Test (TMB GradCPT)
About the test
Press a key when a city image appears and do not press when a mountain image appears. Images rapidly transition from one to the next, with mountains appearing only 10 - 20% of the time. This test measures sustained attention , response inhibition , and cognitive control .
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Test Versions Available: - 300 trials - 6 minutes Ultra-briefUltra-brief - 75 trials - 3 minutes EMA
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 90,000
Languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Finnish
Acknowledgements: Mike Esterman and Joe DeGutis, Boston Attention Lab, BVARI
About the test
For each word, pick which of five words is the closest in meaning (or synonym). This test measures long-term verbal memory , crystallized cognitive ability , and verbal reasoning .
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Test Versions Available: - Moderate - 4 minutes Standard - Hard - 3 minute Ultra-brief - Moderate - 1 minute
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 100,000
Languages: English, Spanish (Standard - Moderate, Ultra-brief - Moderate)
Acknowledgements: Joshua Hartshorne, Boston Learning Lab, Boston College
About the test
Identify the image that best completes the pattern in a series, based on a logical rule. This test measures fluid cognitive ability and nonverbal reasoning .
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Test Versions Available: - 36-item - stopping rule, colorblind friendly - 7.5 minutesLegacy - 35-item no stopping rule - 9 minutesUltra-brief - 11-item - stopping rule, colorblind friendly - 3 minutes (Alternate forms available) Ultra-brief - 10-item screener - no stopping rule, colorblind friendly - 4 minutes
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 80,000
Languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese (Ultra-brief Screener), French, Finnish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese
About the tests
Recall sequences of digits of increasing length, either in the same order as presented (TMB Forward Digit Span) or in the opposite order (TMB Backward Digit Span). This test measures auditory span , s hort term memory , attention , and working memory (backward version). The two tests can be administered alone/individually or together for any given project.
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Test Versions Available: - 3.5 minutes TMB Forward Digit Span - 3.5 minutes
Alternate test forms available to reduce practice effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): Forward > 27,000; Backward > 10,000
Languages: English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese
TMB Verbal Paired Associates Memory
About the test
Learn and then recognize a set of word pairs. Word pairs are selected to be either abstract (hard version) or concrete (easy version). This test measures verbal memory and episodic memory .
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Test Versions Available: - 4.5 minutes (not including delay) Standard - Abstract - 5 minutes (not including delay)Ultra-brief - Concrete - 2 minutes (not including delay)Ultra-brief - Abstract - 2 minutes (not including delay)
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 44,000
Languages: English, Simplified Chinese (Standard - Concrete, Ultra-brief - Concrete), Traditional Chinese (Ultra-brief - Concrete), Finnish, Spanish (Standard - Concrete), French (Standard - Concrete), Dutch (Standard - Concrete), Brazilian Portuguese (Standard - Concrete)
Acknowledgments: Christopher Chabris, Geisinger Health
TMB Visual Paired Associates Memory
About the test
Learn and then recognize a set of picture pairs (scene images). This test measures visual memory and episodic memory .
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Test Versions Available: - 5.5 minutes (not including delay)
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 11,500
Languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Finnish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese
Acknowledgments: Images from MIT SUN Database (Xiao et al., 2010)
About the test
Press a key to identify which direction the middle arrow is pointing. This is a test of cognitive control , response inhibition , and attention .
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Test Versions Available: - 4.5 minutes
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 3,000
Languages: English, Spanish
TMB Multiracial Emotion Identification
About the test
Identify which of four emotions (anger, happiness, fear, sadness) best describes the emotion in a face. This test measures face emotion perception and emotion identification .
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Test Versions Available: - 3.5 minutes
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 45,000
Languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Finnish
Acknowledgments: Actors of Boston’s Company One Theatre
TMB Multiracial Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RMET)
About the test
Decide which of four complex emotion words describes the mental state of someone based on just the eye region of their face. This test measures theory of mind and social understanding and was adapted from the original (white faces only) Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test.
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Test Versions Available: - 4 minutes
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 20,000
Languages: English
Acknowledgments: Actors of Boston’s Company One Theatre
About the tests
Connect a series of numbers in ascending order (Trails A) or numbers and letters in alternate ascending order (Trails B). These tests measure processing speed , task switching (Trails A), and cognitive flexibility (Trails B). These two tests can be administered alone/individually or together for any given project.
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Test Versions Available: - 1.5 minutes TMB Trails B - 1.5 minutes
Alternate test forms available to reduce practice effects.
Smartphone Compatible: TABLET (larger screen size needed)
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): Part A > 30,000; Part B > 27,000
Languages: English, Simplified Chinese (Part A only), Spanish, Estonian
TMB Adaptive Delay Discounting
About the test
Choose between smaller, immediate rewards (hypothetical) and larger rewards at a later date. This test measures temporal discounting , aspects of impulsivity , and decision-making .
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Test Versions Available: - 2.5 minutes Ultra-brief - 2 minutes
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 48,000
Languages: English, Spanish
TMB Flicker Change Detection
About the test
Given a set of flashing blue and yellow dots, find the dot that is changing color from blue to yellow. This is a test of visual search , change detection , and visual working memory .
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Test Versions Available: - 3 minutes Ultra-brief - 1 minute
Alternate test forms available to reduce practice effects.
Smartphone Compatible: TABLET ONLY (larger screen size needed)
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 15,000
Languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Finnish, Spanish
TMB Multiple Object Tracking
About the test
Remember and track a set of target circles as they move around the screen, among a larger set of identical distractor circles. This test measures visual working memory and visuospatial attention .
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Test Versions Available: - 5 minutesUltra-brief - 2.5 minutesEMA - 2.5 minutes with instructions/practice & 1 minute without
Alternate test forms available to reduce practice effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 45,000
Languages: English, Spanish
TMB Letter / Number Switching
About the test
Judge whether a number is in the set 123 or 789 (number task) or whether a letter is in the set ABC or XYZ (letter task). Participants are cued regarding which task to complete before each trial. This test measures response selection / inhibition , task-switching , and cognitive control .
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Test Versions Available: - 2 minutes
Alternate test forms available to reduce practice effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 10,000
Languages: English, Spanish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese
TMB Paced Serial Addition Task
About the test
Add pairs of numbers that appear one after another and determine whether the sum is less than or greater than 10. This is a test of sustained attention , working memory , and cognitive control .
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Test Versions Available: - 5 minutes
Alternate test forms available to reduce practice effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 5,000
Languages: English, Spanish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese
Acknowledgments: Naomi Chaytor, Washington State University
TMB Belmont Emotion Sensitivity Tests (BEST)
About the tests
Judge which of two faces is expressing more of the target emotion (happiness, anger, or fear - one test for each emotion). Each test measures sensitivity to a different face emotion. The three subtests can be administered individually or together for any given project. The overall set of tests measures face emotion perception .
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Test Versions Available: - 3 minutesAnger - 3 minutesFear - 3.5 minutes
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 10,000 (each)
Languages: English, Spanish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese
Acknowledgments: Jordan Smoller, Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital
TMB Cambridge Face Memory Test
About the test
Learn and recognize a set of 6 faces from different angles and lighting conditions. This is a test of face perception and face recognition .
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Test Versions Available: - 10 minutes Computer Generated Faces - 10 minutes (Alternate test forms available )
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 67,000
Languages: English
Acknowledgments: Brad Duchaine, Social Perception Lab, Dartmouth University and Ken Nakayama, Vision Sciences Lab, Harvard University
TMB Word Sentence Association Paradigm
About the test
Given an ambiguous sentence, decide which of two words provides the best interpretation of the sentence. This test measures negative interpretation biases and information processing .
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Test Versions Available: - 2.5 minutes
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): > 6,000
Languages: English
Acknowledgments: Courtney Beard, Cognition and Affect Research and Education (CARE) Lab, McLean Hospital
About the test
Press a key when the letter you see is the same as the letter that appeared two letters before. This test measures attention and working memory.
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Test Versions Available: (Medium & Hard) - 6 minutes EMA (Medium & Hard) - 2 minutes with instructions, 1 minute without
Alternate test forms available to reduce learning effects.
Smartphone Compatible: YES
Size of Normative Dataset (approx. N across versions): 5,000
Languages: English
**Note: This is a relatively new TestMyBrain test with limited normative data; it has not been validated to the same extent as our other tests. The EMA versions are being used in ongoing studies, but their data have not yet been published. Therefore, we currently recommend using this test only if a norms-based interpretation is not required.
