How the Memory Recall Numeric test works
A voice reads a seven-digit telephone number over your headset. A few moments later you type it from memory, without a hyphen, and the next number follows. The score is the percentage you enter correctly.
Biddle’s own preparation drill describes the rhythm: someone reads you a seven-digit number, you type it as soon as they finish, and the next one comes about five seconds later.
How to hold a seven-digit number
Seven separate digits are hard to keep; two groups are easy:
- Hear the number as three digits, then four, the way a US number is written.
- Repeat both groups silently, in the voice you heard, until you can type.
- Type the first group straight away, then the second. Do not wait for the whole number to feel certain.
- Clear your mind between numbers. Thinking about the last one costs you the next.
Worked example
You hear “eight, three, one, six, zero, nine, four”. Held as “eight-three-one” and “six-zero-nine-four”, it is two short items rather than seven. You type 8316094.
The usual slip is swapping two digits in the second group, typing 8316049. Saying the four-digit group to yourself as a rhythm, “six-oh, nine-four”, makes that swap easier to notice.
Tips for the real Memory Recall Numeric test
- Do Biddle’s drill at home: have someone read you numbers about five seconds apart and type each from memory until you rarely miss.
- Test your headset before the day and set a comfortable volume. Biddle says you can usually adjust it during the test.
- If you test in Safari, allow auto-play for the test site first, or the audio will not play.
- Turn Num Lock on and type on the numeric keypad if your keyboard has one.
Practise Memory Recall Numeric on CogniPrep
Our version reads 20 seven-digit numbers with your device’s built-in voice, in a group of three and a group of four, once each with no replay. The entry box opens two seconds after the voice stops, you have ten seconds to type, and the next number follows about five seconds later. You get the percentage you typed exactly right. The voice will sound different from Biddle’s recordings, and the count and timings are ours. If your browser has no voice, the numbers are shown on screen instead and your result says so.