Area 6 of 6 · 7 scored questions
Working memory
Numbers appear one at a time and you repeat them, sometimes in reverse order. Other times the test shows you something, moves on, and asks about it a few questions later.
- 7 of the 37 scored questions
- digits and recall
- one screen at a time
What it measures
What memory asks of you
Holding and using information for a few seconds. Reverse order is the most demanding, because it asks you to manipulate what you’re holding.
- 1
Hold things in order
In the forward sequence, you repeat the digits as they appeared. The difficulty rises with the length of the sequence.
- 2
Manipulate what you’re holding
In reverse order, you have to hold the sequence and read it back to front at the same time.
- 3
Remember later
In the recall questions, something shown earlier comes back as a question a few questions later, with options that are similar in sound and meaning.
During the test
What helps with memory
- Group the digits into pairs or triples: 7-3-9-1 becomes "73, 91".
- In reverse order, hold the whole sequence before you start reversing it.
- When the test asks you to memorize something, take an extra second to look. The question comes back later.
What the research says
Where this area comes from
A working system
Baddeley and Hitch (1974) proposed working memory as a system that holds and manipulates information for a short time, distinct from long-term memory.
A few items at a time
The capacity to hold separate items is small: Miller (1956) spoke of about seven, and Cowan (2001) of about four chunks. That’s why grouping helps.
We don’t give an IQ per area: with only a few questions in each, the error would be too large. The report shows how many you got right and whether the area came out above, in line with, or below your overall result.
Questions
Questions about this area
Why is memory part of a reasoning test?
Because reasoning requires holding information while you think. Reverse order, in particular, is related to reasoning.
Can I write the numbers down?
The test was designed to be answered in your head. Writing things down changes what the question measures.
The 6 areas
Other areas of the test
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Matrices
Find the rule that organizes a grid of shapes and apply it to the missing piece.
See the area -
Series
Find the pattern in a sequence of numbers or letters and continue it.
See the area -
Rotation
Rotate shapes mentally and recognize the same piece in another position.
See the area -
Logic
Draw valid conclusions from premises: conditions, orderings and exclusions.
See the area -
Verbal
Relationships between words and ideas: analogies, categories and syllogisms.
See the area
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