A square will light up on a grid. Press Match if the current position matches the one from 2 steps ago. Tests working memory and executive control.
The N-Back task is one of the most widely used working memory assessments in cognitive neuroscience. Research by Susanne Jaeggi (2008) suggested dual N-Back training could even improve fluid intelligence — a finding that generated significant scientific debate.
For more working memory tests, try Number Memory and Digit Span. Track your cognitive profile in your personal dashboard.
The N-Back task, developed in 1958 by Wayne Kirchner, is the most widely used paradigm in working memory research. On each trial, you must judge whether the current stimulus matches the one presented N steps earlier. At 2-Back, you compare each stimulus to the one two positions back — which requires simultaneously holding the current item, updating the buffer, and discarding the item that is no longer relevant. This triple demand on working memory makes it exceptionally sensitive to individual differences in cognitive capacity.
A landmark 2008 study by Susanne Jaeggi and colleagues reported that training on the dual N-Back task produced gains in fluid intelligence — the ability to solve novel problems — sparking enormous scientific and public interest. While the specific transfer claims remain debated, the N-Back remains the most validated direct measure of working memory updating capacity available outside a clinical laboratory.
Average accuracy on 2-Back is around 65–75% for first-time users. Scores above 85% on 2-Back, or above 70% on 3-Back, indicate strong working memory updating capacity. Compare your N-Back performance with Digit Span (which tests static capacity) to distinguish between working memory capacity and working memory updating efficiency.