How to take the reaction speed test
Press Start test. The panel goes red. When it turns green, click or tap as quickly as you can. Do it five times and the test shows your average reaction speed in milliseconds. A click before green does not count and that try is repeated.
How fast is fast?
| Average | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 200 ms | Exceptional. Typical of competitive gamers on fast hardware. |
| 200 to 229 ms | Fast. Noticeably quicker than most people. |
| 230 to 299 ms | Normal range for an online test. |
| 300 ms or more | Slower than average, often due to the device or tiredness. |
Where reaction speed matters
Gaming. In a shooter, the player who sees the opponent and clicks first usually wins the duel. A difference of 30 ms sounds tiny, but at 144 frames per second it is four full frames.
Driving. At 100 km/h a car covers about 28 meters every second. Each tenth of a second of delay before braking adds nearly three meters to the stopping distance.
Sport. A fast serve in tennis or a pitch in baseball reaches the receiver in roughly 400 to 500 ms. There is only just enough time to see, decide and swing, which is why these athletes rely so heavily on reading the opponent’s motion.
Your setup is part of your score
Reaction speed measured in a browser includes the delay of everything between the signal and your click:
- Display. A 60 Hz screen can add up to 16.7 ms just waiting for the next frame. Televisions with image processing can add far more.
- Input. Wireless and Bluetooth mice, and touchscreens, respond a little later than a wired mouse.
- Browser. Other tabs and background programs can delay both the color change and the click.
For the fairest result, close other tabs, use the same device each time and compare your scores with your own history in the Your scores panel.
Ways to get faster
- Rest your finger on the button so the only movement is the press itself.
- Stay relaxed. Tense muscles respond more slowly.
- Do a short warm-up. The second and third runs are usually better than the first.
- Test at the same time of day. Most people are slowest right after waking.
The complete score guide is on the reaction time test page. To add aiming to the mix, try the aim trainer.