A percentile tells you the share of people you scored above. Reach the 90th percentile on a visual memory test and you beat 90 percent of players. This page gives the full distribution, so instead of just knowing you’re “above average,” you can find the exact rank of your score.
The visual memory percentile chart
Here’s how visual memory scores spread across the population:
| Percentile | Score |
|---|---|
| 10th | 7 levels |
| 25th | 9 levels |
| 50th | 11 levels |
| 75th | 13 levels |
| 90th | 15 levels |
| 95th | 17 levels |
| 99th | 19 levels |
The median, the 50th percentile, sits at 11. Half of people score below that and half above. The distribution isn’t flat: scores bunch up in the middle and thin out at the top, which is why each extra tile gets harder to earn as you climb.
What the milestones mean
- 11 (50th): dead center, a completely typical result.
- 13 (75th): upper quarter, clearly above average.
- 15 (90th): top ten percent, a strong score most people never reach.
- 19 (99th): top one percent, exceptional visual recall.
Find your percentile
Take the visual memory test and note your score, then read it off the chart above. The tool also shows your percentile the moment you finish, so you don’t have to look it up. If you want the plain-language version of “what’s typical,” the average visual memory score page covers it. To see how a very different skill is distributed, compare the number memory percentiles. To see how the typical visual score shifts across age bands, see memory score by age, and for the methods that move people up the chart, see memory techniques.
Frequently asked questions
What does a visual memory percentile mean?
Your percentile is the percentage of people you scored above. A 70th percentile score means you did better than 70 percent of players and worse than 30 percent. It’s a clearer comparison than the raw average, which only marks the middle. Percentiles tell you exactly where in the pack you land.
What visual memory score is top 1%?
Reaching 19 puts you in the top one percent, better than 99 of every 100 players. Scores climb steeply at the top of the distribution, so the jump from the 90th to the 99th percentile is larger than it looks. Very few people reach it without practice.
Why do percentiles matter more than the average?
The average only tells you the middle. Two people can both be “above average” and be worlds apart. A percentile pins down your exact position, so you know whether you’re just past typical or genuinely rare. For measuring progress over time, percentiles show movement the average hides.