Auditory Reaction Time Test
Tap the instant you hear the beep. Your score is the average of 5 tries.
Auditory reaction is ear to brain. MIKIRI measures eye to brain. Same instant โ but vision carries far more information to process.
Can you read a number that vanishes in 0.4s?Bonus: can you read a number shown for 0.4 seconds?
Next after this test comes split-second vision. Try one round of the real MIKIRI mechanic right here.
The real game starts at 3 digits and slow, and ends with 12 digits in a blink. Free, no signup, world ranking.
Play MIKIRI free โถ| Rating | 5-try average | |
|---|---|---|
| S | < 180ms | Lightning reflexes |
| A | 180โ210ms | Fast โ top tier |
| B | 210โ240ms | Around average |
| C | 240โ270ms | Below average |
| D | ≥ 270ms | Focus up first |
How this test works
After you tap to start, a beep plays after a random delay (1.5-4 seconds). Tap the instant you hear it โ we measure the milliseconds from the beep to your tap, and rate the average of 5 tries. Tapping before the beep is a false start and repeats the try.
Simple auditory reactions are usually a touch faster than visual ones. Try our visual reaction time test too and see which is faster for you.
How to get faster
- Don't watch the screen โ focus purely on listening (closing your eyes is fine)
- Set your speaker or headphone volume to a comfortable, clear level
- Bluetooth headphones can add audio latency โ wired headphones or your device's built-in speaker measure more accurately
Want to measure visual reaction too?
Try our reaction time test (visual) or Stroop test. MIKIRI has fifteen free games โ read-ahead reaction (NEXT), eye tracking (FOLLOW) โ each with a global top-100 leaderboard.
Try other tests
Why reactions to sound usually beat reactions to light
For most people, reaction to a sound comes out faster than reaction to a light, typically by a few tens of milliseconds.
The usual explanation is that the path from the ear to a nerve signal is shorter. In the eye, converting light into a signal takes longer.
So comparing this page with the visual reaction time test won't tell you whether you are fast or slow. They measure different pathways.
Bluetooth audio breaks the measurement
The biggest distortion in this test is audio output latency. Wireless earbuds and headphones compress and transmit the sound, which adds delay.
That delay is added straight onto your reaction time, so your result comes out slower than you really are. The amount also varies by model and connection quality, so it can differ from day to day.
- Use wired headphones or the device speaker โ the most reliable option.
- If you must use wireless, always use the same pair โ the absolute value can't be trusted, but you can still follow changes.
- Test somewhere quiet โ background noise delays noticing the beep.
- Keep the volume the same โ quieter sounds take longer to notice.
When sight and sound arrive slightly apart
Even when sound and light seem simultaneous, they are often a little out of step. The brain binds them together and reports "at the same time", so small gaps go unnoticed.
MIKIRI's OFFBEAT lets you probe where that binding breaks: find the one dot whose sound and light are out of step. Concentrating only on the eyes or only on the ears makes it harder; anchor on one and judge whether the other is early or late.
FAQ
- What's the average auditory reaction time?
- Online tests (device latency included) typically run around 150-200ms, and auditory reactions tend to be a touch faster than visual ones on average.
- Is auditory usually faster than visual?
- For most people, yes, slightly โ though it varies. Try both tests and compare your own numbers.
- Does a Bluetooth headset put me at a disadvantage?
- Yes. Bluetooth can add tens of milliseconds of audio latency. For a fair comparison, use wired headphones or your device's built-in speaker.
- Is this test free?
- Completely free, no account needed. Works in any modern browser on phone or desktop.