Reaction time test
When the screen turns green, tap as fast as you can. Five starts, then your average.
Tap to start
Space, click or tap
Press Space or tap the stage to start, then again the moment the signal comes.
- 1--
- 2--
- 3--
- 4--
- 5--
- Best
- -- ms
- Average
- -- ms
- Your record
- -- ms
Reaction test · beatthestart.com
ms
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent: your record stays on this device and a challenge link carries one time.
How the reaction time test works
- Tap the stage or press Space. It turns red: wait.
- After a random 1.5 to 4 seconds it turns green. Tap the moment it does.
- Five starts give your average, your best and a rank. Tap too soon and the start does not count.
Reaction time ranks
| Average | Rank |
|---|---|
| under 180 ms | Pole sitter |
| 180 to 219 ms | Podium |
| 220 to 259 ms | Points finish |
| 260 to 319 ms | Midfield |
| 320 ms and over | Back of the grid |
These names are ours, not a percentile. For real averages by age and device, see average reaction time.
Real starts, real rules
- F1 start: five red lights, then lights out after 0.2 to 3 seconds.
- MotoGP start: one red light for 2 to 5 seconds.
- 100 m sprint start: under 0.100 s is a false start.
What your time includes
Frequently asked questions
What is a good reaction time?
In a lab study of 1,469 adults with calibrated hardware, the mean was 231 ms (Woods et al., 2015). Online tests add the delay of your screen and mouse or touch screen: Human Benchmark's median is 273 ms. Under 220 ms on this test earns a Podium rank or better.
Why is my time slower on a phone?
Your number includes the time your screen takes to show the green and the time your touch screen takes to report the tap. A 60 Hz screen draws a new frame every 16.7 ms; a 120 Hz screen every 8.3 ms. Compare yourself on the same device.
What is the fastest possible reaction time?
Detecting the signal alone takes about 131 ms on average (Woods et al., 2015), before your finger even moves. That is why athletics treats anything under 100 ms as a false start: it is a guess, not a reaction. This test does the same.
Does reaction time get slower with age?
A little: about 0.55 ms per year between 18 and 65 in Woods et al. (2015), so roughly 26 ms over 47 years. The study found no effect of sex or education.
Why five starts?
One start is luck. Your times vary by about 40 ms from one try to the next (the mean spread in Woods et al., 2015), so the average of five says more than your best one.