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We want to have a test to determine the status of a person's memory.

For example, a good test might consist of multtiple choice questions and take 5 - 10 minutes. The end result would be a summary of an individuals' memory based on their score.

Questions

  • What tests are currently used to measure a person's memory?
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Hi Don. Welcome to the site. You will need to say a lot more about the purpose for which you want a test and what you hope to measure. E.g., do you want a test for diagnosing people with memory related disorders or are you hoping to differentiate levels of memory functioning amongst "normal" adults? Also what aspects of individual differences in memory are you interested in measuring? Without that information this question will most likely be closed. – Jeromy Anglim♦ Jun 22 '12 at 2:11
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I think your question has some potential, but please look through Memory or an equivalent article to give someone a head start in answering your question. Otherwise, as Jeromy has stated, it's difficult to answer without more information. – Chuck Sherrington Jun 22 '12 at 3:41
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There are many types of memory; short term, long term, episodic, procedural, which kind of memory are you interested in? – Ben Brocka Jun 22 '12 at 3:50
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I agree with everyone else that if you narrow down what you wanted it will help others to give more specific answers. My answer below is just off the top of my head / some quick search of what's available. – Vielle Jun 22 '12 at 5:24
Welcome Don! Your question has a negative score right now because as others have mentioned, it is overly broad. In it's current form it is likely to be closed. I recommend you edit your question to address the community's concerns. If you need any help, just comment here and let us know. Thanks and again, welcome to the site! – Josh Gitlin♦ Jun 22 '12 at 12:51

closed as not a real question by Ben Brocka, Chuck Sherrington, Artem Kaznatcheev, Josh Gitlin♦ Jun 29 '12 at 2:04

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

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There are a wide variety of memory tests available for different purposes (sometimes clinical, sometimes for research). Also as Ben Brocka mentions, they can be more targeted as well.

One test I can think of at the top of my head that is available for free online is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) that you might be interested in. It serves as a quick screening for cognitive impairment but there is one section for memory. Usually these are used prior to further testing. I can update my answer later if I find more.

One that is well known and is widely used in clinical settings is the Wechsler-Memory-Scale (WMS). The latest version is WMS-IV but it is more comprehensive and not free.

Considering you asked for something around 5-10 min. you are probably more interested in ones used in research/educational settings. Here are two I found:

1) Faceblind is run by the Prosopagnosia Research Centers (Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University College London). There you can find a test on visual memory for celebrity faces (which would be considered Long Term Memory).

2) Their site links to tests from another group:

"Test My Brain is a collaborative effort between the Vision Lab and the Social Neuroscience and Psychopathology Lab at Harvard University."

They offer more visual memory tests, some on faces, words, numbers etc.

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