Names and Faces Memory Test
Learn 10 faces with their first names in 90 seconds, then write each name when the faces come back in a new order. About three minutes.
Names and faces
You will see 10 faces, each with a first name, for 90 seconds. Then the same faces come back in a different order: write each person's name. Capitals and accents don't matter.
What this test measures
This is a face–name association test. You study 10 faces, each labelled with a first name, for 90 seconds. The same faces then come back shuffled, and you write the name under each one. Capitals, accents and spacing don't matter, but the name has to be the right one. Your score is the number of names you recall, out of 10.
How to read your score
| Names (of 10) | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | Warming up. Names slip easily because they carry no meaning. Turn each one into a picture. |
| 4–6 | Good start. Link each name's picture to one feature of the face, and the face will bring the name back. |
| 7–8 | Strong. You are probably linking names to faces already. Make the links stranger and more vivid. |
| 9–10 | Excellent. That is the method memory athletes use in the Names and Faces event. |
These bands describe this test's own scale, not a population norm. Take it again on another day and compare with your own best; the test remembers it on this device.
How to remember more names
Turn the name into a picture. Rosa becomes a rose, Omar an oar. A name that means nothing is hard to keep; a picture is easy. See visualization for memory.
Pin the picture to the face. Pick one feature that stands out (big eyebrows, a round chin, glasses) and put the picture right there: a rose tucked behind the glasses. When you see the face again, the feature brings back the picture, and the picture the name. The full method is in how to remember names.
Practise at championship scale. The Names and Faces drill gives you whole pages of faces with first and last names, scored like the competition event.
Frequently asked questions
What does a names and faces test measure?
It measures associative memory: tying two separate things together, here a face and a name, so that one brings back the other. It is the skill behind remembering the people you meet.
Why are names so hard to remember?
A name usually carries no meaning that connects it to the person, so there is nothing to hold it in place. A face is easy to recognise; the name is the part that slips. Memory techniques work by giving the name a meaning, a picture, and attaching it to the face.
What is a good score?
The bands on this page are this test's own scale rather than a published norm, so compare with your own earlier scores. Turning each name into a picture and pinning it to the face is the usual way to raise it.
Are these real people?
No. The faces are drawn by this site and the first names come from the same built-in list the Names and Faces training drill uses. Every round is a new set.
Is this a medical test?
No. It is for practice and fun, not a clinical tool, and it cannot diagnose anything. If you are worried about your memory, talk to a doctor.