Which Memory Championship Event Suits You?
Answer three questions and get a ranked shortlist of the ten events, with a drill, a guide and the record benchmark for each.
Your top three
- #1
Random Words
An ordered list of unrelated words. Needs imagery and a route, no number system.
matches what you enjoy; needs longer sessions than you have.
- #2
Names and Faces
Match names to faces. Trains the skill you use at every party.
matches what you enjoy; needs longer sessions than you have.
- #3
Speed Numbers
Rows of 40 digits in five minutes. A number system plus a route.
a step up from your level, so better later.
See the other seven events
- Speed Cards — One shuffled deck, timed. A clear single target.
- Historic Dates — Match invented events to years. Number images plus event images.
- Spoken Numbers — Digits by ear at one per second. No visuals.
- Abstract Images — Rows of five meaningless shapes. Give each a quick meaning.
- Binary Numbers — Long strings of 0s and 1s. A chunking challenge.
- Hour Numbers — The numbers marathon: an hour to memorize.
- Hour Cards — As many 52-card packs as you can in an hour.
For a longer comparison, read which event to start with.
How the event picker chooses
Memory sport has ten standard events, and the right first one depends on what you enjoy, how long you can train in a sitting and how much experience you have. This picker scores all ten against your three answers and shows the best three, with a drill, a guide and the record benchmark for each.
The difficulty ratings are a rough judgement for a newcomer: Random Words and Names and Faces are beginner events, most others are intermediate, and Spoken Numbers and the two hour events are advanced.
- Pick everything you enjoy working with: numbers, cards, words and people, pictures, or history.
- Choose how long you can train in one sitting. The hour events need an hour or more.
- Say where you are starting from. A step-up event ranks lower until you have more experience.
- Open the top result's guide and try its drill. If it feels good, keep going; if not, try the next one.
Frequently asked questions
- Which memory championship event is best for beginners?
- Random Words and Names and Faces are the gentlest starts, because they need a memory palace and vivid images but no number system. They need a memory palace and vivid images, but no number system.
- How does the picker rank the events?
- Each event scores higher when it matches what you enjoy, fits your session length and is at or below your experience level, and lower when it is a step up or needs longer sessions than you have.
- Do I have to stick to the first result?
- No. It is a shortlist, not a ruling. Try the drill for two or three events and see which you enjoy.
- Is the event picker free?
- Yes. It runs in your browser and needs no account. The drills it links to are free too.
For a full comparison of the ten events, read which memory championship event to start with.