Speed Cards Points Calculator
Turn a memorization time into World Memory Sports Council points, or work out the time a target score needs. Uses the rulebook formula 11180 / t^0.75.
Benchmarks on the same scale
| Benchmark | Time | Speed Cards points |
|---|---|---|
| Rulebook anchor | 25 s | 999.97 |
| Millennium Standard (31 January 2021) | 16.02 s | 1,396.19 |
| World record benchmark | 12.74 s | 1,657.92 |
Want to see where you stand across all ten events? Try the championship points calculator, or run a real attempt in Speed Cards.
How Speed Cards points are calculated
In the memory-sport event Speed Cards you memorize one shuffled 52-card deck as fast as you can, then recall it. For a complete, correct deck the World Memory Sports Council scores 11180 divided by the time in seconds raised to the power 0.75. That gives exactly 1,000 points for a deck memorized in 25 seconds, and the points fall steadily as the time rises.
If you recall fewer than 52 cards, the time is taken as 300 seconds and you score the number of cards correct, in order from the start, divided by 52. A single mistake ends the count, so the cards after it do not score even if they are right.
- Choose Time → points and enter your memorization time in seconds (45) or minutes and seconds (1:05.4).
- Read your Speed Cards points. Because points fall as time rises, a higher score always means a faster complete deck.
- Use Points → time to find the time a target score needs, for example the time for 500 points.
- Use Incomplete deck to see what a partly recalled deck is worth. Those scores are always below 1 point.
- Compare the championship points figure, which shows how your result sits against the Millennium Standard for the event.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Speed Cards scoring formula?
- For a complete deck recalled correctly, points = 11180 / (time in seconds)^0.75. A deck in 25 seconds scores 1,000 points. An incomplete deck scores the cards correct in order divided by 52, with the time counted as 300 seconds.
- How many points is a 60-second deck worth?
- Plug 60 seconds into the formula: 11180 / 60^0.75 is about 519 points. Use the calculator for any other time.
- Why does the formula use the power 0.75?
- It makes the points fall more slowly than the time rises, so each second saved is worth more at fast times than at slow ones. Halving your time raises your score by a factor of about 1.68 rather than 2.
- What is the difference between Speed Cards points and championship points?
- Speed Cards points are the event's own score. Championship points rescale each event so the Millennium Standard is worth 1,000, which lets scores from different events be added into one championship total. For Speed Cards the standard is a time of 16.02 seconds.
- Does this calculator replace an official result?
- No. It applies the published formula to the numbers you enter. Official results are set by the arbiters at a competition and the standards are reviewed by the WMSC each year, so check the current rulebook for anything that counts.
Learn how to get faster in How to Memorize a Deck of Cards, see how fast a deck can be memorized, then try the Speed Cards drill.