People Who Score At Least 21 Points On This Test Often Have Superior Brains & Thinking Skills
Oleksii Didok | Shutterstock As we get older, it can be very easy to start questioning if our brains are in top working order. Those moments we all have of forgetting why we entered a room will do that to ya! But what if there were a simple test you could give yourself that would reveal the state of things?
Dr. Baibing Chen, known as Dr. Bing online, is a Mayo Clinic-trained neurologist at the University of Michigan who specializes in treating epilepsy. He also creates content for social media about all things brain health, from helpful tips on how to avoid strokes to everyday risks to neurological wellness we may not even know we're taking.
Recently, Dr. Bing shared a simple 10-question test he gives patients to assess how healthy their brains are. Each question tests a different type of brain function, like speech or memory, and each has a point value. Land a score of at least 21 points, and you're in solid neurological shape. Here we go.
If you score at least 21 points on this test, you have superior thinking skills:
1. What is the current month, and the current season that we're in? (1-2 points)
Okay, this one's a freebie for most of us, which is probably why you only get one point for each correct answer! But this question tests temporal orientation, basically knowing where you are in time, which is a critical function of the medial temporal lobe and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain.
2. Repeat the following 3 words: hat, river, lemon. (1-3 points)
Easy enough, right? Well, make sure to hang onto these three words, because you're going to need them later. This task is testing immediate recall and attention, which is basically your brain's ability to take in new information and hold onto it. This ability leans on the prefrontal cortex, which keeps information active in your working memory, as well as the hippocampus, which starts encoding those words so that you can pull them up later.
3. Start with the number 21 and subtract 3 all the way until you reach 0. (2 points for getting to 0)
Counting backwards by threes tests your working memory and concentration (sidenote: this is also why this is a great grounding technique), since you have to keep track of where you are while doing the math in your head.
This ability is mostly handled by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which manages attention and working memory, and the parietal lobe, which helps us process numbers and calculations. If you start counting on your fingers somewhere around 12, no judgment here.
4. In 15 seconds name as many fruits as you possibly can. (1 point for every 2 unique items, max 6 points)
This question tests semantic knowledge, which pertains to general concepts we accumulate throughout living our lives, as well as language comprehension. It gauges the function of the left anterior temporal lobe, which is where we hold this type of specific information, like names of places and people, as well as the inferior frontal gyrus, which is involved in language processing and speech.
5. Repeat the sentence, "Fresh bread in a tin box." (1 point for perfect repetition)
This is the easiest one yet for most of us, right? But it's actually very revealing. It tests auditory-verbal processing. That means hearing and then repeating speech, basically, along with syntactic processing, which revolves around the basic rules of things like grammar.
This question engages the brain's left perisylvian network, which manages those skills, along with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex involved in memory and attention, and the parietal lobe involved in processing the things happening around you.
6. Name a color and then an animal, then a color and then another animal for a total of 4 colors and 4 animals. (1 point for each correct alternation, max 4 points)
This one sounds simple until you're actually doing it because your brain really wants to name two animals or two colors in a row. Alternating between the two tests cognitive flexibility. This is also called set-shifting, which is your ability to switch gears between different tasks or rules. It's one of the frontal lobe's executive functions, the same skill set you rely on when you're juggling a work email, a grocery list, and a kid asking where their shoes are all at once.
7. Draw a clock face and place the hands at 10 past 4. (2 points for correct drawing)
This is a classic test at the neurology clinic. It checks several skills at once, including planning, visuospatial skills, and your ability to follow instructions. The parietal lobes help you space the numbers evenly around the clock face, while the frontal lobes handle the planning and keep you from pointing the minute hand at the 10 instead of the 2.
8. Explain how a clock and a ruler are similar. (1 point for correct explanation)
Arguably, the hardest one of the entire test. This task is asking you to think beyond what the objects are. A clock and a ruler look nothing alike, but they're both tools we use to measure things. This tests your abstract reasoning, the ability to spot the underlying concept that connects two different things, which relies heavily on the frontal lobes. I would give you a point for "they both have numbers," but a doctor might not be as generous.
9. What were the 3 words I asked you to remember? (1 point, max 3 points)
NO SCROLLING UP YOU CHEATERS. Do you remember the three things? Be honest! This, as you might guess, tests your delayed memory recall, an indicator of hippocampus and prefrontal cortex functions pertaining to memory.
If you failed this one, you're not alone. Many people in Dr. Bing's TikTok comments couldn't remember the three things either, so it's probably nothing to worry about. Although given how messy many social media commenters are these days, that might not be quite the standard to hold ourselves to!
10. What is the function of a spoon and show me how you would use it? (1 point for correct answer & use)
This one might seem odd, but it tests praxis, your ability to carry out familiar movements, along with your attention, executive function, and motor planning. Those skills rely on the frontal and parietal lobes, as well as the supplementary motor area, which plans and carries out our movements.
If you scored 21-25 points, you landed in the Outstanding tier.
If you scored 15-20 points, you landed in the Strong Performance tier.
If you scored 8-14 points, you landed in the Still Building Knowledge tier.
If you scored 0-7 points, Dr. Bing strongly recommends you try to do more brain exercises.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
