Auditory Reaction Time Test
Test how fast you react to sound. Wait in silence, then click, tap or press Space the instant you hear the beep or see Now. Five tries give your average, best and consistency, timed on the audio clock with latency correction.
Click or tap to start. Click or tap here, or press Space. The pad shows Wait, then Now with the beep. React to whichever you notice. 5 tries.
Use wired headphones or your device's speakers if you react to the beep. Bluetooth often adds 100 to 300 ms that the browser does not report, so waiting for that late beep makes your time look slower. Now follows the browser clock, not that extra delay.
The beep is scheduled on the audio clock. Your press is timed from the moment that beep is estimated to reach the speakers, and the output delay is subtracted once (the output timestamp, or the latency the browser reports, whichever is larger). Presses before the beep, or under 100 ms after it, count as too soon and are not scored. The pad shows Wait, then Now at that same moment, so the cue is not the beep alone. All-time best and volume are saved only in this browser.
About auditory reaction time
Why we react faster to sound than to light
Sound takes a shorter route to the brain. The ear turns vibration into nerve signals mechanically, almost instantly, while the eye relies on a slower chemical process in the retina and then several stages of visual processing. The auditory signal also reaches the cortex sooner. The result is that most people respond to a beep roughly 40 to 80 ms faster than to a flash, typically about 170 ms against 250 ms. Compare yourself with the visual reaction time test.
The sprint start
Sprinters start on a gun, not a light, for exactly this reason. Under World Athletics rules, sensors in the starting blocks flag any reaction under 100 ms as a false start, because nobody is thought to react to a sound that fast without guessing. This test uses the same 100 ms floor. Elite sprinters usually react in around 120 to 180 ms.
Bluetooth and audio latency
Your result is only as honest as your audio chain. Wired headphones and built-in speakers add a few milliseconds, which the browser reports and this test subtracts. Bluetooth earbuds can add 100 to 300 ms that the browser may not see. Waiting for that late beep makes a slow score say more about the headphones than about you. Now follows the browser estimate, so it does not include that extra buffer. Check your output with the headphone test, and your screen and input chain with the input lag test.
Tips for a fair score
- Use a quiet room and a moderate volume. A louder beep is detected slightly faster, but do not blast it.
- Rest your finger on the key or button so the press is one short movement.
- Do not guess. The wait is random between 1.5 and 5 seconds. The pad shows Wait, then Now when the beep starts.
- Judge yourself on the 5-try average. A low standard deviation means you are consistent.
Related tools
Test your visual speed with the reaction time test or the F1 reaction test, check your audio with the headphone test, and measure your setup with the input lag test.
Frequently asked questions
Why might the beep not play until I click?
Browsers block sound until you click, tap, or press a key. The first press creates the audio, and a later press resumes it if the browser suspended it. If sound is still blocked, the page says so instead of sitting in silence. Use Test the beep to confirm you can hear it before a scored try.
What does this test time?
It times the gap between the beep and your press. The silent wait is not part of the score. The beep is placed on the audio clock after a random gap, and your press is compared with the moment that beep is estimated to reach the speakers. Output delay is subtracted once. You need 5 scored tries.
What counts as a false start?
A press while the pad says Wait, before the beep, is a false start. A press under 100 ms after the beep counts as a guess and is not scored either. Both show Too soon and are left out of your average. Press again to retry that try. A real response to a sound is not that fast, which is why sprint starts use the same 100 ms floor.
Should I use headphones?
Wired headphones or the device speakers are the fair choice when you react to the beep. Bluetooth earbuds often add about 100 to 300 ms that the browser may not report. Waiting for that late beep makes your time look slower. Now follows the browser clock, not that extra delay. Keep the volume high enough to hear the beep clearly, and not so high that it hurts.
What if I cannot hear the beep?
React to the screen as well. The pad shows Wait during the silence and Now when the beep is due, so the cue is not sound alone. This is a reaction test, not a medical hearing test. It does not measure hearing loss and it does not give a clinical result. If Now never appears, allow this tab to play sound and press the pad again.
How long is the wait, and can I anticipate the beep?
Each try waits a random time between 1.5 and 5 seconds. The gap is not fixed, so pressing early counts as a false start. If you do not press within 3 seconds after the beep, that try is marked No response and is not scored. Press again to continue.
Why is a sound reaction often faster than a visual one?
Most people respond to a beep faster than to a flash, often by about 40 to 80 ms. A rough adult average is about 170 ms for sound and about 250 ms for light, and both vary a lot by person. Compare your eyes with the visual reaction time test. Judge this page by the 5-try average, not one fast press.