What does the test measure?
A simple visual task asks you to wait for a signal and respond. The interval between the signal and registered input is shown in milliseconds. There are 1,000 ms in a second, so 250 ms is a quarter of a second.
In Cabe’s browser test, the signal involves a colour change. A choice task with several buttons also requires selecting the correct response. Its times are not directly comparable with a single-signal task.
Is there a universal normal range?
A generic online result has no single boundary separating everyone into normal and slow groups. A meaningful reference needs the same procedure, participant group and measurement method. Internet tables often leave these conditions unclear.
For example, Human Benchmark provides its own task. Its results belong to that procedure and its users, rather than automatically applying to every app or person. Cabe does not assign a medical assessment or brain age.
Numbers such as 200, 250 and 300 ms can illustrate durations. They are not diagnoses. Begin personal comparisons with several careful series on one device.
Why devices change the result
Displaying the signal, processing input and recording time all contribute to a browser result. A touchscreen, keyboard and mouse register different physical actions. Display refresh and browser activity change conditions too.
A 60 Hz screen refreshes about every 16.7 ms, while 120 Hz is about every 8.3 ms. These intervals are not a fixed correction you can subtract from every score. The complete delay chain is more complicated.
Run a comparable series
- Use the same device, browser and input method.
- Take a few practice attempts to learn the controls.
- Complete a full series under the test’s rules.
- Wait for the signal; guessing can produce a false start.
- Keep all valid times, not just your favourite.
Note interruptions and changes in conditions. If a series was interrupted, starting a new one is clearer than selecting only attractive scores. Compare several sessions rather than two adjacent attempts.
Mean, median and best time
Consider 230, 240, 245, 250 and 435 ms. Their sum is 1,400, so the mean is 280 ms. The middle of the ordered list, or median, is 245 ms. The best time is 230 ms.
The mean includes every attempt and is affected by the slow one. The median is the middle of this set. The best describes just one attempt. Cabe’s browser test displays mean and best time; you can calculate a median separately from your own list.
Use the score as a task-specific reference
Repeat the same game under the same conditions. Aim for a clean series without false starts, then compare with a later session. Keep separate records for tasks that require choosing between responses.
Read the reaction practice guide or start with the free browser test.