What the Corsi test is
The test was proposed by the neuropsychologist Philip Corsi in 1972 while working at McGill University in Montreal. In the original, the participant watched the researcher touch wooden blocks on a board in a certain order and then repeated the sequence. The longest correctly repeated chain is called the Corsi span. The test is still used in neuropsychology as a measure of visuospatial working memory — a spatial counterpart to remembering digits.
What an average span is
In healthy adults, Corsi span is usually around 5–6 items — typically a little less than digit span. It is a guide, not a diagnosis: fatigue, attention and the test format all affect the result.
Why visuospatial memory matters
- Finding your way in a new place and remembering a route.
- Remembering where things are and where on a page you saw something.
- Chess, strategy games and sports where position matters.
Strategies for long sequences
- See the shape. A sequence of 5–6 cells often forms a letter, a zigzag or a square.
- Name it. “Top left, centre, bottom right” — verbal labels help you hold positions.
- Split it. Two parts of three cells are easier to hold than six separate ones.
When forward order feels easy, try replaying the sequence backwards in your head. Reverse order loads working memory more — as in the Reverse Order game.