Lights out reaction test

How the lights out test works

1. Click the panel (or press Space) to start the sequence.
2. The red lights come on one column per second, five columns in total.
3. After the fifth column, the lights stay on for a random hold between 0.2 and 3 seconds. The panel says Wait for lights out…
4. When all lights go out and you see Go!, click, tap or press Space immediately.
5. Your time in milliseconds counts up on the panel. Click again for the next start.

React while the lights are still on and you get a Jump start! That start is not counted, but it is added to your jump start count, just like a penalty in a real race.

Under the panel you see your Last time, your Best time (from all your saved starts in this browser), the Average of this session and your number of Jump starts. A small chart shows your recent starts.

An F1 reaction time test, without the car

The panel copies the idea of the start lights used in Formula 1 and many other motorsport series: red lights build up one by one, and the race starts when they all go out. That is why people search for an "F1 reaction time test". This is our own browser game inspired by that sequence. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Formula 1 or any racing organisation.

What makes it harder than a simple reaction time test is the build-up. The lights coming on at a steady one-second beat tempt you to predict the moment, and the random hold punishes that. A racing driver has the same problem: go too early and it is a penalty, go too late and the cars around you are already moving.

Note that our hold time (0.2 to 3 seconds) is our own choice for the game. We do not claim it matches the exact timing of any real race start.

Reading your time

Your start time is measured from the frame in which the lights went out to the moment your click, tap or key press arrives. Two things to keep in mind:

• It includes your device. Screen refresh, mouse or touch screen delay and the browser all add a few tens of milliseconds. Compare results on the same device. A 144 Hz monitor and a wired mouse will give lower numbers than a phone.
• Some anticipation is hard to avoid. A very low time (well under 100 ms) is often a lucky guess rather than a true reaction. If you get those often together with jump starts, you are timing the rhythm instead of watching the lights.

We do not show global rankings: your times stay in your browser and we never see them. To understand the hardware side of the number, read our guide to reading your test results.

Tips for faster starts

• Watch, do not count. Focus on the whole row of lights and react to the change, not to a beat in your head.
• Stay loose. Rest your finger on the button with a little pressure. A tense hand is slower and more likely to jump.
• Use one input. Mouse button or Space: pick one and stick to it, because each has its own delay.
• Play a few rounds first. Your first starts are usually the slowest.
• Judge by the average, not your single best start.

For another angle on your reflexes, try the ruler drop test, which needs no screen at all, or check your hands and controller with the gamepad tester. Speed fans can move on to the CPS test or the spacebar clicker. All games are on the skill tests page.