Understanding what limits your visual memory
Before committing to a training plan, it helps to identify which aspect of visual memory is actually holding you back. The Visual Memory test taps primarily into visual working memory (VWM) — the ability to hold and recall spatial patterns over a few seconds. Limitations can come from three sources: encoding speed (how fast you register the pattern), storage capacity (how many items you can hold simultaneously), and retrieval accuracy (how faithfully you reproduce what you stored).
Most people are actually limited by encoding strategy rather than raw capacity. This is good news: encoding strategy is highly trainable. True capacity improvements are possible but take longer and require consistent lifestyle-level changes rather than a few practice sessions.
Diagnose your bottleneck
- →If you often recall the wrong squares but get the count right: spatial precision is the issue — practice slow, deliberate encoding.
- →If you consistently lose track of more than a few squares: capacity is the bottleneck — focus on chunking and lifestyle factors.
- →If you do well early but deteriorate on higher levels: attention sustainability — work on reducing distractions during the test.
Strategy 1: Chunking and pattern grouping
Chunking is the single most effective short-term strategy for improving visual memory test scores. Instead of trying to remember each square independently, you group adjacent squares into recognizable shapes — an L, a T, a diagonal line — and store the group as a single unit. This exploits the architecture of visual working memory: it stores objects, not individual locations, so a group of three squares remembered as "an L-shape in the top-left" occupies only one slot.
Shape chunking
Highest evidenceAs the grid appears, immediately scan for recognizable letter shapes (L, T, Z, S), geometric primitives (row, column, diagonal, corner), or familiar icons. Label each chunk verbally in your head: "top-left L, right-side column, bottom row." During recall, reconstruct from these labels rather than point-by-point memory.
Zone-based chunking
High evidenceDivide the grid mentally into four quadrants: top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right. Encode separately how many squares are lit in each quadrant and their rough arrangement. This zone approach reduces spatial confusion and is especially effective on grids larger than 4×4. You can pair it with a verbal count: "two in top-left corner, one alone top-right, three in a row bottom."
Story / journey method
Moderate evidenceFor very high levels, some elite scorers construct a quick narrative that traces a path through the highlighted squares. "A ball drops to the left, bounces to the center-right, then lands in the lower corner." This method is slower to apply but can push performance to Level 8+ by converting spatial locations into a sequential story that benefits from procedural memory.
Strategy 2: Lifestyle changes that grow capacity
While strategy changes produce fast gains, true VWM capacity growth requires changes at the biological level. The most reliably effective interventions are the same ones that benefit overall brain health — but their effects on visual memory in particular are well-supported.
Aerobic exercise (3–5×/week, 30 min)
Highest evidenceMultiple randomized controlled trials show that 6–12 weeks of regular aerobic exercise (running, cycling, swimming, brisk walking) produces measurable improvements in visual working memory capacity. The mechanism involves increased BDNF, which promotes hippocampal neurogenesis and strengthens prefrontal-occipital connectivity. A 2014 meta-analysis (Verburgh et al.) found medium effect sizes (d = 0.52) for VWM specifically. Read more in our brain health guide.
Sleep consolidation (7–9 hours)
High evidenceVisual memories are consolidated during slow-wave sleep via hippocampal replay. Consistently sleeping 7–9 hours improves both the encoding quality and long-term retention of visual patterns. If you are training visual memory, the night after a practice session is especially important: don't sacrifice it. A consistent bedtime and wake time matter more than any supplement or brain-training app.
Meditation and focused attention training
Moderate evidenceMindfulness-based attention training has been shown to improve VWM capacity in several controlled studies, likely by reducing attentional lapses during encoding. Even brief daily practice (10–15 min) over 4–8 weeks produces small but reliable improvements. The mechanism is improved prefrontal regulation of distracting internal thoughts during the encoding window.
Strategy 3: Deliberate practice beyond the test
Repeating the same test in the same way leads to fast initial gains followed by a plateau. To continue improving, deliberately vary the challenge and complement the test with related visual memory tasks.
| Drill | How to do it | Transfers to |
|---|---|---|
| Kim's Game | Study a tray of objects for 60s, cover, recall as many as possible | Object-location memory, attention to detail |
| Mental map drawing | From memory, sketch your neighborhood, workplace, or a room | Spatial layout memory, navigation |
| Sequence memory | Use the Sequence Memory test daily | Ordered spatial recall, pattern tracking |
| Photo study | Study a complex photo for 30s, then answer 10 questions about details | Visual detail encoding, scene memory |
| Chess puzzles | Study a board position for 10s, reproduce from memory | Expert-level visual chunking |
Combining 2–3 of these drills with regular sessions on the benchmark test and the lifestyle factors above is the fastest evidence-based path to genuine improvement. Our visual memory training article examines the research on how much capacity can actually grow. For common errors that sabotage scores, see our mistakes to avoid guide.
Put your new strategy to the test
Try the chunking strategy on your next run and see how many levels you can add.
Take the Visual Memory test