Schulte Table Online
Find the numbers from 1 to 25 in order as fast as you can. Pick a grid size, press Start, and click each number in turn. Mistakes are counted but do not stop the clock.
Click the numbers from 1 to 25 in order. Try to keep your eyes on the center of the grid and find the next number with your side vision.
What is a Schulte table?
5×5
the classic grid, numbers 1 to 25
3×3 – 7×7
grid sizes on this page
≈ 5 min
a day is plenty
A Schulte table is a grid of randomly placed numbers that you find in ascending order. It takes its name from the German psychiatrist Walter Schulte and was first used to observe attention: how quickly someone settles into a task, how steady their pace is, and when fatigue sets in.
Today it is better known as a drill. Speed-reading courses, especially in Eastern Europe, use it to practise a wider field of view, and many people like it as a quick, measurable focus warm-up.
How to play
- 1
Choose a grid
Start with 3×3 or 4×4 if you're new; 5×5 is the classic.
- 2
Press Start
The numbers appear and the timer runs.
- 3
Click in order
1, then 2, then 3, up to the last number. Found numbers fade out.
- 4
See your time
The clock stops on the last number and shows your time and errors.
Tips to get faster
- Relax your gaze. Darting from cell to cell is slow; a soft focus on the center lets you notice numbers in the corners of your vision.
- Sweep the grid once. Before you hunt for 1, let your eyes run over the table. You'll often remember where the next few numbers are.
- Keep a steady rhythm. Rushing produces errors and searches for numbers you've already clicked.
- Go bigger only when it feels easy. When 5×5 is routine, move to 6×6 or 7×7.
- Stop while you're still improving. Three to five tables are enough; rising times are your signal to finish.
Variants of the Schulte table
| Variant | How it works | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Letters | The alphabet instead of digits | A new sequence to search |
| Backwards | From 25 down to 1 | Breaks the counting habit |
| Red and black (Gorbov–Schulte) | Two series in two colors, alternate between them | Switching attention between two tasks |
What Schulte tables can and can't do
Can
- Make you reliably faster at finding numbers in a grid
- Give a short, honest focus exercise
- Show how sleep and stress affect your attention
Can't (on current evidence)
- Make you read much faster with full comprehension
- Improve attention in everyday life beyond the drill
For a different kind of attention challenge, try the Stroop test, where the difficulty is ignoring what you read, or check your raw speed with the reaction time test.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Schulte table?
A square grid filled with the numbers 1 to 25 (in the classic 5×5 version) in random order. You find and point to them in ascending order as fast as you can. It is used to practice attention, visual search and peripheral vision.
What is a good time on a 5×5 Schulte table?
There is no universal norm for online versions: times depend on the device, the grid size and how you click. Times usually drop quickly over the first few sessions as you learn the drill, so track your own best time rather than comparing with others.
How long should I practice Schulte tables each day?
A few tables a day, about 5 minutes, is plenty. Short regular sessions beat a single long one, and your times stop improving once you get tired.
Do Schulte tables improve reading speed?
Speed-reading courses use them to practice taking in more with each glance. Reading research is skeptical that this alone makes you read faster with full comprehension, so treat the table as an attention drill, not a reading shortcut.
Should I move my eyes or look at the center?
The classic advice is to keep your gaze near the center and find numbers with peripheral vision. Start by letting your eyes move freely, then try holding them at the center as you get faster.
What is the red and black Schulte table?
A harder variant, often called the Gorbov–Schulte table, mixes black and red numbers. You alternate between counting the black numbers up and the red numbers down, which trains switching attention between two tasks.
Try next
Repeat digits forwards, backwards or a grid sequence. Find your memory span.
Reading Speed TestRead a short text, answer three questions, get your words per minute.
Reaction Time TestClick when the screen turns green. Five tries, average in milliseconds.
Stroop TestName the ink color, not the word. Measure your own Stroop effect.
Schulte tables every day, in your pocket
Brainura's Schulte Tables game grows with you, level by level, alongside 25 more short games for memory, attention and logic. No ads.
Free to install · no ads · no account needed
Sources
- Rayner, K., Schotter, E. R., Masson, M. E. J., Potter, M. C., & Treiman, R. (2016). So much to read, so little time: How do we read, and can speed reading help? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(1), 4–34.
- Simons, D. J., et al. (2016). Do “brain-training” programs work? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(3), 103–186.