Reaction Time Test for the Classroom
Each student takes five attempts, writes down all five times, and works out the average. It runs in any browser, needs no sign-up, and nothing leaves the device. Below the test you will find a free one-page worksheet and a 15 minute lesson plan.
Attempt 1 of 5
Click to start
When red turns green, click as fast as you can
Your five attempts
| Attempt | Time (ms) |
|---|---|
| Average | - |
| Best attempt | - |
Classroom mode stores nothing. Your times stay in this browser tab and disappear when you press Next student or close the page.
A working replacement for the BBC Sheep Dash test
The BBC Sheep Dash reaction test was a Flash game. Flash stopped running in browsers at the end of 2020, so many class pages and science fair guides now link to something that no longer works. This test works in any current browser, on phones, tablets and laptops. It is not a copy of the sheep game. It measures the same thing: how fast you respond to a signal.
If your worksheet or page still points to Sheep Dash, link to reaction-time-test.io/classroom instead.
How to run it in 15 minutes
One round is five attempts per student. Do two rounds so the class can compare something: the dominant hand against the other hand, or the first round against a round after practice.
- Hypothesis (2 min). Students write a guess on the worksheet. Will the other hand be slower? Will practice help?
- Round 1 (4 min). Work in pairs. One student takes the test, the other writes the five times in the first column.
- Round 2 (4 min). Switch hands, or take the test again after the first round as practice. Fill the second column.
- Class table (3 min). Each student reads out the two averages. Write them in the class table on the board, then find the middle value.
- Discuss (2 min). Use the three questions at the bottom of the worksheet.
What to compare
- Dominant hand against the other hand. Most students are a little slower with the other hand, but not all.
- Before and after practice. Run round 1 cold, let students do a round of practice, then record round 2.
- Each student against the class. Our typical result for the visual test is about 325 ms. See the data behind that number.
A note on accuracy
A browser test adds 10 to 50 ms of delay from the screen, the mouse or touch screen and the browser. That delay is roughly the same for every attempt on one device. So compare results inside your class, and ideally on the same kind of device. Do not compare them with lab figures such as the 250 ms often quoted on our average reaction time page.
Five attempts per student give a rough picture. A gap of a few milliseconds between two averages is noise. This is a good moment to talk about why scientists repeat measurements.
Free printable worksheet
One page, black and white, for A4 and US Letter. Press the button and choose Print or Save as PDF. Only the worksheet is printed, not the rest of the page.
Reaction time experiment
My hypothesis (what I think will happen, and why)
My five attempts (in milliseconds)
| Attempt | Round 1: ______________ | Round 2: ______________ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| Average |
Average = add up the five times and divide by 5. Test: reaction-time-test.io/classroom
Class table
| Student | Round 1 | Round 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Student | Round 1 | Round 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Class middle value (median) | ||
Questions
1. Did practice help? Compare your round 1 and round 2 averages.
2. Was your dominant hand faster than your other hand? Was this true for most of the class?
3. Why is your average slower than your best attempt?
Put the test on your class page
Copy this code into your school site or learning platform. It shows the classroom test in a frame and credits this page.
Questions teachers ask
- Is there a replacement for the BBC Sheep Dash reaction test?
- Yes, for the reaction time part. The BBC test was a Flash game and no longer runs. This test works in any browser, but it is not a copy of the sheep game.
- Does the classroom test collect student data?
- No. Classroom mode has no sign-up, no photo and no name field. The five times stay in the browser tab and are gone when the student presses Next student or closes the page.
- How accurate is a browser reaction test?
- A browser adds 10 to 50 ms of delay. That delay is similar for every attempt on one device, so compare results within your class on the same kind of device, not against lab figures.
- Why is the average slower than the best attempt?
- The average includes every attempt, also the ones where attention slipped. The best attempt is the best case. A big gap between the two means the student's results varied a lot.
- Can I put the test on my own class page?
- Yes. Use the embed code above. It shows the classroom test in a frame with a credit link back to this page.
Want the full test with stats and a share card? Take the regular reaction time test, or read about average reaction time by age and how to improve it.
