5-Choice Reaction Time Test
Five zones, one lights up, hit the right one. Choices slow you down.
MEASURES
Choice RT
INPUT
D F Space J K
TIME
~60 sec
How the test works
Why more choices means slower reactions
One signal, one response, and all you do is react. Introduce options and your brain first has to work out which one appeared, which costs time. Hick's law holds that reaction time climbs with the logarithm of the number of choices, and that is why a five-choice reaction comes in 100–150 ms slower than the simple click test.
Take the Classic Reaction Time Test as well. ReactionBench parks your simple median next to your choice median on the results screen, so the price of that extra decision is right there in front of you.
How your score grades
Elite
under 350 ms
Very fast decisions with clean accuracy
Fast
350 – 449 ms
Quick choice reactions, above average
Average
450 – 549 ms
Typical for a five-way choice
Deliberate
550 ms +
Accurate but taking time to decide
Questions
Why is choice reaction slower than simple reaction?
Because you must identify which of the five signals appeared before responding. Time for that decision step stacks on top of the raw reaction, roughly 100–150 ms for five choices, just as Hick's law predicts.
What is Hick's law?
It is the principle that reaction time grows with the logarithm of the number of choices. Double the options and the time doesn't double, yet every added choice slows the decision measurably.
Do errors count against my score?
Yes. Your median time counts correct responses only, and accuracy gets graded next to it. A fast median littered with wrong zones won't earn a top grade.
Is this an ADHD test?
No. Some clinical assessments do share features with sustained choice-reaction tasks, but this is a quick benchmark built for curiosity, not a diagnostic or screening tool. Take any clinical question to a professional.