What Is a Good Reaction Time?

A good reaction time depends on what you're reacting to and how it's measured. For the classic online test (click when the screen turns green), most people average somewhere between 200 and 300 ms. Under 200 ms is fast; consistently under 180 ms is exceptional.

Typical reaction time ranges

The table below is a practical guide for simple visual reaction time measured in a browser with a mouse or touchscreen. It is an interpretation aid, not a clinical scale.

As our own anonymous dataset grows, you can see how real users actually score on the average reaction time and percentile pages.

Lab results vs. online tests

Laboratory studies using dedicated equipment commonly report simple visual reaction times of roughly 200 to 250 ms for healthy young adults. Online tests measure the same task but on consumer hardware, which adds delay:

• A 60 Hz monitor refreshes every ~16.7 ms, so a signal can appear up to a frame late.
• Many monitors and TVs add processing delay.
• Mice, keyboards and touchscreens each add input latency; wireless and Bluetooth devices can add more.

Together these commonly add tens of milliseconds. That's why a “slow” online score may simply reflect your hardware.

Average, median and consistency

Look beyond a single number. Your best attempt shows your ceiling, but can be lucky. The median is the most reliable summary of a session because one distracted attempt barely moves it. The standard deviation tells you how consistent you were. Lower is better.

What affects your score

• Type of signal: reactions to sound are usually faster than to light.
• Choices: having to pick between responses slows you down.
• Age: reaction time gradually slows and becomes more variable through adulthood.
• Sleep and fatigue: sleep loss increases both average time and lapses.
• Practice and focus: familiarity and attention improve consistency.

Want to get faster? Read how to improve your reaction time.