Thirty-six cells, typically 45 to 80 seconds. The 6×6 is where the exercise changes character: for most people this is the first grid too large to cover from a single central fixation, so the skill shifts from peripheral span to efficient, deliberate search.
No account? It takes less than 10 seconds.
Everything up to 5×5 rewards seeing more at once. From 6×6 onward that stops being possible, and what's actually being trained is your ability to hold concentration across a longer task without your attention fragmenting. That's a different and arguably more useful skill — it's the one that matters for sustained reading or extended work — but it means your 6×6 times aren't comparable to your 5×5 times in any meaningful way.
Observed ranges from ordinary play on this site, in number mode — not records, and not a scoring scale. Your own first session is the only baseline that matters.
| Level | Typical time |
|---|---|
| First few attempts | 80–120 seconds |
| With practice | 45–80 seconds |
| Strong | under 45 seconds |
| Exceptional | under 30 seconds |
It isn't just 11 more cells — it crosses a threshold. At 36 cells most people can no longer cover the grid from one central fixation, so instead of reading the board peripherally you have to search it. That's a slower, more effortful process, which is why times often more than double rather than rising proportionally.
Beginners typically land between 80 and 120 seconds. With practice, 45–80 seconds is a normal working range, and under 45 seconds is strong. These are observed bands from ordinary play rather than records.
Not better — different. Larger grids train sustained concentration and search efficiency; smaller ones train peripheral visual span and reaction speed. If your goal is speed reading, the 5×5 and below are more directly relevant. If your goal is holding focus for longer, the 6×6 and up are.
Two or three. Attention, not time, is the limiting factor, and a fourth round at this size is usually just a slower version of the third.