skip to Main Content

From Phil Chambers, Chief Arbiter

Following some spectacular performances at National and The World Memory Championships, the Millennium Standards have been analysed and revised. (Where the MS has been broken by at least three competitors, excluding electronic competitions, a new standard is derived).

As of January 31st 2020 the following standards will apply see table below.

In addition to these changes, the International Master of Memory requirements has been updated. The full requirements to achieve the International Master of Memory are as a follows:

1) Compete in all 10 disciplines of the WMSC approved championship(s) counting towards your IMM

2) Achieve at least 3000 cumulative championship points in each championship counting towards your IMM

3) Correctly memorise 14 decks of cards (728 cards) in 1 hour

4) Correctly memorise 1400 decimal digits in 1 hour

5) Correctly memorise a single deck of cards in 40 seconds

3), 4) and 5) above may be achieved over more than one championship. (all three norms do not have to be achieved in a single competition). Previously achieved IMM norms at old standard do not count towards new IMM.

5) may be set in any WMSC approved championship. Since hour long disciplines only apply to the World Memory Championships, 3) and 4) must be set at the WMC.

Grandmaster of Memory will be awarded at the World Memory Championships to the top five placed competitors, who are not already GMMs and have achieved a total score of 5,500 or more cumulative championship points.

International Grandmaster titles will be awarded at the World Memory Championships to competitors with a total score of 6,500 or more cumulative championship points.

Phil Chambers

(Chief Arbiter)

* indicates revised standard.

Discipline                               Millennium Standard 2020   Formulae

Spoken Numbers                           ~447 digits            √(raw score)* 47.30

5 Min Speed Cards                           16.02 seconds         8007.5/(time ^ 0.75)

5 Min Binary Digits (mean top 3 + 10%)*       1246 digits

5 Min Names & Faces                       95 names

5 Min Random Numbers (mean top 3 + 10%)*   659 digits

5 Min Historic/Future Dates (mean top 3 + 10%)*   154 dates

5 Min Words                               125 words

10 Min Cards                               407 cards (7 decks + 43 cards)

15 Min Random Numbers (mean top 3 + 10%)*     1217 digits

15 Min Names & Faces (mean top 3 + 10%)*         200 digits

15 Min Random Words                         312 words

15 Min Abstract Images                         697 points

30 Min Binary Digits (mean top 3 + 10%)*         7654 digits

30 Min Cards                                 1014 cards (19.5 decks)

30 Min Random Numbers                     1999 digits

60 min/Hour Cards*                         2600 (50 decks)

60 min/Hour Random Numbers (mean top 3 + 10%)* 4493 digits

As standards have improved it was decided that recall time needed to be revised to reflect the extra data competitors need to write. The following will also take effect from January 31st 2020:

Discipline                       Recall Time

Spoken Numbers                  5 /10/15/25 mins (No Change)

5 Min Speed Cards                  5 mins (No Change)

5 Min Binary Digits                  20 mins

5 Min Names & Faces              20 mins

5 Min Random Numbers              20 mins

5 Min Historic/Future Dates          20 mins

5 Min Words                      20 mins

10 Min Cards                      30 mins (No Change)

15 Min Random Numbers          35 mins

15 Min Names & Faces              35 mins

15 Min Random Words              35 mins

15 Min Abstract Images              35 mins

30 Min Binary Digits              90 minutes

30 Min Cards                      60 minutes (No Change)

30 Min Random Numbers          60 minutes (No Change)

60 min/Hour Cards                  2.5 hours

60 min/Hour Random Numbers      2.5 hours

Back To Top