How long does the Category Fluency Test take?
About 3 to 5 minutes, as listed in the test library.
Language
Category Fluency Test
Run timed category fluency for animals and for fruits and vegetables, with typed responses checked against category word lists.
Useful for semantic memory, language, aging, and longitudinal cognitive research workflows.
Free to start: 10 free participants per account, then $0.99 per participant for academic research, or any yearly plan. Preview any test free after you sign up.
Episodic memory3-5 minUntimed
Time left 0:45Animals
cathorseeagletiger
Checked against word listUnknown words flagged for review
Type words from a category
What this task measures
Measures semantic category fluency. Participants type as many animals, and then fruits and vegetables, as they can, with 60 seconds per category by default.
Core constructs
- Semantic (category) fluency
- Semantic memory search
- Lexical retrieval
- Language production
Research fit
- Semantic memory and language research batteries
- Aging and longitudinal cognition studies
- Typed fluency studies with review of raw responses
- Comparison with letter fluency in the same session
Paradigm overview
Category Fluency measures how many members of a category a person can produce in a fixed time. Participants see a category and type as many words as they can that belong to it, pressing Enter after each word. Each word joins a visible list, and a countdown shows the time left. The standard categories are animals, then fruits and vegetables, with 60 seconds each. A short untimed practice with colors teaches the entry step and is not scored.
Scoring normalizes each entry (case, spacing, punctuation, a leading article and simple plurals) and checks English entries against category word lists derived from Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0): 7,645 animal names and 595 fruit and vegetable names. A word found only in the other category's list, a number or a non-word is a rule violation. A word that neither list recognizes still counts but is flagged for review, so a rare animal is never rejected automatically. Sessions in other languages are not checked against the English lists and are always flagged for review. Every entry is kept with its time for review.
Key scoring outputs
Unique Valid Words
countWords that fit the category, without repeats. Includes words flagged for review.
Higher is better
Verified Words
countWords confirmed by the category word list.
Higher is better
Words for Review
countWords the category list does not recognize. They count and are flagged for review.
Informational
Repetitions
countRepeats of an earlier word in the same category, including simple plurals.
Lower is better
Out of Category
countWords found only in the other category's list, such as apple for animals.
Lower is better
Rule Violations
countOut-of-category words, numbers and non-words.
Lower is better
Requires Review
flag1 when any entry needs researcher review.
Informational
Total Entries
countAll entries, including repetitions and rule violations.
Informational
Task design as built
The trial sequence participants see, as the test runs in ConductCognition. Settings a researcher can change are listed below.
- Categories
- Animals, then fruits and vegetables, 60 seconds each, after an untimed practice with colors.
- Entry
- Typed. Enter or Add puts each word on a visible list; pasting is blocked.
- Checking
- English entries are checked against category word lists from Open English WordNet. Unknown words still count and are flagged for review.
Published category fluency norms count words spoken to an examiner. This test collects typed words, so those norms are not applied.
Running this test
Settings you can change
| Setting | Standard | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Time per category (ms) | 60,000 | 30,000 to 90,000 |
Yearly plans can change settings within these limits. Free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Need a setting this test does not have?
Devices and languages
- Untimed test: runs on desktops, laptops, tablets and phones. Participant devices
- Task text: English and Italian.
- Available on: Every plan, including the free plan.
- Recruiting online? See the setup guides for Prolific, Sona Systems, CloudResearch Connect and Qualtrics.
Cite this test
ConductCognition versions: task version 2.0.0, scoring version 2.0.0. Every export records the versions each session used, for a methods section.
- Rosen, W. G. (1980). Verbal fluency in aging and dementia. Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology, 2(2), 135-146. https://doi.org/10.1080/01688638008403788
- Tombaugh, T. N., Kozak, J., & Rees, L. (1999). Normative data stratified by age and education for two measures of verbal fluency: FAS and animal naming. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 14(2), 167-177. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6177(97)00095-4Spoken-response norms, not applied to typed responses.
Source papers
Tombaugh, Kozak & Rees (1999). Normative data stratified by age and education for two measures of verbal fluency: FAS and animal naming. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 14(2), 167-177. Spoken administration; not applied to typed responses.
Paradigm sourceN/A
Research FAQ
Common questions about this online cognitive test
What device does a participant need?
Untimed test: runs on desktops, laptops, tablets and phones. The browser must be Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
What scores does it produce?
Unique Valid Words, Verified Words, Words for Review, Repetitions, Out of Category, Rule Violations, Requires Review and Total Entries. Each session is also marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason.
Which settings can a researcher change?
Time per category (ms) (30,000 to 90,000). Settings can be changed on yearly plans; free and pay-as-you-go studies use the standard settings.
Which languages can participants use?
The test's own text is in English and Italian. Italian participant pages come with yearly plans.
Is this a clinical test?
No. ConductCognition is for research use only. It runs, scores and exports the test; clinical interpretation is outside the platform.
Every test: the full test list.
Run this test in your next study
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