How long does the Dimensional Change Card Sort take?
About 5 to 7 minutes, as listed in the test library.
Executive Function
Dimensional Change Card Sort
Measure cognitive flexibility and set shifting with a browser-native color and shape sorting task.
Useful for executive-function, aging, neurodevelopmental, and intervention studies that need flexible-rule performance.
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.
Executive function5-7 minTimed: desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad
Sort by color
Rule switched
Correct sortingSwitch cost
Sort cards by the active rule
What this task measures
Measures cognitive flexibility by asking participants to match cards by color or shape as the sorting rule changes.
Core constructs
- Cognitive flexibility
- Set shifting
- Rule switching
- Executive control
Research fit
- Executive-function research
- Aging and cognitive flexibility studies
- Neurodevelopmental research
- Intervention outcome tracking
- Remote cognitive battery design
Paradigm overview
The Dimensional Change Card Sort measures cognitive flexibility by asking participants to match a target card to one of two response cards while the relevant rule changes between color and shape.
In this browser-native implementation, participants see two fixed response cards and a bivalent target card. A rule cue tells them whether to match by color or by shape. Scored blocks include color-rule trials, shape-rule trials, and a mixed block with repeat and switch trials.
Key scoring outputs
Overall Accuracy
proportionProportion of scored card-sort trials answered correctly.
Higher is better
Mixed-Block Accuracy
proportionAccuracy during the mixed block where the sorting rule can repeat or switch.
Higher is better
Switch Accuracy
proportionAccuracy on mixed-block trials where the rule changed from the previous trial.
Higher is better
Repeat Accuracy
proportionAccuracy on mixed-block trials where the same rule repeated.
Higher is better
Switch Cost RT
msDifference between correct switch-trial RT and correct repeat-trial RT in the mixed block.
Lower is better when accuracy is adequate
Alternate-Rule Errors
countIncorrect responses that matched the card that would have been correct under the other rule.
Lower is better
Practice Pass
0/1Indicates whether practice accuracy reached the configured readiness threshold.
1 indicates practice readiness
Running this test
Settings you can change
| Setting | Standard | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Practice trials | 8 | 4 to 24 |
| Color-rule trials | 24 | 12 to 80 |
| Shape-rule trials | 24 | 12 to 80 |
| Mixed-rule trials | 40 | 20 to 120 |
| Mixed-block switch probability | 0.5 | 0.2 to 0.8 |
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
- Timed test: participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad. 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
Paradigm source: Zelazo (2006); NIH Toolbox Dimensional Change Card Sort.
ConductCognition versions: task version 1.0.0, scoring version 1.0.0. Every export records the versions each session used, for a methods section.
Source papers
NIH Toolbox Dimensional Change Card Sort Test. Toolbox Assessments.
Paradigm source4+
FITBIR NIH Toolbox Cognition Domain Dimensional Change Card Sort Trial Type common data element.
Paradigm source3-85
Zelazo PD (2006). The Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS): a method of assessing executive function in children. Nature Protocols, 1:297-301.
Paradigm sourceChild-focused protocol
Research FAQ
Common questions about this online cognitive test
What device does a participant need?
Timed test: participants need a desktop or laptop with a mouse or trackpad. The browser must be Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
What scores does it produce?
Overall Accuracy, Mixed-Block Accuracy, Switch Accuracy, Repeat Accuracy, Switch Cost RT, Alternate-Rule Errors and Practice Pass. Each session is also marked valid, needs review or invalid, with the reason.
Which settings can a researcher change?
Practice trials (4 to 24), color-rule trials (12 to 80), shape-rule trials (12 to 80), mixed-rule trials (20 to 120) and mixed-block switch probability (0.2 to 0.8). 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
Start free with 10 free participants on any test, then use participant credits or a yearly plan.