Looking for the best memory courses to truly improve your recall – not just another set of flashy tricks that lead you nowhere?
You’re in the right place.
In this guide, you’ll find a detailed, expert-reviewed list of the most effective memory training courses available today.
None of my recommendations involve quick hacks or empty promises.
I’m familiar with each of these programs based on having developed and run one of the largest and longest-running online memory training platforms.
I research every book and course on memory I can and have been delighted to help over 100,000 learners improve their memory through the Magnetic Memory Method.
My TEDx Talk is one of the most viewed memory presentations on record. I’ve also authored over a dozen books on accelerated learning and memory techniques and have memory coaching clients from around the world.
In this article, I’ll walked you through:
- What makes a memory course truly effective
- How to spot the difference between hype and real memory training
- My personal reviews of the top memory training options (including my own method)
Whether you’re a student, professional, language learning, or someone seeking memory sharpness, this guide is designed to help you find a course that actually works.
And avoid waiting time and money on the ones that don’t.
Let’s dive in.
Best Online Memory Courses Reviewed for 2025
I’ve handpicked some of the best memory schools and courses that will sharpen your memory power.
Although I will not be uncritical of some of them, let’s look at each of them in detail.
Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass
The Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass was launched… by yours truly! I’ve taught thousands of students and worked as a memory coach and adviser to top ESL instructors and language school administrators worldwide.
The Magnetic Memory Method is an incredibly powerful technique that will help you improve your memory in as little as eight days.
It’s a practical and fun approach to using Memory Palaces, mnemonics, and other memorization techniques to store and retrieve all kinds of information you want to remember later.
In addition to giving you many Memory Palace examples, this program helps you easily learn a foreign language, memorize names and faces, speeches, and specialized terminology from professional fields like law.
Given its emphasis on memory skills for language learners, the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass is hands down your top option.
That’s because everything we memorize ultimately boils down to words. Even memory competitors translate abstract shapes into words when memorizing them.
How does a Memory Palace work?
Memory Palace is a powerful mnemonic technique that was used by the Greeks, and by geniuses like Hannibal Lecter and Sherlock Holmes.
It is based on associating information to real locations that are familiar to you — your home, school, office, a mall, etc. You walk through the place in your head, and associate memories with different parts of that location.
For example, if you were to associate the room you’re in with names of your neighbors, you’d store names starting with A on the drawer, those with B on the ceiling, and so on. You could associate vivid visual imagery with these names, helping aid your visual memory.
When you need to remember something, simply go back to your Memory Palace and look it up.
When you build memory palaces, you unlock your spatial memory and visual working memory. This provides a foundation for working with your semantic, episodic, autobiographical, procedural, and other types of memory.
Combined with Recall Rehearsal, this process lets you move information from short-term memory into long-term memory quicker, and with reliable permanence. The more you do retrieval practice (conscious recall), the more you reconstruct the memory and encode it deeper in your brain.
What’s more?
All other memory techniques can be used inside Memory Palaces (but not the other way around). This maximizes the power of the loci method and combines well with the pegword method.
Mongolian Intellectual Academy
The Mongolian Intellectual Academy was founded by Khandsuren Khatanbaatar, who came across competitive memorization while studying law in Turkey.
His interest soon turned into an obsession. Later, he got trained under Melik Duyar – the co-founder of the Memoriad games – who the Turkish media refers to as “the man who forgot to forget.”
Khatanbaatar returned to Mongolia to start the Mongolian Intellectual Academy. The institute is now known to test the limits of students with training and exercises like reading at 1,500 words per minute, memorizing a deck of cards in 20 seconds, or multiplying seven-digit numbers without a calculator.
The academy focuses on improving the overall brain function and memory of students. They rely on many exercises, including Rubik’s cube practice or a simple training task like speed stacking, to help students become memory experts.
In an interview, a student revealed they even have a kindergarten that teaches basic memory techniques and mental calculation.
Thanks to its unique approach to teaching, Mongolia reigns supreme in mental athletics competitions across the globe. There are as many as eight Mongolians in the list of top 10 junior competitors for mental athletics. In the Asia Championship 2019, Mongolia’s memory athlete team won 67 medals out of 90.
Durrington Research School
The Durrington Research School in the UK is part of the Research Schools Network. Their cognitive training courses follow a holistic approach and cover everything about memorizing, retention, and teaching strategies.
Durrington’s program on improving memory and metacognition explores the research-based evidence behind memory training and how to make it useful in a classroom.
It covers:
- Teaching methods that can improve memory recall
- Strategies to enhance the depth and scope of student knowledge through better curriculum planning
- Effective revision strategies
- Techniques to prepare students for content-rich exams
- Practical recommendations to make metacognition and self-regulated learning useful for teachers
Although their live trainings don’t take place often that I can find, when they are available, they aim to design lessons, tasks, and policies to help students retain knowledge and develop their metacognitive processes. This is especially useful for primary and secondary teachers.
Brain Academy
The Brain Academy by Gregory Caremans has several courses that are focused on developing memory and learning. You’ll also find plenty of videos, blog posts, and insights on how your brain works.
The Ultimate Guide To Memory And Learning Skill course dives into how your memory works and evolves over your lifetime. It also shows you how to stimulate your brain as you age — through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. The lectures include theories on memory, memory exercises, and plenty of tips.
There are other courses on:
- A step-by-step guide to explore your brain
- An introduction to cognitive neuroscience
- Strategies to improve your focus and attention
- Neuroplasticity and how to rewire your brain
- How to stimulate your neurons
- Neuroscience for parents
Now that we’re done with the top options, here are a few more you might want to consider.
Other Courses
Here are a few more that are definitely worth a mention:
Cogmed Working Memory Training
The Cogmed Working Memory Training was designed by cognitive neuroscience experts and psychologists from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
This working memory training is a software-based intervention.
Often packaged as memory training for seniors, the program uses visuospatial and verbal tasks to challenge your working memory capacity.
You get a training protocol specific to your requirements and tackle one training task at a time on a rotating schedule.
The working memory task adapts to your capacity level in real-time, according to the working memory and neuroplastic changes that may occur over time.
The training that lasts 5-10 weeks also contains working memory exercises put together by leading neuroscientists and psychologists. You can view everything on this Cogmed training online, and it gets monitored and analyzed by a coach.
However, as Dr. Christine Till has advised, substantial results from this program comes only when you work with a coach.
You can also wind up dealing with state and context dependent effects if you’re training solely with software.
In other words, your memory might be better inside the app environment. But that doesn’t mean it will be any better as you navigate the world.
Everest Memory Masterclass
A relatively new entry is the Everest Memory Masterclass by USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis.
Since I have a guest session in this program, my memory biases naturally make me partial to it.
It’s definitely one of the better options out there because Nelson is not only a memory champion. He applies memory techniques to a variety of goals, such as language learning.
Frankly, if the memory expert you’re choosing doesn’t have at least basic bilingualism in at least one other language, you might want to look further afield.
The good news is that Nelson does speak more than one language. And like myself, he’s a highly accomplished university professor too.
Ron White’s Black Belt Memory
I’m a big fan of Ron White’s Black Belt Memory course.
Not only do I really appreciate his efforts to give openly on his YouTube channel. He also completes impressive memory demonstrations, like memorizing the names of fallen soldiers.
One of the strongest aspects of his course involve his approach to memorizing numbers. He shows you how you can link them to your body.
This unique approach effectively lets you use your own body as a Memory Palace and is very fun to use.
Mark Channon’s Memory School
As a recent entry, Mark Channon‘s Memory School is worth a look.
I’ve only gone through a bit of it, but it’s great so far. As a Grandmaster of Memory and author of several memory training books, Mark knows his stuff.
He’s also a professional coach. This qualification brings a special character to his memory teaching because he really understands motivation and goal-setting.
Anastasia Woolmer’s Live Memory Training & Coaching
Anastasia is an Australian memory champion who offers live courses and individual coaching.
As one of my favorite podcast guests, she knows a lot about memorizing choreography. She’s a dancer and martial artists, and these experiences bring a lot to her memory instruction.
She also takes on interesting goals, such as memorizing an entire dictionary. I recommend her highly, especially for high energy inspiration, but without the nonsense.
Legacy Memory Courses (No Longer Available)
Although today’s memory courses are either delivered live via Zoom or through sleek online platforms, some no longer exist.
Others haven’t been in print for decades. You have to look for them on Ebay.
Here’s a short list of notable entries. Even though they’re no longer commercially available, they’re still worth knowing about because they broaden your ability to compare and contrast today’s programs.
Pmemory
Pmemory was an online course developed by Ruslan Mescerjakov that promised to help you memorize 60 times more and learn 10 times faster.
The course consisted of 60 lessons each with exercises that were broadly divided into:
- Basic training on memory exercises with details on memory techniques
- Learning how to memorize 25 types of information, including telephone numbers, names, and formulas, and how to retrieve them selectively from your memory
- Memorization of foreign words and phrases
- Memorizing books and complicated texts
- Memorizing codes and passwords
Many people have asked me about why this course disappeared from the Internet. I don’t know, but I did take it many years ago. The training was robust, but I found that it included too many fixed rules that don’t reflect the mnemonic flexibility needed for big learning goals, like mastering a language.
Roth Memory Course
First published in 1918 by David M. Roth, the Roth Memory course was one of the first structured programs to actually provide a journey you could follow.
Prior to that, many ancient books described what to do and how to do it, but not in any particular order.
Now, that doesn’t mean the Roth course was any better. Many memory experts believe that understanding the theory is more important than following someone else’s schedule.
Nonetheless, Roth’s course format was copied many times, including by people like Bruno Furst and Kevin Trudeau in Mega Memory.
The key highlights if you want to see if you can find this program include:
- Lessons covering remembering names, numbers, reading material and lists
- The basics of location-based recall
- A strong emphasis on practice
The language of this course is quite dated, however. And although many of its principles align with modern science, there are some questionable suggestions lurking in it.
At the end of the day, there are much better programs available at present. But it’s hard not to recognize the historical impact Roth’s course made.
How to Choose the Right Memory Course for You
Memory courses are important because they can train you to remember and recall information, as well as keep your brain sharp.
In order to do so, however, they need to satisfying the points I cover in my Memory Training Consumer Awareness Guide (PDF).
Before you join any course, I suggest you read it. Then get in touch with the creators or organizers of memory courses you’re interested in and ask them the following questions:
- What makes you a specialist in the memory skill for which I need training?
- What type of memory methods do you use personally?
- What training do you have as a memory specialist?
- What specifically can I can achieve by working with your product?
- How often should I use your training to get the optimal results?
- Do you teach motivation skills?
- Do you teach study skills and other skills related to memory?
- Do you teach advanced methods for overcoming procrastination?
- Do you teach goal setting?
- Are personal coaching sessions available, and if so, are they recorded?
- What degrees do you hold?
- Do you have any publications that demonstrate your expertise?
- What knowledge of the other memory books, teachers and courses do you have and how do you assess
them? - What knowledge of the available memory science do you have and how did you acquire it?
Even a memory champion needs training to be in top form during a contest, so these questions apply to them too.
Ultimately, anybody can learn memory strategies to remember and recall information, or even learn languages like these memory champions. A 2017 study revealed that practicing mnemonic techniques can actually alter connections in your brain to make it resemble that of a memory champion.
Now, you may not want to become a memory champion. But, there are many other everyday benefits of memory or brain training. For example:
- Memory training helps you retain and store memories a lot quicker than you generally would. So, you’ll no longer face memory problems like forgetting your car keys, or the crucial formula for your maths exam.
- It stimulates the neurons in your brain — making it much simpler for your brain to form connections when exposed to new information, say, in a dull history class.
- It improves your problem-solving skill, making it easier for you to respond to situations aptly. For example, working memory training has been proven to help children who struggle with math problem solving.
- Memory training helps filter out information selectively instead of memorizing everything you see, read, or hear.
- It fires up your overall memory and intelligence. This includes your working memory skills, short- and long-term memory, executive function, fluid intelligence, and creativity.
Does The Course Address Different Types Of Memory?
Let’s take working memory as a further example.
Poor working memory has been found to be a common feature of educational underachievement.
It is also one of the characteristics of people with Down Syndrome, those with dyslexia or learning disabilities, and those who’ve suffered a brain injury.
How does memory training improve your overall working memory performance?
Memory training improves both of the working memory subsystems — the “sketchpad” that stores visual and spatial information, and the phonological loop that is the verbal working memory. This means you won’t have to worry about losing focus on your studies or research due to distractions.
Consistent memorization training or memory training exercises will help you fight your fears of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. A 2010 study showed that it improves brain function in older adults who have started displaying signs of dementia.
What should you look for in a memory course or school?
Look for training that contains focused approaches, without the fluff that seems to fill many memory performance books and video courses.
At the bare minimum, they should offer you plenty of systematic worksheets, working memory tasks, visualization exercises, memory exercises, and detailed guides on each technique — all explained in simple terms you can understand.
Some of the best memory courses and schools inspire you by covering brain training techniques from around the world. You’ll come across exciting insights on:
- How Chinese mnemonist Wang Feng memorizes a deck of cards
- How Matteo Ricci’s memory palace helped him to pass China’s civil service exam
- The Mnemonic Major System used by French scholar Aimé Paris
- How Mongolia uses mental athletics as a nation-building exercise
- And more
How to Complete a Memory Course (and Get Results)
Even the best memory training won’t help if you don’t finish the course.
As a memory coach who’s trained thousands of people and completed countless courses myself, from my PhD program to language certificates in German and Mandarin, I’ve seen exactly where people fall off track.
Here’s how to stay focused, avoid information overwhelm and complete any memory course with confidence.
- Take non-linear notes using my unconventional note taking strategies
- Protect your schedule by planning when you’ll study and practice
- Shield yourself from distractions
- Don’t let the Internet undermine your focus
- Engage with the course creator frequently
In fact, given that memory training benefits from a lot of feedback, make sure that you actually get a response from the teacher before signing up in the first place.
FAQ About Memory Courses & Training
I’ve received thousands of questions over the years about memory training techniques and the people who teach them.
Here’s a list of the most common questions I’ve received and the answers.
Do memory courses actually work?
The answer to this question depends on what you mean by “work.”
Technically, no. Memory courses educate you in a specific way.
In order to get results, you need to put the memory techniques they teach into action. In other words, you put in the work. The course is just there to inform, and to a certain extent guide you.
A lot of people struggle with the self-study requirement and that can be for a lot of reasons ranging from discipline problems to brain fog. If that’s you, you may need to take a step back first and:
- Explore memory friendly foods and herbs that can help restore basic memory function
- Address certain issues, such as stroke recovery or Alzheimer’s
- Learn to schedule your time, perhaps with some Atomic Habits
- Complete the memory course you choose more strategically
At the end of the day, it’s either health, scheduling or incomplete understanding that prevents people from benefitting from memory courses. Your understanding will always be incomplete without taking action, so please keep that in mind.
Another possibility is that you might just not respond well to courses as a learning format. You might benefit more from memory improvement books. Many people learn better that way, though you may still need to address underlying health and scheduling issues all the same.
Key point: Getting results from memory improvement courses isn’t about the medium. It’s about what you do with the lessons. Implementation is the key.
Can memory skills really be trained like a muscle?
Absolutely, yes.
We have countless scientific evidence that this is possible both for memory athletes and learners. To take one recent example, Dr. David Reser and Dr. Tyson Yunkaporta conducted a study with medical students. As the research revealed, students using the ancient art of memory learned faster and retained more than the control group.
Success with memory techniques comes from a combination of:
- Learning the techniques
- Practicing them
- Having a learning goal for applying the techniques
- Analysing your deliberate practice to look for areas to improve
It’s really that simple.
Though, to be clear, it’s not really the case that your memory is a “muscle.” That’s just a metaphor.
Human memory is much more mysterious than most aspects of the physical body.
Are memory courses backed by science?
Yes indeed. I’ve written extensively about the research that exists in this comprehensive guide to contemporary memory science.
A lot of people don’t realize it, but some very accomplished memory scientists and science writers use memory techniques. Boris Konrad and Lynne Kelly are two names that come to mind.
According to the authors of Mnemonology: Mnemonics for the 21st Century, the main reason you don’t see more scientists participating in actual studies has to be with biases that could influence the outcomes.
Personally, I think this objection goes too far. Anyone who knows that F.B.I. stands for the Federal Bureau of Investigation is already deeply familiar with mnemonics to the point of bias.
But that didn’t stop Boris from serving as co-author on one of the best studies demonstrating the validity of memory training. It was published in the major journal, Neuron.
What really matters is that you have a course and a teacher that suits you. The proof is in abundance and has been for thousands of years.
How long does it take to see results from memory training?
Most students see noticeable results within a week or two, if not faster.
The key is consistent daily practice.
You can speed up the process by adding some daily meditation if it feels right for you. I talk a lot about how to do this in my book, The Victorious Mind.
Is it better to take a memory course online or in person?
This is ultimately a “know thyself” question.
For many people, online courses are effective.
So long as you can manage distractions and stay focused, you’ll be fine.
When you use the tips I shared in the video above about how to complete a memory course, you’ll have the benefits of working at your own pace.
To keep consistent, I recommend creating a study schedule for yourself and using my guide to finding the best place to study to make sure you aren’t bothered.
What’s the difference between a good course and a gimmicky memory course?
Good courses:
- Demonstrate strong familiarity with the full range of techniques and their history
- Discuss the tools and give you exercises
- Provide evidence and case studies
- Align with your learning goals (like passing an exam, learning a language or developing in your profession)
Can memory training help me with studying for my exams?
Absolutely.
Techniques like Memory Palaces are especially effective for retaining formulas, vocabulary, historical dates, or structured information.
I’ve used them for doctoral-level exams, and students often report higher test scores and less anxiety.
If you read my testimonials page, for example, you’ll find dozens of students explaining how their grades started to soar after going through my program.
I’ll never forget when Robert Spraggs sent me this screenshot from one of the most difficult exams he ever faced:
You can get similar results.
What types of memory do these courses improve?
Memory courses differ, but a good one should help you enhance:
- Working memory
- Long-term memory
- Procedural memory
- Semantic memory
You’ll also likely improve your imagination through multi-sensory visualization, possibly to the point of experiencing hyperphantasia.
Some people also report an improvement in critical thinking skill too, which has been a common part of the memory tradition going back to at least Aristotle.
Why do some people fail to complete memory courses or enjoy any benefits?
Over the years, the key issues I’ve seen include:
- Unrealistic expectations (like wanting instant results)
- Overwhelm from digital distraction
- Lacking a structured study and practice schedule
- Trying to complete more than one memory training at the same time (leading to confusion)
- Reading comments from anonymous users on forums who likely haven’t memorized enough to speak with as much authority as they do
Some people also tell me they’re simply fascinated with memory techniques.
That’s great, and you’re totally allowed to go through courses just to see how different teachers discuss them.
At the end of the day, those who succeed combine goal-setting with time-blocking, effective note-taking and deliberate practice.
How can I make sure I finish a memory course?
I suggest following this simple plan:
- Break the steps down as you take notes
- Set your pace for practicing what you learn
- Eliminate noise and other distractions
- Practice daily or at least 4x a week
- Finish the course you’re taking before looking up other information online or starting another one
These simple steps will help you build momentum and learn a full process from the memory expert you’ve chosen to teach you.
Power Up Your Brain the Magnetic Way!
It’s essential to sharpen your memory and brainpower, especially as you age. Memory courses and schools are an excellent way to help you with that. But remember, stay clear from those who promise tricky 30-minute or 1-hour memory transformations!
For the most effective memory training that lead to an interesting life, try building Memory Palaces using the Magnetic Memory Method. It will help you remember and recall all that you need, when and where you need it.
Sign up for your free training today:
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19 Responses
I am 53 years old and I’ve always felt that I may have attention deficit and that would include my youngest kid. I want to try the videos for memory improvement and be able to handle the changes and improvements at my place of work and every day life.
It’s great that you’re looking into training for this, Barbara.
Please just let me know if you have questions about any memory courses and I’ll be happy to discuss.
Since more change is coming, hat’s off again to you for being proactive.
How much is your course?
Is it as good as Pmemory was can you memorize tens of books ?
Thanks
Thanks kindly for your interest, Bogdan.
Course registration info is on this page about the MMM Masterclass.
In terms of this being as good as Pmemory, it’s best if I let my students speak for the program. Here are their testimonials. I know there are a lot of them, but I think you’ll find it worth the time to go through them.
When it comes to memorizing dozens of books, yes, this is possible. However, I do this myself in realistic ways that lead to real knowledge. It’s important to have proper expectations around this topic because complete book memorization is rarely necessary.
However, you certainly can memorize entire books verbatim and I’ve done some of this myself with long form texts. But for my PhD and other post-doctoral research projects, I use a different approach that is far better than memorizing entire books. It not only leads to better memory outcomes, but also a better ability to use the knowledge in those books and articles myself and others have committed to memory.
Please let me know if you have any further questions and I’ll get back to you a.s.a.p.
Hi, are there live (i.e interactive), online memory training courses for children and teen? It seems like that would be the best time to learn those skills and be able to use them through their “formal” education journey.
Thanks for asking about this, Katherine.
I’m not aware of any courses that fit this description.
You may want to reach out to individual teachers who can coach this age group.
In the meantime, I agree that it would be great for formal education to include memory training. I believe this will only happen when teachers are required to learn memory techniques as part of their teaching certification.
When this happens, the skills will start to trickle down naturally to their students. This is how memory techniques used to pass across the generations.
Until that educational reform takes place, I strongly urge all parents to take on that role. Learn the techniques and use them so you can teach them from experience to your loved ones.
Please let me know if you have any further questions and I’ll get back to you a.s.a.p.
I am 28 years old and have read a lot about memory techniques but feel that it’s impossible. I really need a coach to practice with me.
Thanks, Kim.
Coaches can be good, though I generally see that people do best when they nurture the coach within.
What are your specific goals with memory techniques? If I know someone who specializes in that area, I’ll let you know. But again, the best coach is probably the one who frees you from the need for coaching a.s.a.p., relative to your exact goal.
I am positive I can improve my memory significantly even though I am 70+ years young. However I need good advice on starting the correct way.
I’m confident you can do it as well. I’ve had many students in their prime do incredibly well.
I would humbly suggest that there is no “correct” way to get started. This is because memory techniques and the improvement they create require personal experimentation.
So as long as you are learning and applying the skills, you’ll be fine and people like me are here to help by answering questions and help you set optimal goals.
Need advice
Happy to share advice, the most important of which is to study and practice memory techniques in a spirit of experimentation.
Hi Anthony I am looking for in person course in New York City. Or the best in person course somewhere close. Can you please advise? Thank you!
Thanks for asking about this.
Do you have specific goals you’re trying to reach? That will help me narrow down any suggestions I might be able to find when asking some of my NYC friends.
In general improve my memory and performance and especially with names. Willing to go somewhere for up to a week for course if available.
Thanks
Better memory capacities, and overall cognitive function improvements. Open to in person courses in New York or elsewhere. Hopefully immersive and intensive within a set time. Thank you
Does it have to be a course?
I’m not aware of anyone offering them at the moment, but the goals you have in mind can be achieved through either self-study or a combination of self-study with an online mentor.
This will be important because the way you get to immersive and intensive is by developing the mnemonic tools needed for better memory. This part is always self-study in the end.
When I work with individuals one-on-one, I almost always require that they have read one of my books or gone through one of my courses first. There is no way I’m aware of to provide them with an immersive situation if they haven’t done any course work on their own first.
In terms of overall cognitive improvements, it’s much the same process. A week long course could certainly help, but you could proceed much faster with your studies with the right material and in this particular case, the workouts need to carry on for life. Memory and cognition are like muscles: use them or lose them.
Does this way of looking at things make sense and help you out?
Yes! How do I reach you offline to see if there’s a possibility for working together thanks
Thanks, Zheng.
There’s a contact link at the bottom of pretty much every page on this site.
Look forward to hearing from you!