# NASA PVT+ — A Psychomotor Vigilance Test

> Official NASA Psychomotor Vigilance Test for research on sleep, alertness, and performance. (iPhone/iPad app by NASA.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa-pvt-plus/id1146834402 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146)
- Category: Health & Fitness, Medical
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 10 App Store ratings · 4 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.6 · 31 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2020-10-06
- Data updated: 2026-08-15
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa-pvt-plus/id1146834402/reviews.md

## What is NASA PVT+?

The official NASA PVT+ (Psychomotor Vigilance Test) is a validated iOS based touchscreen PVT that includes multiple industry standard research forms for collecting a wide range of research data for sleep, alertness and performance studies.

The app has three principle data collection schemes designed to accomidate a wide range of research studies.
 
The Simple PVT:
The Simple PVT is a single presentation of the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT; described below). Participants can be instructed to take a PVT at any time. There is no limit to the number of PVTs that a participant can take.
 
Basic Study:
The Basic Study provides a single or multiday pre-set framework for collecting research data. Participants are prompted to complete a sleep diary after their main sleep episode. The participant is then prompted to complete three PVT and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) responses during the day. The participants also complete a sleep diary before bed.
 
Aviation Study:
The Aviation Study provides a multiday pre-set framework for collecting aviation related research data. Split into Off-Duty Days and Duty Days. Participants are prompted to complete a sleep diary after their main sleep episode. The participant is then prompted to complete three PVT and KSS responses during off-duty days. On duty days, the participant is prompted to complete a PVT and KSS pre- and post-duty. They are also prompted to complete a PVT, KSS, hassle factors, use of fatigue countermeasures, and inflight rest at the top of descent for each flight. The participants also complete a sleep diary before bed. The number of flights within a duty day can be adjusted. The aviation study also includes a pre-study baseline questionnaires that can be completed at study enrollment.
 
The specific components of the application include:
 
- Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT):  A simple reaction-timed test that is sensitive to sleep loss and circadian misalignment. The PVT displays a box on the screen and participants are instructed to tap the screen with their dominant thumb when a millisecond counter appears in the box and begins to count up. After the participant taps the screen, the counter briefly displays the reaction time in milliseconds, then the counter disappears, and the participant is instructed to refrain from touching the screen until the next millisecond counter appears in the box. The counter appears randomly every 2 to 10 seconds. The PVT can be configured by the investigator to the desired duration (currently validated for a 5-minute test).
 
- Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS): The KSS is a self-reported sleepiness rating where the participant is asked to rate their level of sleepiness within the last five minutes on a scale from 1 to 9.
 
- Sleep Diary: The Basic Study and Aviation Study each include a sleep diary that the study participant is prompted to complete at the beginning and at the end of the main sleep episode. The pre-sleep sleep diary asks the participant to record any naps that were taken prior to the main sleep episode, along with indicating the time of bedtime. The post-sleep sleep diary asks the participant to record the time that it took to fall asleep, number and duration of night awakenings, final wake time, and a sleep quality rating.
 
- Study Enrollment Information: The Aviation Study includes a demographic questionnaire and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire along with a practice sleep diary and practice PVT to orient the participant to study procedures.
 
Data collected from study participants using the NASA PVT+ iOS application does not include Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Research data is never collected directly by NASA unless a volunteer is participating in a NASA study. Data collected for research studies conducted outside of NASA, through use of the NASA PVT+ application, is never sent to NASA without a specific agreement between the outside organization and NASA.

## Key features

- Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT)
- Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS)
- Sleep Diary
- Simple PVT mode
- Basic Study framework
- Aviation Study framework

## Recent user reviews (4 of 4)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa-pvt-plus/id1146834402/reviews.md

### 1/5 — No results

*2024-09-05, version 1.5.0*

You can’t see the results even from the demo and it says they is no results collected, which seems to be the only point of the app.

### 1/5 — Unbelievable...

*2024-08-31, version 1.5.0*

The best and brightest, inspiring confidence, can't even build a basic app that shows results. it's like it was designed by alien artificial intelligence is to see how users respond to the frustration of taking a test and not being provided the results. maybe it's an intelligence test? Can you search through the menus and find your results? maybe somebody can, but I sure couldn't, nor could I find it in the various forms of documentation scattered across the Internet... it's like setting up an e-commerce store with no way to check out. brilliant

### 3/5 — Fell

*2023-01-05*

Asleep

### 5/5 — PVT research study tool

*2020-11-22*

I have a rare, chronic sleep disorder. Myself and the other 200+ members of my support groups are looking for an app we can use to get objective feedback on alertness. I realize this is not what this app was intended for. But I wanted you to know if you ever decide to make a commercial version of your app, you definitely have a market among the Sleep disorder community.

## Frequently asked questions about NASA PVT+

### What is NASA PVT+ used for?

NASA PVT+ is used for conducting validated Psychomotor Vigilance Tests (PVT) to collect research data on sleep, alertness, and performance. It's designed for scientific studies and research purposes.

### What are the different study modes in NASA PVT+?

NASA PVT+ offers three main data collection schemes: the Simple PVT for individual tests, the Basic Study for multi-day data collection with sleep diaries and KSS, and the Aviation Study for aviation-specific research.

### How does the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) work in NASA PVT+?

The PVT in NASA PVT+ presents a box on screen where participants tap their dominant thumb when a millisecond counter appears. The app records reaction time and instructs users to wait for the next counter, which appears randomly every 2 to 10 seconds.

### What is the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) in NASA PVT+?

The Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) is a self-reported measure within NASA PVT+ where participants rate their sleepiness on a scale of 1 to 9. This helps researchers assess subjective alertness levels.

### Does NASA PVT+ have ads?

No, NASA PVT+ does not contain advertisements. As a research tool developed by NASA, it is designed to provide an uninterrupted experience for participants.

### What devices is NASA PVT+ compatible with?

NASA PVT+ is available for iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It requires iOS version 4+ and is designed for touchscreen interaction.

### How often is NASA PVT+ updated?

The latest version of NASA PVT+ is 1.5.7, last updated on December 9, 2025. Updates typically include improvements to research data collection and app stability.

### What is the age rating for NASA PVT+?

NASA PVT+ has an age rating of 4+. This indicates that the content is generally suitable for all ages, though its primary use is for research participants.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5.7 — 2025-12-09

Various improvements

### 1.5.6 — 2025-07-15

What's new in NASA PVT+ 1.5.6
   1. Fixed a crash that could affect specific studies.
   2. Logic for several forms was enhanced to support upcoming studies.
   3. Support for iOS 18.5.
   4. Changes to language and grammar for some study forms.
   5. Multiple small bug fixes for ongoing and upcoming experiments.

### 1.5.5 — 2025-03-21

What's new in NASA PVT+ 1.5.5
   1. Logic in several forms was enhanced to support upcoming studies.
   2. Support for iOS 18.3.2.
   3. Changes to language and grammar for some study forms.
   4. Multiple small bug fixes for ongoing and upcoming experiments.

### 1.5.4 — 2025-01-05

- Addition of new forms and logic for custom studies.
- Enhanced support for iOS 18.2 and iPads.
- Fixed several bugs that could cause a crash in some very specific forms.
- Minor changes and bug fixes for ongoing experiments.

### 1.5.2 — 2024-10-29

- Addition of new forms and logic for custom studies.
- Fixed several bugs that could cause a crash in some very specific forms.
- Enhanced support for iOS 18.0.1 and newer iPhones.
- Minor changes and bug fixes for ongoing experiments.

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