diff --git a/src/App.js b/src/App.js
index cf16905..42be4ef 100644
--- a/src/App.js
+++ b/src/App.js
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ class App extends React.Component {
   constructor(props) {
     super(props);
     this.state = { numToRecall: '12345', isInputMode: true };
+    this.startButton = React.createRef();
+  }
+
+  focusStartButton = () => {
+    this.startButton.current.focus();
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
@@ -81,7 +86,9 @@ class App extends React.Component {
     return (
       <>
         {mainDisplay}
-        <button type="button" autoFocus onClick={() => this.props.appEngine.startPracticeSet()}>start practice </button>
+        <button type="button" autoFocus onClick={() => this.props.appEngine.startPracticeSet() }
+        ref={this.startButton}>
+          start practice </button>
         <p>length of number:</p>
         <InputForm onChange={this.setNumLengthField} defaultValue={this.state.defaultNumSize} />
         <p>Number of reps:</p>
diff --git a/src/source.js b/src/source.js
index 56215f8..9b4ff62 100644
--- a/src/source.js
+++ b/src/source.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class AppEngine {
             var msg = "succeeded in  "+this.currentSetRecord.getNumOfSuccessfulExercises()+" out of "+
             this.currentSetRecord.getNumOfExercises();
             this.guiController.setNumToRecall(msg);
+            this.guiController.focusStartButton();
         }
 
         return false;
@@ -196,7 +197,6 @@ class ReactGui {
 
     }
 
-
     activateDisplayMode() {
     }
 
@@ -204,6 +204,10 @@ class ReactGui {
         var stateToSet = { numToRecall: numToRecall, isInputMode: false };
         this.appComponent.setState(stateToSet)
     }
+
+    focusStartButton() {
+        this.appComponent.focusStartButton();
+    }
 }
 
 var appEngine = new AppEngine(new ReactGui());